NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS VS BRAVES

October 10, 2021

Brian Snitker

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about what those texts you received from Hank last year in between games, just the congratulations, and just how frequent that you got them last year? And what do you think he'd be saying between these games of this series?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think he'd be very proud of what we've done. The texts, the phone calls, he'd call every now and then. I know I was on a call or the phone with a buddy of mine. It came through, and I said, I think I'm going to put you on hold here; Hank Aaron is calling me.

And it was all great. So appreciative of the fact that he would take the time to congratulate me on things and our team. And it's like I told those guys, there's no bigger fans of the Atlanta Braves than him. And just always pulling for the guys.

And I know he was very proud right now I'm sure he's bragging a lot to anybody who will listen. It's cool to know that he is doing that.

Q. Ian has pitched -- he's been a Big Leaguer for 15 months. He pitched in an NLCS Game 7, a division clincher, now his second postseason. How rare is that and what will it mean for him in the war room?

BRIAN SNITKER: The experience is, you can't replicate it. It's like when we bring guys up from the minor leagues, I'd get called. And it's, like, they've done everything here but you just never know when they get here. And that third deck and things like that. Because you can't replicate that.

And I think just the experience that Ian's had in his short Major League career is going to fend for him well. He's been on the biggest stage -- Game 7 in NLCS. That's pretty good for a young age. And how he handled himself was extraordinary, I thought.

Q. He's pitching this time in front, in the postseason, with some fans in the stands. Last year he didn't get to do that. Is that overblown maybe in terms of what's it going to be like now with 45,000 people filling up the ballpark versus just the pressure that he did experience last year?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think the pressure's probably going to serve him well. And I'm sure he'll talk to Charlie and Max because it will be wild here, too. It's postseason.

But I also hear pitchers talk about they don't even see the fans or feel the fans. And they're so locked in on the catcher that they don't even know that there's anything going on.

Hopefully that's kind of what happens. Those guys get so locked into what they're doing, they don't even see what's going on, or feel it.

And that's probably, I would think, the one thing that those guys could tell him, is you just get locked in on what you're doing you won't even know they're there.

Q. He pitched great in the regular season last year, and he pitched great in the postseason. At any point, in the postseason coach's room, I can't believe this guy is dialing it up for us like this?

BRIAN SNITKER: I was like that the whole year, just when he came here. But then you look and the kid had 300 some innings in the minor leagues. He was ready for this when he got the call.

And everything he's been through this year. An hasn't been easy for him this year. He's had a really good year, but it's the first year being a Major League starter from tee to green.

And there's adjustments to be made. And he's done it. I mean, he's got so much upside in the makeup and how he handles things and the confidence in himself and just the realistic, I think, outlook that he has on everything. I think he'll use the emotions and the energy that's out there tomorrow to his advantage.

Q. Have the Brewers given you a starter tomorrow, and if not are you expecting Peralta?

BRIAN SNITKER: I don't have one, I really don't. And I know he was warming up for the seventh or eighth inning. That's who -- I don't know.

Q. Can you talk any about the Game 4 plans? Does it depend on how tomorrow goes?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yes.

Q. I know you're kind of busy during these games but is there ever a moment you saddle up to one of the coaches or somebody walks up to you and says, damn, this is pretty good? I don't know if you can enjoy it, if it's the right word?

BRIAN SNITKER: I don't know if that's the right word. Enjoy it after the fact. No, you know what it's like I told Seitz last night when things were getting hairy in the seventh and eighth inning: Do you realize we signed up, we actually enjoy this, or we like doing this? It's amazing.

And it is kind of fun. It's emotional. It's just charged. It's -- what you feel is, like I say, when you think back on it, it's like, man, that was something. And even going through it, it's, like, we choose to do this. Holy cow.

But it is. It's really cool. I mean, it's very stressful, obviously. I don't know that you would want it any other way because then if something good happens, then it's really good.

Q. Just how you think Ian's throwing now?

BRIAN SNITKER: Throwing really good.

Q. What do you like?

BRIAN SNITKER: Like a lot of pitchers, it's kind of took him less longer to get going last start than it did probably the start before. But once he gets settled in, you can kind of see early, a feel for his pitches, command of his fastball, feel for his change-up.

And I think that's another thing in the maturity category type thing as he learns to do that. But he's been pitching really well, I think.

Q. What does it mean to be able to come back to Atlanta with the home-field advantage here? And I guess you mentioned being able to feed off that energy for the pitchers, is that something you talk about with your guys, just being able to represent this city as well on a big stage like this?

BRIAN SNITKER: I mean, I don't know that I have to talk about it. They all know it. They know this thing is going to be -- just like it was in Milwaukee. Their fans came out big and it was wild. We knew it was going to be loud in there, especially the first night with the roof closed. It will be loud here. It will be a lot of energy.

And it's what these guys signed up to do. I mean, they appreciate it all year long. The support we've had here at home has been really, really good. The Braves nation has come out strong from the get-go here for these guys. And they're very appreciative of that, I think.

And it's a great place to play here, and it is. These guys are going to be excited about being able to perform in front of all those people.