Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker walks off the mound after a pitching change during the fifth inning in Game 1 of a National League Division Series baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
ATLANTA — Brian Snitker, who is entering his 50th season with the Atlanta Braves organization, said his upcoming induction into the team’s Hall of Fame feels surreal.
In a radio interview with Buck Belue and Kelly Crull, Snitker described the honor as humbling. He will be inducted April 25 before the Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies. A special extended pregame show will air on BravesVision starting at 6 p.m.
“I looked at the group and thought, man, I don’t fit in there,” Snitker said of the existing Hall of Famers. “There’s some really heavy hitters there.”
Snitker began his career as a catcher in the Braves’ minor league system. After his playing days ended, Hank Aaron, then the farm director, hired him as a coach in 1981. Snitker recalled being overwhelmed seeing Aaron at workouts and credited Aaron with a key early opportunity.
He said he has been influenced by numerous Hall of Famers during his career and values the relationships built over five decades. Those include friendships with former players and coaches, as well as ties to communities in minor league cities across the Southeast.
Snitker stepped down as manager after the 2025 season and now serves in an advisory role. He has attended several Braves games this season and praised the team’s 12-7 start.
“They’re healthy,” he said. “We were a really good team the last two years” but were hampered by injuries. He noted that new manager Walt Weiss and the coaching staff are doing a strong job.
Away from the ballpark, Snitker said he has enjoyed more time with family, including watching his grandsons play baseball and playing golf with them. He also took in a game from the stands for the first time recently and toured parts of Truist Park he had rarely seen as a manager.
Snitker called the induction a special night and expects many former players, coaches and friends to attend.
You know, I mean, there’s some really heavy hitters there and great players, great managers, great people within the Braves organization, and it’s a little mind-boggling for me to think that in a few days or another couple of weeks, I’m going to be on that list too, and yeah, yeah, it just kind of blows me away. I didn’t sign up 50 years ago thinking that this would be even possible, and it’s just, I’m humbled by it, blessed by it, and I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.
– Brian Snitker
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
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