Brian Snitker unsure about future. ‘I still feel like there’s unfinished business here’
Braves manager Brian Snitker spoke publicly about his future Wednesday, indicating he’s truly unsure if he’ll retire following the season, which ends later this month.
Snitker, 69, has spent 49 years in the Braves’ organization, managing the major-league club since May 2016. The expectation throughout the sport has been this would be his final season, but Snitker admitted he regularly changes his mind about what he wants to do.
“I want to keep fighting to win as many games as we can and honestly, when the season is over, I have things in the back of my head that I’m toying with and all,” he said. “There’s still fire there. There’s still the fact that I look — it’s kind of like the same thing I said last year, I can’t wait to get to spring training with a healthy team.
“I’m juggling a lot of things. I’m thinking about a lot of things. I honestly don’t know where I’m going to end up and what decision I’m going to make. I still kind of feel like there’s some unfinished business here.”
He added: “It’s almost like it depends on the day when you ask me. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it and I’m not 100% sure which direction I want to go yet.”
Snitker’s contract expires following the season. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos spoke with reporters earlier this week and said there’s no timetable for Snitker to make his decision. Snitker expressed appreciation for Anthopoulos’ honesty and for understanding as he weighs multiple factors with his family.
The Braves have been wildly successful under Snitker. They won six consecutive division titles from 2018-23 and earned a wild-card spot in October despite an injury-ravaged campaign. He oversaw the 2021 club that became one of the more surprising World Series champions in history. Snitker joined his friend and mentor Bobby Cox, a Hall of Famer, as the only title-winning managers for the Atlanta-era Braves. Snitker earned his 800th win this week, becoming the second Atlanta-era manager to reach that total after Cox.
This season, though, has been a major disappointment. The Braves will have their first losing campaign since 2017. They were undone by injuries and underperformance, stumbling into a 65-80 record entering Wednesday.
Asked if Snitker has considered the circumstances in his retirement debate — would you want to go out like this? — he answered, “Yeah, a little bit.”
Anthopoulos said the Braves haven’t started doing background work on potential candidates should Snitker not return, but executives typically have such information as they must be prepared for any scenario. Still, it makes sense Anthopoulos wouldn’t want to speak too much about Snitker’s status in respect to the beloved manager’s process.
Snitker is one of the more respected people in the game, adored by his players in a manner comparable manner with Cox, whose player-friendly demeanor always was cited when discussing his legendary career. Snitker referenced Cox on Wednesday when talking about how he still feels passionately, noting Cox said in his last season (2010), “If I knew I’d have felt this good I wouldn’t have retired.”
Anthopoulos said Snitker always will have a role in the organization. He would transition into some type of front-office role upon retirement, as has been the case with numerous iconic franchise figures through the years.
The Astros visit Truist Park this weekend, which gives Snitker the chance to see his son, Troy, who serves as one of Houston’s hitting coaches. The Braves will have one more homestand, hosting the Nationals and Pirates to conclude the season Sept. 22-28.
It’s unclear if Snitker will announce — or even make — a decision before the season concludes. He reiterated several times Wednesday that he was genuinely undecided.
“(My mind) changes, honestly,” Snitker said. “Again, this is the first time I’ve ever been through this and thinking these thoughts. I don’t want to look back in a year and regret things. I want to make sure I know where I’m going.”
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
