NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 17, 2021

Brian Snitker

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Happy birthday. What did you wish for?

BRIAN SNITKER: Well, what do you think? (Laughing).

Thank you.

Q. What do you remember about Game 7 of that 2017 World Series when Charlie came in? Do you remember watching it that night?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. No, I remember watching it, yeah. I was watching it. I wasn't internalizing it or anything like that. It was just on. Just remember how good Charlie was.

Q. You kind of just remember that evolution during that postseason where you were saying, wow, he's good?

BRIAN SNITKER: Even before that, I think, really. Just it was kind of neat watching Charlie's emergence as, to being Charlie Morton from where he started here and years ago and the different deliveries he went through and all that and trying to re-invent himself it seemed for awhile and just getting to where he is now.

Q. You've obviously been an Atlanta area resident for a long time. Do you have a pretty good sense for the thirst that fans feel for a want for another championship, whether it's this franchise or any franchise?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, I mean, it's like I've said many times, I had no idea the scope of Braves country when I was here like as a third base coach and a coach in the major leagues, until I took this job over. I think they are. I mean, it would be great to give them that, just like last night. The way they came out and the other night and everything, I think it's good. It's good for the city and our area here that it's like that.

Q. How much can the guys who, especially the guys who were on the team last year, have learned from that now that you start off again 1-0 and whether you win or lose tonight, what, they will have that off-day, and the guys that were here know what happened last year when they started out 2-0 and then 3-1. Does that help as far as you don't have to remind them?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I don't have to remind them of anything. And I think everything that they experience every year I think going to the next year is huge. I think as many, all these games they play, these -- and I think that they're going to realize, and we all do, last year when we were up 3-1, how hard it is to win a baseball game. I mean, it's tough to win a game.

So I think you just have to stay in the present, in today, and do everything you can to win today.

But I think the, just the experiences that these guys get and got last year in the NLCS, it's going to be good for them going forward.

Q. Happy birthday.

BRIAN SNITKER: Thank you.

Q. Austin Riley. He's a player that, first couple of years he struggled. You guys stuck with him. You didn't make a move and now he's proving that that has obviously worked out quite well for you. Can you just talk about his development through this organization.

BRIAN SNITKER: It's been always, and the history of Austin is that he, I think he pretty much repeated every level that he started in, and then he was always better when he did repeat. He came on the scene here, I think it was 2019, and helped us win a Division. We put him in left field and it was really good.

And then it's like you don't surprise anybody anymore and they start game planning and things like that. And even this year early on, I mean, it wasn't easy and he struggled. But I just kept thinking, even last year what he did for us the previous year, and it was like he was a big reason we won the Division in 2019. And then, that's all I could envision out of this kid because I saw what he was capable of.

And I think you have to understand that it takes awhile to get comfortable and to realize you belong here. I think that's probably the biggest thing. They hang with themselves. And I've said with Austin, he did hang with himself. He gave himself a chance to get better and to get things going, which that's huge because there's a lot of naysayers. There's a lot of people that are looking to maybe replace him or whatever. But he hung in there with himself. And I just always believed in the kid, thought, could see what he was capable of.

There's two or three of them on our club, the young guys that are still young, but they're I think figuring out that they can play here and they're good and they start believing in themselves and then all of a sudden they learn, start learning how to play the game instead of fighting to just kind of keep up. They end up learning how to play the game when they believe that they can and belong here.

Q. Is there anything specific that you can see in his approach that changed other than just mentality?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think he started, and I know Chipper used to talk to him about right center field, the big part of the diamond. And you see Austin a lot of times, he lines those balls to left center and he's got power to all fields. But I think when he keeps with that approach, he's a really, really good hitter and I know because as I say Chipper kept talking to him about the State Farm sign, I think is what's out there, and just keeping that approach.

When does he that, man, he can hit them out of anywhere. And it's just like last night, he's not just a pull hitter, he uses the big part of the diamond.

Q. The aggressiveness with your team on the base paths obviously led to the first inning run and then of course the walk-off there in the 9th. Is that something that you guys plan on approaching with this Dodgers roster?

BRIAN SNITKER: Not necessarily. That's kind of our approach all year, really, with the guys that can run. It's more pitcher to pitcher and guys, they study the moves. I know EY does a very good job of preparing and relaying information to those guys and he'll show them video of guys' moves and things like that. And they -- and our guys upstairs have the all the times and everything on these guys, and guys got a watch on the bench to see what they're doing. I think when the situation presents itself, we'll do it.

Q. I know your guys have seen a lot of Scherzer over the years. When you saw him though in L.A., did you notice anything different about him from all the other times you've kind of seen him with the Nationals?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I mean, the guy's always just such a -- he's Max Scherzer. I mean, I tell you, it's always rough, but like I say, our guys, we have seen him, we had seen him four, five times a year pretty much the last few years. And actually I think there was something going on in that game that he pitched against us and I think he came out early for a hamstring tightness or something like that, if I remember right.

But he was throwing really good, I know that, when he left. Kind of glad he did leave, obviously. But I think he's the same guy. He's tough. He never gives in. He's going to fight you. I mean, it's a good challenge, it's a challenge, but like say, our guys have seen him a lot.