On Sunday morning, Fredi Gonzalez received a text that ignited a whirlwind.
But it was not the same kind he felt when learning of his firing in 2016. This was the good kind of chaos, where a former manager returns to the city he calls home.
After seeing who the message was from, which was Alex Anthopoulos, Gonzalez quickly told his wife he should give the Braves’ general manager a call.
And 24 hours later, Gonzalez was on a flight to Atlanta.
It is rare that someone in Gonzalez’s situation would pack up and move cities to become a third base coach. He already spent time in MLB and was comfortable in Pennsylvania, where he found a great job in the commissioner’s office and even volunteered at a local Division III school as its bench coach.
But for Gonzalez, Braves manager Brian Snitker was worth the move.
“There’s a handful of people — and when I mean a handful of people, less than five — that I would do this for,” Gonzalez said. “Snit is one.”
Snitker, who worked with Gonzalez for three seasons as his third base coach, offered a humorous response when asked about his former boss’ comment:
“That many?” the manager joked.
Snitker and Gonzalez have a tight relationship that is built on respect. Both came up through the Braves organization and have since put together careers that almost parallel one another.
Gonzalez said his connection with Snitker forged a sense of loyalty to both his friend and the Braves organization. Atlanta is home to him: His two children live in the city, he knows a few members of the front office, and he is familiar with multiple players since he had them in spring training long before they turned into national names.
“You’re gonna make me cry,” Gonzalez said when discussing his return to the Braves. “It’s nice to be back. When you get fired, it’s probably the same whirlwind that I feel now, but a different direction the wind’s blowing. I feel a whirlwind, but it’s blowing in the right direction. And you don’t get to do that very often in our game, feel what I feel in a positive way.”
Gonzalez is also trusted by Snitker. He brings instant credibility to the role with over 20 years of major league experience. He is also eager to return to the field and coach for a person he loves as much as his former assistant.
“It’s been a lot of different emotions,” Gonzalez said. “Every single one. You’re ecstatic to get back on the field. You come back to a team that you managed, and you got fired, and they welcome you back almost 10 years to the date with open arms to do this job. All those emotions. Sometimes you feel like crying. Sometimes you feel like you’re dry heaving. Everything, you name it.”
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