After going through this entire season with a light cloud of speculation surrounding the future of the managerial role of the Atlanta Braves, the clouds have opened up and rained down a maelstrom of news:
Brian Snitker’s ninth full season season as manager of the Braves will be his last one as the team confirmed that they would not be renewing his contract and will instead allow him to transition into an advisory role with the organization.
While this news certainly came as a surprise, it’s hard to say that this is a shock, either. Again, there had always been open (but light) speculation concerning Brian Snitker’s future with the ballclub so it wasn’t hugely surprising that this day would actually come. Still, it’s pretty tough to imagine that this would’ve been the final go-around for such a venerable veteran as Snitker. The somewhat sudden announcement of Snitker’s exit from the managerial post is a bit of a shock to the system when it comes to an organization that’s been known to send off their long-time vets in an extended and classy manner.
We all saw how Chipper Jones’ retirement tour went. Bobby Cox certainly received his flowers on his way out and it ended with a 2010 team that accomplished something greater than the sum of its parts on its way to the Postseason. We just got done watching Charlie Morton ride off into the sunset. So why didn’t we get that chance to send off Snitker in a similar fashion?
In a way, it almost seems fitting that longtime baseball man such as Brian Snitker who entered the managerial role with such little fanfare back when he took over on an interim basis in 2016 would eventually leave with a similarly-muted reception once he had left the chair. Despite all of the wins, the accolades and the World Series title that came along with that, Snitker has reained true to himself throughout all of that and it was certainly apparent during his final press conference.
Coach Eddie Perez and players like Spencer Strider, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Drake Baldwin, Joe Jiménez and Reynaldo Lopez were all on hand for the presser, as Braves President of Baseball Operations/General Manager Alex Anthopoulos sat by Brian Snitker for the big press conference. It all started with Braves Chairman Terry McGuirk presenting Snitker with the keys to a new Ford truck, tickets for an all-expenses paid, First Class trip to Hawaii and flowers for Snitker’s wife, Ronnie.
Once that was done, an emotional Snitker fought back tears as he delivered some prepared remarks. “When I signed [the contract extension, 2025] was to be my last year and I was excited about it because it put a reality to it. I was really good with it — honestly, I never figured I’d manage one day in the Major Leagues, let alone 10 years,” stated a clearly emotional Snitker. “I never thought I’d hoist a trophy or be around a group of guys that makes this so special. We’ve been fortunate here to have probably the greatest group of players, coaches, the whole building. I said this after we won the World Series: It takes a whole building to do something special and I’ve been blessed to be around great people within the Atlanta Braves organization. It’s about the players — the relationships and friendships that I’ll have for the rest of my life. It’s so special and I’m excited to continue being a part of it.”
That last part referred to the fact that Snitker is moving into an advisory role within the organization — a role similar to the one that Bobby Cox held before he was forced into stepping back due to health concerns. Snitker went on to say that he told a couple of players that “You’re not getting rid of me. I’m still going to be here. I’m going to be at spring training.”
He also went on to admit that he did have second thoughts about potentially returning — a decision that was allegedly in his court if past reports were to be believed. “This is the truth: Until like the last three weeks of this season, I talked about this being my last year. But when you’re sitting in this seat and you’re in the heat of battle, I said that I needed a little bit of time after that last out [on this past Sunday] to decide what I want to do. It was after I got home and I got to decompress a bit that I did decide that [retiring] is the right move.” Snitker continued with a bit of sage advice: “If you wait to retire until you’re ready to retire, you never will.” He went on to say that he’s ready for this next step and that he was grateful that he did sign that contract for three years in order to have a bit of clarity as to how his tenure as a big league manager would end. “Once a Brave, always a Brave. That’s true. There’s nothing like it,” said Snitker.
Snitker went on to thank his players (some of whom, as he noted, have only known Snitker when it comes to big league managers) and he thanked everybody who he had built relationships with within the organization. He also thanked the media for the job they did in covering him and the team through both the good times and the bad. Overall, it was a very classy speech and statement from a guy who you really wouldn’t expect anything less from.
Once he was available for questions, I asked Brian Snitker what moment did he enjoy the most during this bittersweet final season. “Towards the end Nothing changed with the work ethic, the energy, the preparation, how they played the game,” responded Snitker. “It didn’t go our way a lot of times but we made a run there at the end and I was very proud of this team. I’ve seen good teams check it in once they’re eliminated. Our guys seemed to push on the gas a little more. I’m proud of that. It just speaks volumes to who these guys are.”
He went on to continue talking about how pleased he was with the final run to end the season. “They just kept making plays,” said Snit. “They continued to prepare for the game. Every day they were like an American Legion team in that dugout before a game started, they were so excited to start another baseball game. They love playing, they love competing. That’s a really great quality to have for a team.”
He also took the time to single out a couple of players for praise as he continued to answer my question. “Hopefully I’ll be celebrating in a few weeks [Drake Baldwin winning] Rookie of the Year, it’s very well deserved,” said Snitker. “Michael Harris II had a really tough year where he was up-and-down but I remember telling him when we were walking off the field in Sacramento that I had so much respect for that kid. He’s out there diving and climbing walls when a lot of guys who were going like he was wouldn’t be doing that. That takes a special person to be able to do that and that’s the epitome of what the team was.”
So while this past season was disappointing, it’s important to realize that Snit was absolutely right about the team not mailing it in down the stretch. As fans, all you want is something tangible to root for and while the 2025 Braves were well out of the picture once the season started to wind down, it was obvious that they were still playing just as hard down the final stretch. It’s a credit to the type of manager Snitker is and also an example of the makeup of this team (which Snitker also gushed about over the course of the press conference as well).
There’s still plenty of speculation as to why there wasn’t a grand send-off past this press conference — though Terry McGuirk did mention that Brian Snitker will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame next season and Snitker himself said he was already looking forward to receiving his flowers at that event. There will be exponentially more speculation as to who will be replacing Brian Snitker going forward. Atlanta is not the only team that will be looking for a new manager this offseason but they will certainly be one of the most attractive landing spots for any manager looking for either a place to latch on to or a change of scenery, even.
For now, it’s time to take a step back and appreciate what one of the most successful managers in the history of the franchise accomplished and to reflect on the contributions he made to what was a very strong run for the Braves — one which included a World Series title. The World Series rings that both Snitker and AA were rocking could both be seen from outer space and hopefully the next manager will be able to have one of his own to match what Snitker did while he was in that chair.
