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NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 4, 2018

Brian Snitker

Los Angeles, California - pregame 1

Q. Snit, what went into the decision to put all five starters on the roster? Why would you carry both Julio and Newcomb?
BRIAN SNITKER: Just mainly for length, and you know, it kind of boiled down also to just the healthiest, freshest guys that we could get. And we don't know where we're going after tomorrow right now. And so we just kind of looked at that with the stuff and matchups and the whole ball of wax really.

Q. So did you just say -- because I was going to ask you about a Game 3 starter and a Game 4 starter. Can you tell me some of the possibilities there, even though --
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. Well, it'll, again, probably be how we get there, but Gausman would be one of the front runners. Newcomb is a guy that we're talking about, if we don't use him in one of these first two games. But probably after the game tonight, then we'll settle on somebody.

Q. Snit, does that mean Teheran is a possibility to start?
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. He's a possibility also, depending on how we get there.

Q. And then my other question was how tough was it for you, because I know you've said you want to go with the guys to an extent who got you here. How tough was it for you to tell Winkler and --
BRIAN SNITKER: It's hard. When I made those calls, it was tough, but you know, we're just looking at where we are. We wouldn't be here without those guys. But by the same token, a lot of those guys probably in another year -- or if we were -- same thing last year, we would have probably shut down two or three of those guys just because of the innings that they've had. And most of them are coming off rehab years. I mean, the innings totals were -- you know, and you're aware of that with starters, but also the relievers, and the appearances and the stressful innings and everything they went through. We just kind of felt like we were going to go with the guys that were the freshest really.

Q. I know there's a lot of managers who go straight into Major League managing without having the Minor League experience, and some of them have been successful. But from your standpoint, what are they missing by not having that experience? I know you did it for years and years.
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. I think probably -- you know, I started my career and all the managing that I did -- I think in today's game, a lot of guys that are coming in, especially in the Major Leagues, it's so much more analytically driven. I spent my whole managing career with my eyes, my gut, my instinct, things like that, more than what just matchups, numbers, heat charts, maps, all that kind of stuff.

It's all great information. Don't get me wrong. But I learned to do this job, and I learned to handle people and things like that through just being with them every day. And there's a lot of -- I know there's a lot of really good managers and great managers in the Major Leagues that never went to the minor leagues and did that. And their I think experience is as players and the people that they are just make them naturals for this job, too.

Q. Another pitching staff question. In addition to the rotation guys you kept on the roster, you also have Max and Touki who also worked at starter. So it seems like there's kind of a theme of having a lot of multi-inning possibilities as opposed to maxing out say on matchup. And I wonder how much of that has to do with just the composition of the Dodgers?
BRIAN SNITKER: A lot to do with that. As we looked at the matchups -- and I think as much as anything, it's just, you know, we were looking at the body of work. And you can't -- in September, at the end of the year, and what guys did, and like I say, the health, the freshness of a lot of these guys. So there was a lot that went into it. There was a lot of agonizing over that in leaving some of those guys off. But I think the biggest reason a lot of the guys, just the workload that a lot of the relievers that we left off had undertaken this year.

I mean, we just kind of felt like there was a lot of guys that they did a great job, they're a big reason why we're here. And I told them, I said, it's my fault. I'm the one that worked you guys to death in order to try and win this thing. And so I mean, it's -- but we needed all those guys to do what they did. They did it great. I mean, the thing that I'm happy about is all those guys really could pitch today. There's nobody that we left off per se because of an arm injury or anything like that.

Q. Brian, what have you seen from Vizcaino since he came back, and is he definitely your guy in a save situation?
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. I've seen enough to know that I would trust him tonight with a lead in the ninth inning. I mean, I think he feels good. We tried to -- we were careful with him, didn't want to overwork him because we felt like if we got him to this position -- in the last game, the deciding game, that he threw, I think he eased everybody's doubts as far as his health, because the velocity was right where we wanted it to be.

Actually, the last outing that he had in New York, we went and got him before the inning was over because of pitches, but you could see the stuff was right there. It wasn't a stressful game or anything like that because we were getting beat, but we just feel good about where he's at health-wise right now, and he's the one guy that's been through the wars as well. And we have a lot of confidence in A.J. Minter also, and probably it might be a little matchup-driven as to who pitches the ninth, too. I feel really good if it's Vizzie. I feel really good if it's A.J.

Q. How do you see Freddie Freeman as growing as a player and in the clubhouse since the last time you guys were here in 2013?
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. I mean, he's the guy now. We came here in the playoffs in '13. We had a pretty good team, and we weren't really -- Freddie wasn't the marquis guy back then. He was a really good up-and-coming player. But now I think as he's matured, as he's been around these last five years, that he has really established himself as a force in our clubhouse. And obviously what he does on the field speaks for itself. But he's become a guy that everybody can go to, that we can lean on, that -- you know, the better leaders aren't guys that get up and beat their chest and all and stand on their chair in the clubhouse. It's how they go about their job, how they show up to play, how they prepare every day. And you can't get any better than him and/or Nick Markakis.

Q. A lot has been written about the changes that Matt Kemp has made to his physique and to his outlook really in the last year. What was your honest assessment of Matt at the end of last season as both a player and as a teammate?
BRIAN SNITKER: Well, it was a tough year for Matt because he got hurt the first road trip. He came to Spring Training like you saw him this year. I think he's probably a little lighter this year. But he came, he worked. He was the first one there, the last one to leave. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Matt. I always love the fact that the kid doesn't have any filter. He's going to tell you what he thinks.

And he did a great job for us when we had him there. I was happy to see that he came and did what he did. I was happy for him. I texted him when he made the All Star team that I couldn't have been happier for somebody as what he's done. But he was nothing but, I thought, a great teammate in Atlanta. And the circumstances weren't great last year because he got hurt early and it was just hard to come back, because he's a guy that wants to play. I mean, he signed up to play, and so that was -- it was just hard because he could never really get himself or get the year going like he wanted to, and he had worked that winter before and the way he came to Spring Training.

Q. Going back to the good old days for a second, when you guys get together and tell minor league stories, what's the most interesting or unique night or experience that you can think of in those days, whether it be a bus ride or some sort of rainout fiasco?
BRIAN SNITKER: There's all kinds -- I mean, I don't know that there's one that trumps the other. I mean from breaking down and spending nights in a guy's machine shed. We had a pitcher that got the ^ bull all ticked off, and the farmer's wife bringing you sandwiches and Cokes while you're waiting for the husband to go get a tire because the bus blew out. I mean, there's just so many -- and that's the beauty -- I would never -- I wouldn't trade my years in the minor leagues for anything. I mean, that was just such a pure, some of the best times of my life were there.

This is fun. This is unbelievable experience right now that I'm going through, but I wouldn't trade what I went through for the 30 whatever some years that I rode buses, other than the bus rides. I mean, that got to be, after a while, a little wearing on you. But the experiences, the relationships that we have today. I got a Christmas card list that's just unbelievable. I spend a small fortune every year because of all the people that you meet and the relationships that you have and the friendships that come from that, I mean, dear friendships that last a lifetime that are just -- it's something else that you just can't replace.

Q. Brian, did it surprise you in any way that the Dodgers decided to go with Kershaw in Game 2 instead of Game 1?
BRIAN SNITKER: No. I'll be honest with you. I didn't think a lot about it. I assumed that would happen because it's kind of who's kind of I think been leading it off for them the last few years. But you know you're going to face him, so -- it doesn't matter who they throw at you, they're really good. This is such a deep team, such a really good team that you're going to have to face all those guys at some point in time. I didn't sit around and was overwhelmed by it or anything like that. To be honest with you, I had enough on my plate trying to figure out our roster and our team.

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