Braves agreed to two-year contract extension with manager Brian Snitker

The Atlanta Braves agreed to a two-year contract extension with manager Brian Snitker.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 16-10-2018 09:39 IST | Created: 16-10-2018 09:03 IST
Braves agreed to two-year contract extension with manager Brian Snitker
The 2019 season will be his 43rd with the organization. He started as a player in the minor leagues in 1977. (Image Credit: Twitter)
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The Atlanta Braves agreed to a two-year contract extension with manager Brian Snitker.

The deal announced by the Braves on Monday includes a club option for the 2021 season. Financial terms were not disclosed, but USA Today reported in August Snitker's 2018 salary was $800,000, tied for lowest among major league managers with Alex Cora (Boston) and Scott Servais (Seattle).

Snitker, who turns 63 on Wednesday, took over as Atlanta's manager on an interim basis in May 2016, replacing Fredi Gonzalez.

"I've been around long enough to know you're never guaranteed tomorrow in this business," Snitker said. "But I felt good about it. In conversations with (general manager) Alex (Anthopoulos) and staff, meetings we had, I felt confident based on our year and the progression that we made, I'd be asked back."

The 2019 season will be his 43rd with the organization. He started as a player in the minor leagues in 1977.

"I feel really good that I have an opportunity to stay around here a little longer and be a part of this," Snitker said. "I really like where we're going. I love everything about what's going on here. The front office, the organization, the whole thing is really solid and it's got that vibe of what I remember years ago. It's really getting solid again.

"And the thing that makes that possible is the people. That's set this organization apart as long as I've been here. Players, they come and go, yeah, we have to have them. But the people surrounding this whole thing make this entire organization."

This season, he led the Braves to the National League East championship, their first division title since 2013, with a 90-72 record. The Braves lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Snitker and Anthopoulos are pleased with their relationship.

"It's the equivalent of getting married," Anthopoulos said. "You're not going to check every single box, but at the end of the day, there's a lot of good there. The environment in the clubhouse is very good. The interactions with the office, the interactions with the staff are very good. The interactions with the rest of the organization are very good. The interactions with the media are very good.

"I don't know of any manager who will go through six months and 162 games where someone isn't going to complain about something. That's just reality."

Snitker's overall managerial record is 221-227. Since Snitker became an interim manager, the Braves have won a major-league-best 57 games in their final at-bat.

Analytics has become an important part of the game that Snitker has relied on, in consultation with catching coach Sal Fasano and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. They conveyed the proper message to the players.

"You never stop learning and you never stop growing," Snitker said. "You're going to experience something every day that you haven't before. I think the longer you're in it -- if you're open and you experience that -- you're going to continue to grow."

(With inputs from agencies.)

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