1946, 1948-1949

In 1946, with his team picked to finish in the second division in the National League, Billy Southworth was anxious to add some punch to what he felt was a weak-hitting Braves lineup. Ray Sanders provided a veteran left-handed bat with pop who, it was hoped, could take advantage of the short right field fence in Braves Field while providing two staples of any Southworth team: speed on the bases and defensive skill around first base. The Braves saw the benefit of Sanders’ presence almost immediately, when he collected nine hits in 17 at-bats during an early-season sweep of the New York Giants, and got off to a .321 start  ...

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