Brian Snitker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brian Snitker |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Snitker with the Atlanta Braves in 2024
|
|||
| Atlanta Braves – No. 43 | |||
| Coach / Manager | |||
| Born: October 17, 1955 Decatur, Illinois, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| MLB statistics (through September 30, 2024) |
|||
| Managerial record | 735–582 | ||
| Winning % | .558 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
As coach
As manager
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Brian Gerald Snitker (born October 17, 1955) is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He is currently the manager for the Atlanta Braves, a team in Major League Baseball (MLB). Snitker has been with the Braves organization for a very long time. He started playing for their minor league teams as a catcher and first baseman from 1977 to 1980. He became the Braves' main manager in 2016.
In 2021, Snitker led the Braves to win the 2021 World Series. They beat the Houston Astros 4 games to 2. This was the Braves' fourth World Series title ever. It was their first time in the World Series since 1999 and their first championship win since 1995.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Brian Snitker was born in Decatur, Illinois. He grew up in Macon, Illinois. There, he went to Macon High School. He played right fielder for the school's baseball team in 1971. Their unexpected journey to the state championship was even written about in a book called One Shot at Forever.
As a young player, Snitker also played American Legion Baseball. He said this experience was very important. It helped scouts see him play. This helped him start his professional baseball career.
Playing Baseball in College and Minors
Snitker played two years of college baseball at Lincoln College. He was a catcher there in 1975. After that, he played two more seasons at the University of New Orleans.
The Chicago Cubs drafted Snitker in 1976. But he chose to finish college first. In 1977, he signed a contract with the Braves organization. Snitker played in the minor leagues for a few years. He mostly played catcher and some first base. He hit 23 home runs during his minor league playing career.
Becoming a Coach
The Braves stopped Snitker's playing contract in 1980. However, he stayed with the team as an instructor. In 1982, he became a minor league manager for the Anderson Braves. He then managed several other Braves minor league teams. These included the Durham Bulls and Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He won two championships with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in 1999 and 2000. He was also named the Carolina League Manager of the Year in those same years.
Snitker also worked as a coach for the main Atlanta Braves team. He was their bullpen coach in 1985 and from 1988 to 1990. From 2007 to 2013, he was the Braves' third-base coach. In 2013, he became the manager of the Braves' Triple-A team, the Gwinnett Braves.
Managing the Atlanta Braves
On May 17, 2016, Brian Snitker became the interim manager for the Atlanta Braves. This means he took over temporarily. On October 11, 2016, the Braves officially named him their full-time manager.
Snitker quickly brought success to the team. In 2018, he led the Braves to win their division. He also won the National League Manager of the Year Award that year. In 2019, the Braves won their division again. Snitker won another Sporting News National League Manager of the Year Award.
In 2020, he led the Braves to their third straight division title. They made it to the National League Championship Series (NLCS). This was their first time in the NLCS in 19 years. They lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a close seven-game series.
The biggest highlight came in 2021. Snitker led the Braves to an 88–73 record in the regular season. They then won the National League Division Series. Next, they won the National League Championship Series. Finally, they won the 2021 World Series against the Houston Astros! This was a huge victory for the team and their fans.
The Braves continued their winning ways under Snitker. In 2022, they won 101 games. This was his first time managing a team to over 100 wins. In 2023, they won even more games, with 104 victories. This was his second straight season with over 100 wins. In 2024, despite many injuries, Snitker guided the Braves to the playoffs for the seventh year in a row.
Overall, as manager of the Atlanta Braves, Brian Snitker has led the team in 1,317 games. He has won 735 games and lost 582. This gives him a winning percentage of .558. He has led the Braves to 24 playoff wins and 23 playoff losses.
Family Life
Brian Snitker is married to Veronica, also known as Ronnie. They have two children.
An interesting family connection happened during the 2021 World Series. Brian's son, Troy Snitker, was a coach for the Houston Astros. So, father and son were on opposite teams in the World Series! They even presented the lineup cards together before Game Three.
