The Braves are back in the postseason.
They secured the National League East crown with a 5-3 win over the Phillies on Saturday. It was their 18th division title, the most in MLB history.
It was an emotional clubhouse after the game, led by manager Brian Snitker, who’s in his 42nd season with the Braves organization. The victorious group was as ecstatic as imaginable.
Manager Brian Snitker:
On his emotions:
“This means everything. You know, you kind of sit back and wonder what this is going to feel like. When I was here as the third base coach, we won the division, the wild card. It’s great. You wonder as a manager how it’ll feel. It’s even better than I anticipated.”
On winning as a third base coach vs. manager:
“There’s a huge difference. It’s gratifying, it’s rewarding. I’m just so happy for those guys in that room. The work they’ve done has just been phenomenal. How they’ve hung with it the last few years. I’m very proud of them.”
On his team’s resilience:
“We had three or four defining-type trips,” Snitker said. “We had the big run with all the games and doubleheaders (22 games in 20 days). We had really tough road trips right before the break. ... We passed all the tests, checked all the boxes withstanding it all.
“We had our hearts torn out against the Red Sox that day. Then went on a 6-1 road trip. They are just never down. They’re never out of a game. It’s been fun to go along on the ride with them.”
First baseman Freddie Freeman:
On staying patient through the rebuild:
“It wasn’t that challenging to be honest with you. Obviously I wanted to win every single year. But they kept me informed on what’s going on. I knew what was coming. Since spring training I saw what special talent we had. I’d just been waiting for them to come. When they came, a lot of good things happened this year. And here we are.”
On how it compares with the last NL East title:
“One hundred percent (this feels sweeter). I came in when we were winning, gone through four straight losing seasons, three 90-loss seasons. To win the division this year, it’s hard to put into words. It’s taken every guy in this clubhouse to win games this year.”
On the team’s depth:
“It’s hard to even put into words. It’s taken every guy in this clubhouse to win games this year. Ryan Flaherty, Charlie Culberson, Preston Tucker, the rookies making their major-league debut this year. We wouldn’t be here without each and every guy.
Shortstop Dansby Swanson:
On the division title:
“You start to run out of words. Such a blessing to be here. Not only in this city, but in this moment. It’s so fulfilling to be able to do it together. You can accomplish a lot of things individually, but until you do it as one, together, you don’t start to feel the fulfillment aspect. I do feel that the season’s not over and we’re going to continue to prepare.”
On the city of Atlanta:
“I know how much this city’s been through on a yearly basis with a lot of things. It’s the kind of thing where we bounce back and rise up to the occasion. We wanted to do something for this city because the community deserved it, the people deserved it, our fans deserved it.”
On his youth:
“It feels like we’re all like 12 in the grand scheme of things. People will be like, ‘How old are you?’ I’m 24. People will be like ‘Wow. You’re still a baby.’ And I’m like ‘I know.’ I feel like I’ve been around for a couple years. But I’m still young, you know?”
Outfielder Ender Inciarte:
On the season:
“It means the world to us. What a fun time. What an enjoyable season. We’re just one step closer to the goal. We know what we want to do. But nobody put us in the spot where we are right now. We’ve just been battling every day since day 1. We’re blessed to be in the position we are right now. We’ll do our best to be in the best position that we can, and then we’ll battle against whoever we face.”
On Snitker:
“We represent the Braves, but we also play for him. He’s such a nice guy to be around. He’s just a great person and great manager too. We’re lucky to have him. I know a lot of times we feed off the type of person he is. No matter what what’s going on on or off the field, he’s the same guy. He wants you to be the best version of yourself.”
On having fun:
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in my life. It’s a very emotional day for everybody. Especially for the last few years, the Braves have had some tough years. The fans have stuck with us. They still come and support us. We have to give them back what they deserve.”
Starter Kevin Gausman:
On the celebration:
“It’s really fun. I’ve been a part of this in Baltimore and it was really fun. Anytime you celebrate at this point in this season, it’s for something special. It’s just fun to be a part of it and watch the guys who’ve been here before me (celebrate) who’ve grinded through the years.”
On his teammates:
“They made it really easy to come in and not put any pressure on me to be any type of person. I just came in and felt like being myself. (Mike Foltynewicz), (Sean) Newcomb, Julio (Teheran) and (Anibal) Sanchez are the guys I’m around the most. But all these guys have been great and they welcomed me with open arms. They’ve been great and I’ve opened up to them. I feel like I’m really part of this team even though I’ve only been here for a little bit.”
On the postseason:
“Really today, when I thought we had a good chance to clinch, that’s when I started thinking about it. There are a lot of teams that are really close right now. The NL is still open I think. So we’ll see. If we go to Dodger Stadium, that’s fine. If it’s Chicago – both good teams. It’s going to be fun. It’s playoff baseball. There’s going to be a great atmosphere anywhere.”
