MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 28, 2021

Brian Snitker

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. We've talked a lot about Hank here each round. Do you feel like he and Phil and Don maybe are not only enjoying this but maybe looking over you?

BRIAN SNITKER: Oh, no, and Mr. B. You forget about the greatest Braves fan ever. I've said many times there's a lot of bragging going on in heaven right now with all those guys.

It's a bit special too. God, I can't imagine how Hank, all them guys, Don, Mr. B, yeah, how proud they would be of everybody.

Q. We've talked about Ian's maturity since day one. Luke Jackson said yesterday he's like a 65-year-old in a 23-year-old's body. Where have you seen him, though, grow the most in the last year?

BRIAN SNITKER: He couldn't help but grow, I think, because he dropped in here last year. We kind of thrust him immediately into playoffs. He came in and pitched against the Yankees his first start. So we kind of forced him to grow up, I think.

But getting to know him from spring trainings and all, just a really mature guy, mature player, kid, man. He's been through -- like I've said before, he's been through a lot in a short Major League career, a lot of big experiences, pitched a lot of big games here. Just the more he experiences that, I think the more he's going to continue to grow.

Q. I know you've covered this ground before, but for those of us who haven't been to this park and seen the crowd support here, how would you describe how you've seen it grow, kind of take hold of this community, and what kind of advantage is it for you in this park?

BRIAN SNITKER: It's been really, really good, from the first year that we played here. And it's a good product. It's an exciting team, a fun team to watch. I think the whole Battery, Truist Park concept and all led to this being a really fun place to come and watch a game. It's wild in here.

It has been all year really. We've had great crowds from the beginning of opening things up again. I think -- I didn't see, but they said even the last couple of nights it's just packed in the Battery, and I know one of the coach's wives that couldn't make the trip said she cracked her door and felt like we were playing the game here.

It's an exciting place to play, to be at. It will be wild tomorrow.

Q. Two guys who haven't played in a couple months, Stephen Vogt and Jeff Mathis, what does having two very knowledgeable veteran experience around?

BRIAN SNITKER: It's been awesome having those guys, what they bring and how invested they are. Stephen came on the -- he's another one that we got via trade and made immediate impacts when he came. He caught some big games for us.

Jeff did, and he's been with us all year, just what he brings -- the experience, the knowledge of the game. Both of those guys are about as professional as it gets. I've loved having that influence around and in our clubhouse.

Q. Going along the same lines that we were going on a couple questions ago about playing at home and the support that the fans bring, can you talk about the advantage, if you see it that way, that the series, the fact that it's tied right now one game apiece, brings to you coming into a place where you guys were undefeated this postseason?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think it's real. Braves Country is real. It's been around for a while, for a lot, a lot of years. This has been a special area, what the Atlanta Braves bring. The fans have come out in droves.

As I say, it's a great place to play. The players -- I don't know that this group needs a lot more energy than what they have, but I think they can draw on the energy of the crowd, and they enjoy it and appreciate it.

Q. If I could follow up on what you said about Hank. It's like he's the common denominator for you and Dusty in that you both place a lot of credit to Aaron starting your careers. Have you ever had a chance to compare notes with Dusty and talk to him about your experience?

BRIAN SNITKER: A couple times, and he was kind of -- I would assume he helped mold both of us, Dusty as a young player and me as a young manager/coach. He was very instrumental, I know, in both our careers because I know both of us hold him -- just loved the man to death for what he did for us.

Another one I think that showed up yesterday at the ballpark was Ralph Garr. I know he had played with Dusty, and he's another one that just is Braves through and through, a Brave through and through, Gator was. It was great to see him also yesterday. But, you know, it's -- and in different, somewhat similar means of both of us.

Q. Two questions. First of all, as important as bullpens are throughout the playoffs, the Astros bullpen has been much better in the postseason than they were in the regular season. Is that a reason to get runs early and not giving the bullpen a lead to protect?

BRIAN SNITKER: They're really, really good. I think going through the whole postseason, that's one of the reasons I think that teams get in this position is the bullpen strength. Like you say, they have a really talented one. Runs are at a premium most of the time. Every now and then we break loose and score, but it's tough when you get in those bullpens to make things happen.

Q. The other question I had was there are two rookie starters going Game 3. I think Marwin Gonzalez is the only player on the other side who's faced the other guy. Does that give the pitchers an advantage when hitters have no experience against them?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, I think. I mean, they watch tape until they get in the box. They have no idea what that feel is going to be. I think it does have an advantage when they've never seen a guy before.

Q. You guys have pretty drastic home/road splits in the postseason. Is there something for which you can pinpoint why you play so much better at home?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think it's what we just talked about, the crowd being pretty familiar with this place. The places we've had to play are rough. They had that thing closed in Milwaukee, and you talk about loud. You can't hear, you can't talk to somebody beside you in Dodger Stadium in the postseason. There's been some rough places to play. Where we just came from. They've got a great home-field advantage also.

I think that has got a lot to do with it, just the home crowd, the energy they provide, you're back in familiar surroundings here with this ballpark and everything going on.

I think it does play a definite role in the fact that we do play well here.

Q. So far both you and Dusty have made a number of moves in the first two games. What have you thought about the in-game chess match between you and your staff and Dusty and his?

BRIAN SNITKER: It's been good. We were forced into it, I think, a little bit, as well as him in the first game. We both lost our starters early in the game and had to navigate through. I think that's part of the postseason is the bullpens are a big, big part of all that.

And I don't really, now that we're in the National League park, it's probably not going to change. It may get even a little more complicated.

Q. From a manager's position, what do you think about Carlos Correa with his glove and his arm?

BRIAN SNITKER: I've loved that kid ever since the first time I saw him in Spring Training when we played a B game, and I saw that kid over there, and I thought, man, that's what they look like right there. That kid is an unbelievably skilled and talented young man. He's such a talented player. I've got a lot of respect for him. Like I said, I've liked him ever since I saw him.

Like I said, I can remember a B game we played over there and thinking, God, that's what first round picks look like.

Q. You have an abundance of lefties in that bullpen. Was that planned entering this series?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, it wasn't. It was just kind of how we ended up in trying to take the best team that we could. We didn't go into it like we have some series sometimes over the course of the last few years. It was just kind of those were the guys that we targeted that were throwing good at the time to put on the club pretty much.

Q. With Matzek and Minter, we know you don't have to use them as --

BRIAN SNITKER: They're not matchups.

Q. Yeah, matchups, yeah. So what is the advantage of having that many lefties against this team, against the Astros?

BRIAN SNITKER: I don't know that -- you know, they're such a balanced lineup too when you look at that. You'd better have guys that really aren't matchup guys, and we kind of feel that way with all the lefties really that we have, that they're not matchup guys.

A lot of guys have reverse blitz against right-handed hitters against left-handed pitchers, and I don't know that it's an advantage any more than it's just -- that was our best draw is the group that we brought here. We brought Tucker up, and he had came back and was throwing really well, just same thing as Kyle. They both had been pitching really well. It's why they made this roster.

Q. When you look at your infielders and how they play defensively, how much do you see the influence of Ron Washington? And have you leaned on his experience in past World Series as a manager in the series?

BRIAN SNITKER: What Wash brings is he's in there with those guys and has taught them routine, I think, what they do, how consistent -- I've talked a lot about how consistent he is. You can set your watch by how he does things every day. He's amazing to me how consistent he is, and I think he's passed that on to those young players and helping them to establish a routine that they have in going forward.

I have a whole roomful of coaches with World Series experience. I'm fortunate to have the number of guys that I have that I can go to in any situation.

Q. With Ian, what did you see when he was consistent early and late in the season versus when he scuffled somewhat?

BRIAN SNITKER: It's feel and command for him, having the feel of his change-up early and command in his fastball, trying to stay out of the deep counts. That's a big thing, and you can see the other day he started out and it was really, really good. But that's pretty much early on you see that, and to his credit, he never stops pitching. He never gives in. He never sticks.

If he doesn't have it early, he'll usually right the ship and get it going, and he has a really good knack of limiting damage when he's trying to get to that spot.

Q. What's the signal to you early that he's on?

BRIAN SNITKER: Just the command thing, feel of the change-up and command in his fastball, to me.

Q. Following up about Ian Anderson, when you talk about his growth and maturity, where have you seen the biggest strides? Was it preparation, in-game adjustments? Where have you seen that?

BRIAN SNITKER: The in-game adjustments, as much as anything. He went through -- this is his first full year as a Major League starter. Like I said many times, he just dropped in here last August, I think, and it probably -- when he looked back, it was a blur.

But then he starts and people are ready for him. They have videos on him, the information on him, and you have to -- that's what the adjusting thing is all about, and I think he's done a really good job of learning how to prepare for a game to break hitters down. They do a lot of that. There's a lot of study, a lot of video.

I think that guys experience all that, and eventually they come up with their plan and how they develop just like routine. They develop their routine in preparing for a game also.

Q. Does his age still stand out to you? Do you still kind of look down and say I can't believe he's that young?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. I thought that from the beginning with him. Like a lot of the young greats that we've developed here over the last however hundred years or whatever it is, but he's one of those guys that you could always have a good conversation with. He was serious and focused on what he's doing, and the way he handles himself, just a mature kid.

Q. Houston's lineup is so loaded, and so much attention gets paid to Altuve and Correa and Bregman and the like. Brantley seems to get overlooked sometimes.

BRIAN SNITKER: That guy is crazy. He's another one that knew from afar, and it's amazing to see how good he is and the professional hitter he is. He's such a good player, such a good player.

Q. What is it about him?

BRIAN SNITKER: He reminds me of like when I had Nick Markakis, how consistent he is and how he plays the game. He doesn't stand out. The at-bats are crazy, how deep he lets the ball get. He's just a total player. Very professional, and you could just tell -- I've talked to a lot of people that know him real well and I've had conversations with him. Just I'm a big fan.

Q. Curious if Charlie will be able to be here tomorrow or if you've talked to him anymore.

BRIAN SNITKER: That, I don't know. I kind of doubt it. I think he'll be here before the weekend is over.

Q. Other than the pearls, what do you think the reasons are that Joc was so kind of quickly embraced, not just by the team, but it seems like the whole fan base here?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, well, he was -- the guys have liked him from -- loved him from the get go. He brings that little edge and that personality that you just don't see all the time. Also, that instant credibility. He's been on this stage -- he doesn't know anything more than growing up like he did.

He's been in a lot of playoff games, and he just brings a certain edge. In the clubhouse, I mean, there's no filter to him, and I think guys respect that, and they kind of gravitate toward him.

Q. There's a lot of over reaction generally, when there's Game 1, the momentum goes this way. Game 2, this happens. It goes the other way. Where do you stand on that on momentum and what winning a game can give you?

BRIAN SNITKER: Every game is such a separate entity. I think it lasts a couple hours after a big win, but then it's kind of turn the page. I think that's really true. That momentum is as good as your next day starter pretty much.

I think you just -- you don't get tied up in that. When you play 162 games, if you get on those swings or whatever, you'll drive yourself crazy, and you've just got to kind of take it a day at a time. I think you do this too. Yesterday didn't go the way we wanted it, take a day off, and we've got a new day and a game to win tomorrow.

So I think our guys do a really good job of compartmentalizing that and living in the present.