Brian Gerald Snitker (born October 17, 1955) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
and former player who is the
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
of the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). Snitker has been in the Braves organization in different roles since playing in their
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
organization from 1977 to 1980. He became their manager in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
. In
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, Snitker led the Braves to a
World Series championship.
Early life
Snitker was born in
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur ( ) is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois, with a population of 70,522 as of the 2020 Census. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Ce ...
to Richard F. Snitker and Catherine (Collins) Snitker.
He grew up in
Macon, Illinois
Macon is a town in Macon County, Illinois, United States whose population was 1,138 at the 2010 census, and 1,120 at a 2018 estimate. It is included in the Decatur, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies 11 miles South of Decatur.
Histo ...
, where he attended
Macon High School, and played as a
right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
for the 1971 baseball team. The team's surprising run to the state championship tournament was documented in
Chris Ballard Chris Ballard may refer to:
* Chris Ballard (American football), American football general manager for the Indianapolis Colts
* Chris Ballard (journalist), American sports writer for ''Sports Illustrated''
* Chris Ballard (politician), Canadian ...
's 2012 book ''One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season''.
As a youth, Snitker also played
American Legion Baseball, an experience that he said in a 2018 interview, "Gave me the platform to be seen because there are always scouts at American Legion games. It had a big part on my development as a player and helping me get a jump on a professional career."
Playing career
Snitker played two seasons of junior college ball for
Lincoln College in 1975. He served as catcher for the Lynx baseball team where he was second team All-State. He finished his college career with two seasons at the
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High rese ...
.
[Brian Snitker Minor Leagues Statistics & History , Baseball-Reference.com]
/ref>
Following his injury-shortened junior season at the University of New Orleans, Snitker was drafted in the 25th round of the MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs. He opted to return to UNO for his senior season, and then signed a free-agent contract with the Braves organization in 1977. Snitker bounced around the minors, playing mostly catcher and some first base in the minor leagues, registering a slash line
S sabermetrics
:Sabermetrics is the analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics. The term is derived from the SABR – the Society for American Baseball Research. The term was coined by Bill James, an e ...
of .254/.316/.390 with 23 home runs in 780 at bats.
Coaching career
The Braves released Snitker in 1980, but he remained with the Braves as a roving instructor and was hired as a minor league manager for the Anderson Braves
The Anderson Braves were a minor league baseball team located in Anderson, South Carolina. The team played in the South Atlantic League, and were affiliated with and owned by the Atlanta Braves. Their home stadium was the Anderson Memorial Stadi ...
in 1982, where he led the team to its only winning season of its five-year stint in Anderson, before moving to the Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...
the following season. He also managed the Macon Braves
Macon may refer to:
Places Belgium
*Macon, Belgium
France
*Mâcon
** Ancient Diocese of Mâcon
**Mâcon, another name for the Mâconnais wine from that region
United States of America
* Macon, Alabama
* Macon, Georgia
* Macon, Illinois
*Macon ...
, Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...
, Greenville Braves
The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium for ...
, Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. T ...
and Richmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were an American minor league baseball club based in Richmond, Virginia, the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves from 1966 to 2008. Owned by the parent Atlanta club and colloquially referred to as the ...
, all in the Braves farm system
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
. He was also the Atlanta Braves' bullpen coach in 1985 and 1988–1990. A few of his honors during his fifteen-year run as a minor league manager are winning two championships with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...
in 1999 and 2000, and in those same years he won the Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
Manager of the Year.
From 2007 to 2013, Snitker served as the Braves' third-base coach. He was named to that position on October 3, 2006, replacing Fredi González
Fredi Jesús González (born January 28, 1964) is a Cuban-born American baseball coach, manager and is currently the bench coach for the Baltimore Orioles. He managed the Florida Marlins from 2007 to 2010 and the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 201 ...
, who left to join the Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
as manager. When González was named Braves manager for the 2011 season after Bobby Cox
Robert Joe Cox (born May 21, 1941) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Cox played for the New York Yankees and managed the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. He is a member of ...
's retirement, Snitker was kept on as third base coach.
On October 14, 2013, Snitker was named the manager of the Braves Triple-A club, the Gwinnett Braves
The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...
.
Managerial career
On May 17, 2016, Snitker was named Atlanta's interim manager, replacing Fredi González, who was fired. On October 11, 2016, the Braves named Snitker their full-time manager for the 2017 season. The team announced on October 5, 2017, that Snitker would return as manager for the 2018 season. On October 15, 2018, the Braves gave Snitker a two-year contract extension with a club option for 2021. On November 13, 2018, Snitker was awarded the National League Manager of the Year Award for the 2018 season. Snitker shared that year's ''Sporting News'' National League Manager of the Year Award with Craig Counsell
Craig John Counsell (born August 21, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player who is the manager for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Counsell became the Brewers' manager in May 2015; he became the longest-te ...
.
In 2019, Snitker led the Braves to their second consecutive division title. Snitker and Counsell were named finalists for the National League Manager of the Year Award in 2019, losing to Mike Shildt
Michael Timothy Shildt (born August 9, 1968) is an American baseball coach for the San Diego Padres, where he is the team's interim third base coach.
After serving as a scout and manager in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, he served ...
. On October 23, 2019, Snitker won his second ''Sporting News'' National League Manager of the Year Award. In February 2020, Snitker agreed to another contract extension with the Braves, through the 2021 season. On September 22, 2020, he led them to a third straight NL East Division title as the Braves defeated the Marlins, 11–1. Snitker led the Braves to a 2–0 series sweep over the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card Series, which was their first postseason series victory since 2001. Although they reached the NLCS for the first time in 19 years, the Braves lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
in seven games despite holding a 3–1 lead in the series. The 2020 Braves managed to pitch four shutouts within the first five games of a postseason, joining the 1905 New York Giants as the only teams in Major League Baseball history to accomplish the feat.
On February 26, 2021, Snitker signed another extension to remain with the Braves through the 2023 season with a club option for 2024. In 2021, Snitker and the Braves went 88–73 during the regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...
, defeated the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
in the National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
, beat the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
in the National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
, and won the World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
against the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. He came in fourth in the voting for National League Manager of the Year, as the award was won by San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
manager Gabe Kapler
Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder, and current manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Kapler was a 57th-round draft pick (1,487th ove ...
.
On November 30, 2021, the Braves extended Snitker's contract through the 2024 season.
Managerial record
Personal life
Snitker and his wife, Veronica (Ronnie), have two children. Snitker's father Richard died in 1993, and his mother Catherine died in March 2019.
In the 2011 Major League Baseball draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the first ...
, Snitker's son Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
was drafted by the Braves in the 19th round and traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
in March 2013. After retiring as a player, Troy joined the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
organization as a coach. The Atlanta Braves faced the Houston Astros in the 2021 World Series
The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion H ...
, making the series a family affair for the Snitkers. Snitker and Troy, for the Braves and Astros, respectively, presented the lineup cards before Game Three of the World Series.
References
External links
MLB.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snitker, Brian
Living people
1955 births
Atlanta Braves coaches
Durham Bulls managers
Durham Bulls players
Greenwood Braves players
Kingsport Braves players
Kinston Eagles players
New Orleans Privateers baseball players
Major League Baseball bullpen coaches
Atlanta Braves managers
Manager of the Year Award winners
Major League Baseball third base coaches
Minor league baseball coaches
Richmond Braves players
Savannah Braves players
Sportspeople from Decatur, Illinois
World Series-winning managers
Lincoln College (Illinois) alumni