The head coach of the Atlanta Braves, Brian Snitker, is caught having an affair with a key player’s wife, which resulted in…
ATLANTA — For just the second time in his 43 Braves seasons, Brian Snitker has a two-year deal.
It’s understandable why Snitker, who turns 63 on Wednesday, stated on Monday that, despite leading Atlanta to an unexpected NL East division title and its first postseason trip since 2013, he never imagined he’d be asked to take over as manager.
“I’ve been in this business long enough to know that tomorrow is never guaranteed,” Snitker remarked following general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ announcement of his two-year contract. There is a 2021 club option included in the deal.
In addition to serving as Atlanta’s bullpen and third base coaches, Snitker spent 20 years managing the minor leagues before starting his illustrious career with the Braves in 1977 as a minor league player. He said that the only other two-year contract he had was in 1985, when Bobby Cox took over as general manager.
He now has a contract that is longer than a year and is a strong contender for NL Manager of the Year.
“It does give you a sense of accomplishment, I guess,” Snitker replied. “It makes me feel incredibly good. I’m happy to have the chance to participate in this and hang around for a while.”
Chuck Hernandez, the pitching coach, will not be back. Two-year contracts were also given to Snitker’s coaching staff’s remaining members.
It was Anthopoulos’ idea to take Hernandez’s place, as he claimed to be “open-minded” about making a comeback in a different role. According to Anthopoulos, Snitker had to be persuaded to take Hernandez’s place.
“Given his nature as a human, I believe he would have maintained continuity there. I was a little worried. He got it the more we discussed it, according to Anthopoulos.
Snitker claimed, “I was that guy” who was traded in 2013, going from managing Triple-A Gwinnett to the position of third base coach for Atlanta.
Hernandez is a “wonderful, really good pitching coach,” according to Snitker.
“I get that in the process sometimes you want to go in a different direction,” he stated.
Anthopoulos declined to address further his worries about Hernandez. He stated that there is no deadline for selecting a new pitching coach and that internal candidates may be considered in the process.
Following Fredi Gonzalez’s dismissal in May 2016, Snitker was named interim manager. In 2019, Snitker will begin his third consecutive season as the team’s manager.
Anthopoulos expressed his admiration for Snitker’s dugout leadership.
“When we did hit a bump in the road, lost four games in a row, he was steady,” Anthopoulos stated. “Some guys panic.”
The Braves, led by Mike Foltynewicz, Ozzie Albies, and Ronald Acuna Jr., boasted some of baseball’s finest young talent, and they improved to 90-72 in 2017 following their third consecutive season of 90 losses. In the NL Division Series, they were defeated in four games by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I love everything about what’s going on here from the front office to the organization,” said Snitker. “Everything is really well-built. It has the same atmosphere as what I recall from years ago.”
The young clubhouse will undoubtedly approve of the extension. The players complimented Snitker nonstop for always having their backs.
Star first baseman Freddie Freeman praised him, saying, “He did a remarkable job.” “It’s really hard to handle 25 to 35 personalities, and he’s one of the best at it.”
According to Anthopoulos, the team’s salary will increase in 2019. Since right fielder Nick Markakis is a free agent, other priorities might include bringing in a bullpen piece and a catcher to split time with Tyler Flowers.
Because the team has a wealth of talented pitching prospects, it’s possible that Anthopoulos will try to improve the lineup through an off-season trade rather than using free agency.
At the age of 26, Snitker made his managerial debut in the Class A South Atlantic League. By the time he joined the major league team in 1985 as a bullpen coach, his reputation was already gaining momentum.
It was short-lived. The following season, he went back to the minors and established himself as an organizational jack-of-all-trades who went mostly unnoticed. He had two more stints as a big league coach in addition to managing at every minor league level, from the rookie leagues to Triple-A.
