4:58pm: Atlanta appears to be close to naming Snitker the full-time skipper, per Bowman. An announcement is expected in the coming days, at a time that won’t coincide with the ongoing postseason action.
3:13pm: Snitker is indeed the favorite for the position, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, citing a league source.
OCT. 10, 10:00am: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that the Braves are nearing the completion of their managerial search and believes that Snitker will ultimately land the job. David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution also expects news sooner rather than later and believes that Snitker will ultimately be selected for the job (Twitter link).
OCT. 8: The Braves are deciding among Brian Snitker, Ron Washington and Bud Black for their managerial position, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who adds that they’re likely to make a hire during the upcoming week.
Snitker has the least experience of the three, but as the only in-house candidate, he has much more familiarity with the organization than Washington or Black. The 60-year-old Snitker took over the Braves’ dugout on an interim basis after the rebuilding club fired Fredi Gonzalez in May. The Braves started 9-28 under Gonzalez, but the Snitker-led outfit rallied to post a respectable 59-65 mark. Impressively, Atlanta finished above .500 (37-35) after the All-Star break.
Washington has experienced more success as a manager than either Snitker or Black, though he had plenty of talent at his disposal in Texas. Between Washington’s hiring in 2007 and his resignation in 2014, the Rangers went 664-611 and made three playoff trips – two of which resulted in American League pennants. After leaving Texas, Washington took over as the Athletics’ third base coach in 2015. Notably, the 64-year-old has a connection that goes back nearly 50 years with Braves president John Schuerholz. When Washington signed with the Royals in 1970, Schuerholz was a member of the club’s front office. More recently, Braves president of baseball operations John Hart was an executive in Texas when Washington managed there.
The well-regarded Black, 57, grabbed the reins as the Padres’ manager in 2007 and held the position until the team fired him in June 2015. Black’s Padres won at least 89 games in a season twice, with the second successful campaign leading to 2010 National League Manager of the Year honors. That was also the final time the talent-challenged Padres finished above .500 in a season under Black, who compiled a 649-713 mark in San Diego. Black – who’s now part of the Angels’ front office – knows Schuerholz and Hart from his days as a pitcher in Kansas City and Cleveland (Hart also worked there previously).
Before whittling their search down to Snitker, Washington and Black, the Braves interviewed bench coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Eddie Perez and third base coach Bo Porter. Perez is now a candidate for the Rockies’ job.
Love Eddie, but hope he gets a chance in Colorado. I think he has earned it.
Very old-fashioned though. Old school guy through and through.
I agree sir.
Black’s good with young players. He’d be my joice.
Ask Chase Headley and Jedd Gyorko if this is true
Noooo
Just hire someone that doesnt change out our starter after 5 innings. That was my biggest complaint with snitker. Waaay too many pitching changes
With all due respect, Atlanta barely had anyone worth leaving in there for longer than 5. There’s not exactly an abundance of horses on that roster – and take note of the changing bullpen strategies coming into the league. Third time through the order penalty is very real.
A lot of young arms spending their first or second seasons in MLB and still developing. It’s all apart of the development process. Sure, it’s frustrating at times, but it would have been easier if we had more of the bullpen pieces necessary.
It was a known losing season. How are they going to figure anything out by being pulled after 5? I get it when you give up 9 runs in 2 innings but 4 runs in 5? Let them figure it out
It’s not about winning as much as you don’t increase IP for a young, still developing arm by 50 IP unless you want to get someone hurt. It’s a part of “stretching them out”. I’m not saying everyone was under a strict innings count, but this year, many guys were getting absolutely shellacked (i.e. Wisler, Blair) at times when they weren’t tossing some good innings. The other point is that the bullpen was much of a work-in-progress as the rotation, and they were trying to get them innings to see which, if any, of the young call-ups and pick-ups from the waiver wire would stick, if any.
+1 on this. Stretch the young arms out over the course of the season and gradually bring their inning count up rather than blow them out, or shut the down early. I think the Braves did a pretty good job of bringing the kids along. Results aren’t there yet, but the call it a rebuild for a reason.
These kids need to stop playing 24/7 baseball from the time they’re 7. That’s why they are as durable as a wet paper bag.
You tell the kids in East Cobb they don’t need to start throwing curve balls until they can drive (or date). Way too many advanced mechanics being learned too early on when kids are still maturing and growing physically, and in many cases, not under direct supervision.
These kids want to get drafted and make millions of dollars. Is it really your place to stand in the way of that? (Also, I think it’d be more like tell their parents not to let them)
There isn’t any real evidence to prove that this method works. I normally tend to listen to the information and evidence out there, but I can’t in this one. I have to agree with you. It just seems logical that a person should progress slowly as the body adapts, just like anything else, distance running, weight lifting, etc. etc.
They aren’t making any money with their arm torn up.
Bud Black is the one I would pick, pitcher to handle the young pitchers. We will have some hosses in two to three years
Black is a corporate yes man, highly overrated, TPendleton would be a better option
Washington in that picture looked like he’s 84, not 64.
Bud Black in a heartbeat please.
its about tony pena thinks about coaching again ,
What… no chipper jones? Is baseball moving away from hiring recently retired players after some of the recent ones have failed?
I don’t think he’s ready to coach. He’s having fun in retirement. I think he’d start as a hitting coach anyways.
Plus he’s about to have another child with his playmate wife. Gotta love Chipper
It’s not gonna be any of these three guys. Last year the Padres’ managerial search was “down to” Ron Gardenhire and Rick Sofield and then they went with Andy Green whose name was never ever mentioned during their managerial search.
What does this have to do with the Braves search?
So if your point is the Padres are a joke I agree. Otherwise what does what those clowns gave to do with the way the Braves highly rated professional front office operates?
Please go with Snitker
I would be ok with Bud Black, I think he’d do fine but still really believe Snitker is the right person here. The players love him, he knows the minor leaguers coming up better than anyone
I can respect Black if they went that way, but Washington really shouldn’t even be in the picture in my opinion
At this point I’d prefer Snitker. I could see Black definitely as well. I’m not so sure if Washington’s extensive off the field history (admitted drug use, sexual assault accusation, and admitted affair) make him the most viable candidate for a manager position in today’s ever scrutinizing society. For the record, while I definitely think people can change and learn from mistakes, I believe that a lot of people have forgotten about some of those things and if he is named manager all that junk will be front and center again for better or worse. I’m quite sure though the Braves know all the details and are weighing those issues in the balance.
I agree. The Braves have so much young talent. How could they hold their young players to a high standard if their manager was a former drug user who also had an affair with a news reporter.
The same way we vote a war criminal into the most powerful position in the world so a maniac racist minsogynst of a businessman doesn’t get it.
I would disagree with the most powerful position in the world part but yeah…
Hey, I voted for kipnis
Mike Scioscia would look GREAT in an ATL jersey.
Scioscia would look great in a flannel shirt and jeans, relaxing on his porch. His time has passed.
100% concur. Would LOVE for him to get canned. Unfortunately that’s not gonna happen.
It wouldn’t be good idea for future Hall of Fame manager to manage the one team that he played his whole career with as if say, he does bad job and it comes to point where you want to make a manager change than it would hurt the fan base…
Best to go with guy who not name Chipper Jones..
Who said it was an idea?
New stadium, need to get fans going. Black is proven, players like him, former manager of the year. Washington also popular with players, and Atlanta has huge minority population. Marketing, marketing, so long Snitker.
This comment really baffles me on so many levels. Snitker and Black don’t have the off-the-field history that Washington does. Black has had some health issues recently. Snitker has been in the system for 30+ years and already has endeared himself to the players and built team chemistry. This marketing angle you’re looking for is silly – everyone loves a winner.
My pick would be Snitker, but another one that intrigues me is Dave Martinez bench coach for the cubs. He’s been tutor by Maddon a lot and I believe he could handle the job if given an opportunity. Surprise he’s not being considered.
How is Bud Black “proven”? His teams had more than 89 wins only twice over 9 years. Yes, one of those years got him the Manager of the Year award. His teams never finished first in his 9 years as manager and only finished second once. Sure, maybe his players liked him, but the Braves players like Snitker. I just don’t see the point of disrupting team chemistry for a manager who has had plenty of opportunities but hasn’t won a darn thing.
Glynsk you do realize that there’s more to judging a coach’s success than just won-loss record right? Black didn’t have anywhere near the talent or the resources to have better teams to manage. Managing is about getting the most out of what you have to work with. Black made tactical decisions to put his players in the best position to succeed, that doesn’t always mean winning though. Look at more than just the W-L numbers to see if a manager is worth it, after all Bobby Cox has a losing post season record and is a HOF manager.
#1 reason? He’s cheap
Black stunk could never settle on lineup, could never get train back on tracks, and team fell apart 2010
I would’ve preferred to go outside the organization, but we’ve had success in recent decades keeping things in house as much as possible. Snitker did a good job, but it’s clear moving forward expectations will be different so it’ll be interesting how he handles managing a team that is trying to win games, rather than just developing and keeping everyone happy. A Braves man through and through. Good to see him get the opportunity. You’ve seen Pete Mackanin do a good job after getting that label removed, but you’ve also seen the Mike Quade’s of the world prove it was just an illusion. Time will tell, but for now Go Braves!
Congrats are in order. He done what seemed the impossible by getting the intern tag removed. Everybody expected him to be a temporary. Great job.
Now anybody heard the rumor Mallex Smith, Ian Krol & Max Fried for Chris Archer & Cedeno ?????
What the wha?!
Rays would NOT do that, just another Braves fan proposing a trade
It would take more than that. I would say it would take a combination Mallex, Blair, Jenkins, Castro, Fried, etc
No that’s ridiculous
Hopefully when Sosh leaves the Halos hire Ron Washington or Bud Black
Called it. #Snitker2017