Baseball, Babe Ruth, and the Naming of Bravos De Boston

In the 1920’s the popularity of baseball was exploding all over the world, and Vieques was no exception. The excitement was largely due to “the Bambino” or “the Sultan of Swat”, Babe Ruth himself who dominated the era and the bat. He retired in 1935 after a short time on the Boston Braves team. In 1948 baseball spirit was high and the Boston Braves were now going for the National League Pennant. Viequenses and the local radio station followed and cheered the young Braves from Boston who had had such dismal previous seasons during the time of World War II. The Boston Braves were the underdogs still looking for that sweet spot and Viequenses could relate.

Meanwhile, on Vieques, a beach along the north shore was being claimed and settled by locals who were staking the land for themselves and their families. When the area was to be returned to the Vieques municipality, the mayor likened the venturesome beach settlers staking claim to their north shore land to the Boston Braves team, the underdogs, going for the pennant. And so the name for Bravos de Boston out of history, spirit and baseball, was born.