Well, hello there!
Been a minute, but figured it was about time to pop in for an offseason edition of the Braves Report.
Let’s get right to it, eh?
IN SEARCH OF A SKIPPER
You know what’s cool about Major League Baseball these days?
Almost anyone can be a manager.
The Angels hired former Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki, who has no professional coaching experience. The Giants hired Tennessee’s Tony Vitello straight from college, making him the first manager to make such a leap. Three-time MVP Albert Pujols may well become a skipper, too.
And the Braves?
The Braves are reportedly considering replacing Brian Snitker, a baseball lifer who got his first Major League managerial shot at age 60, with Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann — a shaggy-headed, 40-year-old with his own interesting origin story.
- An eighth-round draft pick out of Rice University, he toiled in the Twins farm system for several years. After four years as a Triple-A catcher and a season of independent ball, he decided it was time to call it quits.
- Twenty-nine with two kids, he reenrolled at Rice to finish his degree. Then he got a call: Wanna be an advanced video scout? For the Dodgers?
- That was the winter prior to the 2015 season. Lehmann worked his entry-level role for three years (overlapping with Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ time in LA) before a promotion to “game planning/communications coach.”
- Then he was a special assistant, then back to game-planning. Then the bench coach gig he’s filled since 2022.
To be abundantly clear: We don’t really know what’s going on with the Braves’ managerial search. Anthopoulos’ office leaks like … whatever the opposite of a sieve is. Ultimately, it could be just about anyone with any hint of baseball experience.
- Side note: Theoretical candidate Mark DeRosa told 680 the Fan this morning he hadn’t been contacted by any MLB club.
And while that’s a bit frustrating for us journalist types, it’s also pretty cool.
Other sports certainly dabble in giving inexperienced coaches a shot (a recent example: the Los Angeles Lakers and JJ Redick). But baseball remains the pastime where it makes the most sense.
From the clubhouse to the dugout, managing essentially amounts to personal relationships and a handful of pitching decisions. It all comes down to the right fit — the right vibes.
May Atlanta choose wisely.
SILVER AND GOLD
While we wait on Drake Baldwin to receive his Rookie of the Year award next month (🤞), it’s worth remembering that several other Bravos are also up for significant awards.
Silver Slugger: First baseman Matt Olson and third baseman Austin Riley are both among the finalists for the best offensive performances at their respective positions.
Olson has a real shot of winning over the Mets’ Pete Alonso and the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman. Riley turned in a sneaky good performance (16 homers, 54 RBIs and 54 runs in 102 games) before injury cut his season short.
Winners get announced on Nov. 6.
Gold Glove: Olson also has a shot at being crowned the National League’s best defensive first baseman. He and shortstop Nick Allen (who replaced Orlando Arcia before being replaced himself by Ha-Seong Kim) were named Gold Glove finalists.
Winners get announced Nov. 2.
MORE MURPH MOMENTUM?
A new “fan-driven campaign” to get Braves great Dale Murphy into the Hall of Fame launched this morning with a lovely video written by GOATed sportswriter Wright Thompson and narrated by country music star Jason Aldean.
The Hall’s Contemporary Era Committee — which considers players from 1980 to the present and represents Murphy’s only shot at induction these days — is slated to make its newest selections in December.
- I’m working to learn more about who’s behind the campaign, which you can check out here. There may just be more details in next week’s edition of the Win Column newsletter.
WEIGHING SIDES IN THE WORLD SERIES
The Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series finally begins tonight (8 p.m. on Fox), and if the rest of the MLB postseason is any indication, it should be a banger.
But who should you be rooting for? Let’s weigh a few pros and cons.
🩵 Los Angeles Dodgers
- Pros: Freddie Freeman. We like him and his late mother is from Toronto, so that’s a nice angle. Plus, Shohei Ohtani is a marvel — and a taco-centric city is always a rootable city.
- Cons: Evil Empire with a payroll capable of making even other Evil Empire-y teams blush.
- Otherwise worth watching: The aforementioned Lehmann (though you’re probably not gonna glean much about a bench coach).
🍁 Toronto Blue Jays
- Pros: Haven’t been there in 30-plus years, beat the Yankees and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wants to win a title so bad (as I’ve mentioned before, his dad was my favorite non-Atlanta athlete growing up).
- Cons: Canada, I guess? Also beat the Braves in the 1992 World Series, and the current team has been wearing throwback hats from that era.
- Otherwise worth watching: Theoretical Braves shortstop target Bo Bichette appears set to return to the Toronto lineup (Kim, Atlanta’s late-season addition, has until five days after the Series to decide on his player option for 2026).
Decent arguments all around, but, uh … who are we kidding? Let’s go Jays.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Speaking of 1992: I was looking for old photos from that World Series but instead stumbled upon this one of nuns from Our Lady of Perpetual Hope — which, best I can tell, is still nestled near the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and Turner Field — enjoying life.
(Anyone remember what that Snoopy can might’ve been?)
HERE COMES BLOOPER CLAUS
Ever wanted to, uh … take holiday photos with Blooper? Now you can!
The Braves recently announced the opportunity, with dates starting Nov. 28.
It’ll run you $130 and, in addition to one digital photo with the Beige Menace, includes a “keepsake ornament” and a tour of the Braves clubhouse, batting cages and dugout. You can have a catch on the field as well.
Plus, that one overly proper aunt will be properly mortified when she gets your card.
Thanks for reading Braves Report. Tell a friend — and maybe give the AJC’s Win Column newsletter a shot, too.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
