NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 18, 2021

Brian Snitker

Dodger Stadium

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. The other day you said you would sleep on it who hits lead-off and obviously Eddie's produced there. What gave you that, or led to that final decision?

BRIAN SNITKER: It was either he or Joc, and I kind of thought I would rather have Joc, at the time, just hitting down in the middle with the opportunity to drive runs in. Sandwich him around some right-handed hitters.

Q. Last night Austin Riley was talking about how, obviously, last year you were up against the Dodgers before, but this team knows now not to really take a lead for granted with this Dodgers team. Do you get that sense with them right now in this group and how important it is to just put it away?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. And I think it's probably a year's more maturity as a club and experience in what we did. I've said before we found out how hard it is to win a game and you can't take anything for granted and you got to go into, you got to go after today.

But I think with a year's experience and in the same position, that these guys are better versed for it right now.

Q. What Joc has brought to your offense is fairly obvious, just curious, what has his effect been inside the clubhouse?

BRIAN SNITKER: Well, I know he sure, the guys in there love him. I mean, he's a strong personality, as everybody knows, and he doesn't have a filter. But it's been all good what he's brought to our clubhouse and our team and I think guys were excited obviously when we got him because Ronnie went down and a couple days later he shows up.

Just Alex showed that we weren't going to just lay around and wait for something to happen. But he's been good. He's been, the guys love him. He brings that little edge, and he's been there and done that. He's another kid that brings credibility with him.

Q. I apologize for the words I'm about to say. What do you think of the pearls?

BRIAN SNITKER: I honestly, I, whatever. I mean, I don't think of them. You know, if they want to do it and it's good, I mean, things are, in today's game, I think the way these, the players are raised and all that, was I raised like that in the game? No. But these guys, they're a different generation and they have fun with it. And you know I've said before they're going to have fun playing baseball. God, what a novel idea to do that and something like that, you're not hurting anybody. And I mean, I said you look at the big screen in Atlanta and you got all these, you know, big rough tough guys and they got pearls on.

And all the ladies like went in their jewelry boxes and got their pearls out. So, shoot, I'm fine with it. I'm not going to wear them, but...

Q. Has Ronnie asked for a new set of pearls from you?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I don't even know if she has any.

Q. She's due then.

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah.

Q. You don't get to your success as a ball club with the four straight titles over the last four years without being successful and then you look at the record here, it's kind of flukish. Can you pinpoint one thing?

BRIAN SNITKER: They're just really good here, really good. I mean, it's, you know, it's fun to come out here. Dodger Stadium is an electric place, and the weather's nice.

But they're just, they're a really tough team to beat here for us, obviously, in this ballpark.

Q. There's been so many ups and downs throughout the year and I think in late April Dansby burned some sage. I think he said he would plant it if it worked. Is there any like lighthearted things along the year that helped, superstitions or whatever?

BRIAN SNITKER: I remember that, when he brought that in. Not really, I don't think. I mean, you know, no, I don't think so.