Alex Anthopoulos said he “would be lying through my teeth,” if he claimed that he expected the Braves would be in first place at this juncture of the season, but the team’s first-year general manager is enjoying the moment and appreciates the job being done by manager Brian Snitker.
Anthopoulos sat down for an extended interview on the “We Never Played the Game” podcast, covering a variety of topics, including: the impact his father’s sudden passing from a heart attack had on his own life; his transition from the heating-and-air business in Montreal to a non-paying job in baseball sorting players’ mail; his climb through the ranks; the inaccurate perception that he lost a power struggle in Toronto; and the decision to come to the Braves after the organization was rocked by an international signing scandal.
Later in the podcast, Anthopoulos also responded to a column I wrote this week on Snitker that was titled, "Braves' Brian Snitker deserves to be viewed as more than a glorified 'temp.'"
Snitker’s contract is up after this season, but he’s not the only team employee, from front office staff to scouts to players, who continue to be evaluated by Anthopoulos.
“That’s totally fair,” the general manager said of the pro-Snitker viewpoint. “The results speak for themselves. ... The (contract) option was exercised before (I was hired). At some point, we’ll have to sit down and map the course for the organization.”
Anthopoulos said that as a general rule, managers should be evaluated “beyond wins and losses. It’s a combination of things. One is, you better be able to connect with players. That doesn’t mean they have to like you but they have to respect you. Then, what’s the end-game? You’re never going to check every box. What do you value at what time (of the job search)?”
There's more in the podcast, which also can be found here on the "We Never Played The Game" podcast show page, as well as on iTunes and other outlets.
Earlier: Braves' Brian Snitker deserves to be viewed as more than a glorified 'temp'
Listen to the, "We Never Played The Game" podcast. Check out the podcast show page at AJC.com/sports-we-never-played-the-game. Subscribe on iTunes or, Google play, Stitcher, TuneIn, or listen from the AJC sports podcasts page or the WSB Radio on-demand page.
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