Brian Snitker

Did You Know?

• Snitker's son Troy was drafted by the Braves in 2011 and later traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, then became a coach in the Houston Astros organization.
• Snitker and his son Troy presented lineup cards together before Game Three of the 2021 World Series.
• The 2020 Braves pitched four shutouts in the first five postseason games, matching the 1905 New York Giants.

Early life

He grew up in Macon, Illinois, attending Macon High School and playing right field for the 1971 baseball team, whose state tournament run was covered in Chris Ballard's 2012 book. He also played American Legion Baseball, which he credited with helping his development and attracting scouts.

Playing career

Snitker played junior college baseball at Lincoln College in 1975, earning second team All-State as a catcher. He finished college at the University of New Orleans. After an injury-shortened junior season, the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the 25th round, but he returned to UNO for his senior year. He signed with the Braves in 1977 and played mostly Class A ball as a catcher and first baseman, with a .254/.316/.390 slash line and 23 home runs in 780 at bats.

Coaching career

After his release in 1980, the Braves immediately rehired Snitker as a roving minor league instructor. He became a minor league manager in 1982 for the Anderson Braves, then managed the Durham Bulls, Macon Braves, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Greenville Braves, Mississippi Braves, and Richmond Braves. He also served as Atlanta's bullpen coach in 1985 and 1988–1990. From 2007 to 2013, he was the Braves' third-base coach, replacing Fredi González. When González became Braves manager in 2011, Snitker stayed as third-base coach. In 2013, he was named manager of the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves.

Managerial career

Snitker became Atlanta's interim manager on May 17, 2016, replacing the fired Fredi González, and was named full-time manager on October 11, 2016. He returned for the 2018 season and received a two-year contract extension with a club option for 2021 on October 15, 2018. He signed another extension in February 2020 through 2021. The Braves won a third straight NL East title on September 22, 2020, and swept the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series for their first postseason series win since 2001.

They reached the NLCS for the first time in 19 years but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games after leading 3–1. In 2021, Snitker signed an extension through 2023 with a 2024 option. The Braves went 88–73, defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, beat the Dodgers in the NLCS, and won the World Series over the Houston Astros. He finished fourth in NL Manager of the Year voting.

On November 30, 2021, his contract was extended through 2024. In 2022, the Braves went 101–61, giving Snitker his first 100-win season.