MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 25, 2021

Troy Snitker

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Troy, did you ever imagine growing up that you would have this opportunity to face your dad in the World Series? Now that that's a reality for you, what's it been like in the Snitker family?

TROY SNITKER: Growing up, I don't think it's anything we ever even dreamed of. To be in the Big Leagues at the same time while he's a Major League manager and I'm in the Big Leagues here, just that alone would be very special. Past our wildest dreams to get to this point to both win the pennant and get the face-off, it's something that we never could have dreamed of as a family.

Q. For mom and sis, are they going to be at the ballpark wearing Astros gear, Braves gear? Who gets them the tickets, you or your dad?

TROY SNITKER: My dad's getting the tickets. I told him he's on the hook for that. That reminds me, I've got to go pick up two jerseys. I think they're trying to get something together.

Q. What do they wear, half of each?

TROY SNITKER: I don't know if they're planning on doing half. I know our boys will probably have a little bit of both, maybe Braves jerseys, Astros hats. They're trying to figure it out now.

Q. When we covered the Super Bowl when the Harbaugh brothers faced off, their parents said they were going to go to whichever side lost to console them before they congratulated them. It's such a weird dynamic. Have you talked to your mother about this? How does she feel about this?

TROY SNITKER: Yeah, I've talked to her. I think she's just slightly overwhelmed at the moment trying to get her mind around the concept that this is actually happening and she was in a rush to get out here to Houston.

Q. I'm sure it's a lot, but I wonder what's the most important lesson that your dad taught you that helped you get to this point in your life?

TROY SNITKER: I think just his work ethic. I think that's the biggest thing that I've taken away from him, being able to watch him from a young age at the ballpark. He's just so consistent. I think that's the biggest thing. He's so consistent, hard working. He's the same guy every day when you're in the clubhouse with him.

I think that's what I got to be around for so many years, and just to see it in action, see how he treats people, he has so many positive qualities about him, but he's always the same guy no matter whether they're winning or losing, he takes the same mindset to the field every day.

Just he's been through so much in his career where if he -- there were plenty of times where he could have easily decided to go do something else, but he stuck with it. I'd say his hard work is the biggest thing that I try to emulate with him.

Q. Astros don't strike out very much. It's been a staple for this team for a while. How much does that help you guys offensively, and sort of how do they manage to both slug and not strike out?

TROY SNITKER: I don't think they're mutually exclusive. I don't think just because you make a lot of contact doesn't mean you can't hit for power. I think with our guys, because they hit with so much contact, they also hit for power as well. We've got so many guys that just their swings are so efficient where they can make a lot of contact. These guys are so good in the strike zone. They're so smart in terms of how guys are throwing them.

And I think that's probably the biggest credit to why our offense can get getting to this point because, when the pitching gets good in the playoffs, our guys are able to handle it. They're able to handle V low. They're able to handle quality stuff. They're that elite.

When you start seeing these guys that are really, really good down the line. They keep turning in positive at-bats and grinding guys down. They just grind them out until we can put ourselves in good position, and that usually has a good outcome.

Q. How much do you and your dad normally talk business outside of this occurrence here?

TROY SNITKER: During the season we don't talk a ton about baseball. We're both so busy on different parts of the country, we may touch base -- obviously, I have a family text that we keep in touch with the whole family. We'll talk. We may only talk once a week or maybe twice a week at some points, but during the season, we keep it family related and not as much business related.

In the off-season when we're sitting around, we may talk a little bit more about the game. But during the season, we have a beautiful family. My sister has three boys that are all over the place, so we love being around them.

Q. And you live in the same area in the off-season?

TROY SNITKER: Yes.

Q. Troy, your dad obviously was so busy with baseball when you were at a young age. What role did your mother play in terms of, I guess, helping your career along and pushing you towards the path that got you here today?

TROY SNITKER: She was an absolute rock star. There's not many people that can stick with the professional baseball life, especially in the Minor Leagues. There's so many things that she did well that, if she wasn't the way she was, we never would have made it to this point.

She was a school teacher. Literally right after the last day of school, she was picking us up, and we were going wherever he was. First day of spring break, we were there wherever he was. She would always just drop on a dime to take us to go see our dad.

There were six months out of the year where we were either away or without him, and I think, if you asked both my sister and obviously myself, we wouldn't have had it any other way. It was special the way we grew up.

Q. Managing is such a tough business these days and the trend is to go younger with managers. What does it mean to you to see your dad persevere and get to this point?

TROY SNITKER: Yeah, it's unbelievable he's been with the same -- I think there's a lot to be said that he's been with the same organization for so long. I think this is year 44, and especially in today's game, that's something you don't see.

It's something that wouldn't have happened if he wasn't doing a lot of things right and if he wouldn't have stuck out a lot of tough times. So for him to get to this point and be a Major League manager towards the end of his career, it's something that you don't see.

Nowadays, you don't see people sticking with it as long as he's had, and we're so grateful he's getting this opportunity.

Q. What's your earliest memory of what your dad did for a living? And when you're on the Thanksgiving table, whether he was in Macon or Durham or Gwinnett, did you ever think that he thought that he'd actually be managing the Braves in the World Series?

TROY SNITKER: Earliest memory was probably -- I remember going to Spring Training really young. I remember going to old west palm beach back when the Braves were there. I remember going in the clubhouse and seeing Chipper. I think that was probably around '93, '94, when I was young. My first concrete memories were that summer in Durham in '95, which was my first summer being at the field with him when he drug me in every day.

But I have a lot of special memories of spending a summer at the baseball field. What was the second part?

Q. For someone who's managed 2,700 games in the minors, did he really think he was going to get to this point right now?

TROY SNITKER: I think there was a time where he thought that there was a chance, especially he spent a lot of time in the Big Leagues either in between or after that managing stint in the Minor Leagues where he was Bobby's third base coach and Freddie's as well. I definitely think there was a time where he thought the ship had sailed.

I know it was a dream of his to be able to do this and be able to manage in the Big Leagues, and I think he always knew that he could do it, but I definitely think there was a point where he probably didn't think it was going to happen anymore, which makes this very special.

Q. I'm assuming you'll remember this, and your mom says that it's a work in progress about how she's going to represent because she doesn't want to draw attention to herself. She's going to wear a button photo of the Braves and a button photo of you when you were 6 years old when you were wearing an Astros uniform. Do you remember that? How crazy is that after all these years?

TROY SNITKER: Yeah, I do remember. My first tee ball team was the Astros. So at 5, 6, those were the first uniforms I ever wore. I definitely think she's a work in progress for how she's going to deal with all this. I don't think any of us know.

Q. Has your dad always been an eternal optimist? It seems like good or bad times, post-game in Atlanta, he is the same guy, and it's usually pretty positive.

TROY SNITKER: I think after 44 years he's seen -- I think he's seen just about every type of outcome that you could see in a game. So I think it's just he has a great ability to be the same person no matter what. When he came home after games, he never brought it home. He always focuses back on our family, and I think that's just -- I think that comes with experience. I think it comes with him knowing how hard the game is. I think it's just him understanding that you're going to have good times, you're going to have bad times when teams are struggling and players are struggling.

I think that's why players gravitate towards him and really respect him because he understands that and always supports them.

Q. When the final out takes place in the World Series, is it fair to say you will be both happy and sad, or are you that eternal of an optimist that you'll just be happy?

TROY SNITKER: I'm not sure how I'll feel. Obviously, we probably both feel the same way in terms of that this is about the guys that are playing, this is about the teams that are playing. I know he feels that his guys have overcome so much to get to this point and are very deserving. I obviously feel the same way.

I feel like being with these guys every day, we've earned the chance to be here. We're good enough to do it. So I expect us to win four games. I know this team can do it. He probably feels the same way. So I don't think I'm going to be happy unless we get those four games.