MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 31, 2021

Brian Snitker

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Pregame 5 Press Conference

Q. Can you take us through the discussion how you landed on Tucker Davidson. Will you use him like you did Lee last night?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, he's going to start the game, and we'll just go with him as long as he'll let us take him. It's pretty much like Kyle, just progress he had made in Gwinnett. He'd had some outings, was throwing the ball well, feels good, got stretched out. Like I say, very similar to the discussions we had about Kyle.

Q. Luke said he was on a group text at 4:30 in the morning because he couldn't sleep. How did you do last night?

BRIAN SNITKER: I got to bed about 4:00. Up at 10:00, cup of coffee, come back.

Q. You talked about Ronnie's emotions at the start of the series. I'm wondering now, with what's on the line, how is she holding up?

BRIAN SNITKER: She's pretty tapped out a little bit. It's exciting. This is great. Wouldn't want it to be any different. We've enjoyed it, thank God. So we're excited about the rest of the ride.

Q. The guys were in here, Luke and Will were in here before talking about kind of your approach to managing a clubhouse. How much of that did you get from Bobby, or were you always a guy that didn't kind of go in the clubhouse a lot and kind of let the coaches and the players take care of that?

BRIAN SNITKER: I've been like that my whole -- pretty much my whole career. When I went in, it was for a purpose. Kind of just always felt like -- and I probably got a lot of that from Bobby, watching him, and how guys respect that. I don't have to be their buddy. I respect each and every one of them.

But I kind of feel like that's their haven in there. I'll go in if I have something to say, but I'm not a guy that's ever needed to hang in there and pal around with those guys. It is a different relationship. I love each and every one of them to death and will always have their back, but that's their -- you know, they're here to do a job. I just want to provide them that opportunity to not get in their way.

Q. When was the conversation with Davidson, and how did the conversation unfold?

BRIAN SNITKER: Honestly, I called him this morning. Again, these young guys that are going through this for the first time, for their benefit, like I said with Dylan yesterday, and I know their phones have been blowing up and would be and processing a lot. I called Tucker, and he was: Let's do it.

He's ready. He's another one that he's been through all the levels of all our organization, and we really liked what we saw out of him early in the year before he had his problems.

Q. In all your experience from 40-plus years, do you think you're handling telling them differently now than you would have years ago?

BRIAN SNITKER: What I'm telling them now, I've never told anyone before, obviously. Yeah, I'm sure I've matured over the years from where I started. You learn from mistakes. You learn as you do things. You kind of hope you get better at it. But the biggest thing I try to do is tell them the truth. I tell them that in the beginning, I'm going to tell you the truth. It's all I've ever wanted, in my career, is for people just to level with you.

Q. You were talking the other day about off-season going into Hank Aaron's office and sitting and chatting. I wonder if there was like a level of credibility you had to reach to be able to do that, or was he just an approachable person that would accept almost anybody?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think it was more just two friends talking. I never didn't feel comfortable -- not feel -- I don't know how else to say that. I never didn't feel comfortable going in there and sitting there and talking. I really enjoyed it. I kind of got the feeling he did too.

Yeah, I never felt that way. I just felt like I was going into a friend's office and visiting.

Q. When do you think you acquired that kill switch on negative emotions? You stay pretty positive. You switch that off as a manager. When did that happen?

BRIAN SNITKER: That's just something I think as I've gotten older. Again, it didn't hurt that I spent a lot of time with Bobby and watching. I remember I used to go out early and sit with him when he did things -- you know, the scrums with you guys every day. I used to like to sit on the perimeter just to hear how he handled things. You pick up a lot from a guy like that.

This is a really hard game to play, and the guy just always felt -- I used to tell my players in the Minor Leagues, when the year's over, I want you to look back and this was a good experience. I don't want me getting on you because life's too short to not enjoy it.

Q. Will Smith has been just about flawless for a while now. He's been a good pitcher for a long time. What have you seen the last month or so where he's just been at his best?

BRIAN SNITKER: And he has. I think Will's made adjustments, I think. Over the course of the year, there's a guy you talk about consistency. There's the guy that comes into the park every day regardless of what yesterday might have held for him. He comes to the ballpark every day. He's one of the first guys here. He's consistent.

The phone rings, he answers it, and he pitches. He never offers any excuses. He takes responsibility for what he does, and I admire the hell out of that guy.

Q. How did you prepare Kyle yesterday? Did you say -- I mean, he's up three pitches into the game. Does he know that that might be a possibility?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, we got him up. We didn't talk to him early or anything, right until before the game started. I said, we're probably going to get you up because you're probably going to follow Dylan in. He didn't know anything, I don't think, pretty much until right before the game started that he was going to have to get ready to go.

Q. In 1995 did the Braves extend World Series rings to their Minor League coaching staff?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yes.

Q. Did you get a ring?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yes.

Q. Where do you keep it?

BRIAN SNITKER: It's in a lockbox.

Q. How often do you think about adding to it?

BRIAN SNITKER: I really haven't, if you want to know the truth.

Q. Brian, where were you that night in '95? Were you one of the call-up coaches? Were you at home?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I was in the stands. I remember it like it was yesterday. My wife, Ronnie, and I were sitting there, just as part of the Minor League staff that was invited to the World Series game. So I do, I remember it like it was yesterday.

Q. Was that an emotional night for you too even though you weren't on the field?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, it was. I knew everybody, staff members, good friends. A lot of the players were former players. I was happy for our organization.

Q. Snit, what did you think about on the drive over this morning just all by yourself on the way to the ballpark?

BRIAN SNITKER: Well, I didn't. Ronnie brought me in, so it kind of screwed up my drive (laughter). We talked on the way in just about everything and where we're at. I was glad she was there with me. Just about not a lot really.

Q. Just a quick follow-up on the ring. If you had a 2021 version, do you think it would spend more time outside of a lockbox?

BRIAN SNITKER: I don't know. The things are not real comfortable to wear if you want to know the truth, honestly.