Another Day, Another Trophy for Braves

What a year it has been for the Atlanta Braves.  One day after Ronald Acuna took home the NL Rookie of the Year trophy, Braves manager Brian Snitker was voted NL Manager of the Year.  After many tough-to-endure, rebuilding years, the Braves are finally back.  Throughout the rebuild, 2019 was often the cited year that Braves fans were told they could expect to compete to win the division and make a run in the playoffs.  Well, that year came early in Braves country as the 2018 Atlanta Braves went 90-72 and captured the NL East title.  Even though they didn’t exactly make a run in the playoffs, Braves fans should be thrilled with the early progress from their team filled with “youngins.”  With three consecutive years of at least 90 losses, a 90 win team and a division crown will surely be enough to get any manager ‘Manager of the Year’ honors. 

It couldn’t have happened to a better coach either.  Snitker has paid his dues, serving in various roles within the Braves organization for over 40 years.  It has often been repeated by different Braves players, past and present, that Snitker is a manager who they would ‘go to war’ with.  Players feel he always has their backs, and consequently they have his.  That was made evident when Braves young star, and rookie of the year, Ronald Acuna was intentionally hit by Marlins pitcher Jose Urena after a string of lead-off home runs by Acuna.  Benches cleared and Snitker was right in the middle of the chaos, more furious than I’ve ever seen him.  Then after the game he talked about how the players were his family and he would take up for all of them as such.  Forget analytics and all of that fancy stuff some managers are all about, and give me this guy.  Give me the guy that everyone on the ball club wants to compete and succeed for.  Congrats to Coach Snit, a well deserved honor.  I absolutely cannot wait until next spring.

By Garett