- 2 days ago
Brian Snitker talks about watching Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman grow up and the heartbreak of seeing them move on to new teams.
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00:0010.43 Sports Radio, 92.9 The Game, Brian Snicker co-hosting with us for the hour, and we were
00:07just pumping him up, talking about a guy that could be great in the broadcast business,
00:11not that we need anybody else coming after our jobs, but so much history, so much perspective,
00:16player, manager, base coach, bench coach, every city in America, three great, we had
00:24the interview when you announced your retirement, but a lot of folks don't listen every day,
00:28the three cities that kind of you were closest to after decades of traveling around America,
00:33where there's certain places that, you know, you kind of, you didn't like to travel at the end,
00:37but for a while, those were places you just loved to be. Well, you know what, the historic
00:41parts, I used to love to go to Chicago, I used to love to go to Boston, and Pittsburgh, it's
00:48such
00:48a pretty place, and I love, you know, I have to, I don't have to, my wife's from Pittsburgh,
00:53I've got a lot of great memories there, I think it's a great city, I love the people,
00:58hard not to root for Pittsburgh fans, yeah, in general, they're so loyal, you know,
01:04Penguin Steelers, Pirates, you know, they've been through it, yeah, they have, and that's
01:10maybe the most underrated ballpark in downtown, and oh, absolutely, it is gorgeous there, yeah,
01:15right there, I said I went to Georgia Tech a couple of weeks ago, because I wanted to
01:19see a night game, and it is, they've done an unbelievable job there, it's beautiful there,
01:23good, good, good, good, the Solaire Homer, as we were coming back, give me two or three
01:27moments, when you think about the postseason, I mean, we remember the Dodgers series, and
01:32the bullpen moments, and obviously the Solaire Homer there, are there other plays, like you
01:36talked about one of those catches, but when you think about that four-week run, yeah, what
01:42pops in your head from the World Series?
01:43Oh, man, you know, like, well, you just said Matzik's heroics, and the one, and I still
01:49just love seeing the reaction, I could watch that every day, Eddie Rosario hitting the
01:54ball right out of the reach of the second baseman to win a game, Austin Riley, ball
01:57down the line, you know, big hit, Solaire's homers in Houston, it's just, you know, A.J.
02:07Minter in game one of the World Series, when Charlie gets his leg broke, you know, he
02:11comes in, and they got this little portable, they got this portable X-ray machine, so I'm
02:16down there looking, and Marvin Royster, one of our orthopedists, comes in, and yeah, I
02:21don't know, it looks so-and-so, and all of a sudden the inning starts, and Charlie
02:25goes back out there, and then they bring it back, it's like, damn, it's broke, and I
02:29put Minter in, and I'll never forget this either, he comes in, and it's not in his
02:35area, you know, that early in the game.
02:37What's it, like the third inning or so?
02:38Yeah, it was like the third inning, and he comes in, and he just, it's like, wham,
02:43wham, wham, and I was like, man, you know, going back, let's go back out, and he comes
02:47in, and it's wham, wham, wham, and he comes out off the mound, and he goes, I'm going
02:51back out, and I said, well, hell, I'm not getting in your way, you know, he was fired,
02:55and I was like, I'm not going to stop a guy if he's on point that much, and, you know,
03:00he went back out.
03:02That's a great example.
03:03Oh, my God.
03:03Of all the plays we think about, you remember that Charlie Morton breaks his leg, and that we,
03:07you know, I mean, we know the bullpen, like, it's almost like a shooter that gets hot,
03:13and all of a sudden, they say the basket looks double the size.
03:16As a manager, you're pushing buttons in that bullpen, right?
03:21Yeah.
03:21I mean, each one of those guys was delivering in big moments.
03:26Big moments.
03:26The whole month.
03:27The whole, yeah, and it was, and it worked out good with the two, day off, three, day
03:32off, two.
03:33We were, and, you know, because I remember the broadcaster before the games of World
03:37Series, like, well, are you going to get those guys again?
03:38I'm like, if we're away, heck, yeah.
03:41It's like, they got all winter to rest, you know, and, but those guys were unbelievable.
03:45Will Smith, Matzik.
03:47Yeah, Will Smith.
03:47You know, Minter.
03:50I'm sure there's somebody I'm forgetting that was just great.
03:53They all were great that year.
03:54I mean, these guys, they were all about the team.
03:57You know, the great thing, all those guys wanted to do was win.
04:01And, you know, I was telling you earlier, Dansby, all, Dansby was all about winning every
04:06day, as Freddie was, as Ozzie, Riley, that whole group was just something else.
04:13I mean, they just wanted to win games.
04:15How hard is it when, you know, you don't have the ability, it's not, I guess, it's really
04:20not your call.
04:21So losing at Dansby, who you know is like a lifeblood of an organization.
04:25No, it's hard.
04:25And Freddie.
04:26Freddie.
04:26And Freddie, of course.
04:28So what is that like for you?
04:29No, Max.
04:29You know, and I look at, you know, and I don't begrudge any of them.
04:32I mean, they did well for their families and it's part of the business and you want to
04:36keep them all.
04:37You know, you become attached to them.
04:40You know, you watch these guys grow up, you watch them get married, you watch them start
04:44having children, you know, they are, you're attached to them.
04:47And I'll be attached to those guys forever.
04:49You know, I still, I love that.
04:53Relationships.
04:53I think is one of the things we don't, you know, I don't, I think guys have lost that
04:59a little bit with the advent of the social media and, and cell phones.
05:02And I remember I was in spring training, we were in West Palm, the new place, there's
05:06three rows of lockers.
05:07It's after BP, everybody gets a sandwich.
05:09I walk in there and all I see are guys with their heads buried in their, in their phones.
05:14And I just lost it.
05:15And I'm like, you guys are missing the fabric of what we're doing here.
05:20And it's relationships.
05:21I said, I'm still getting Christmas cards from 40 years ago from former players.
05:25I have teammates that are, I'm still seeing and in touch with.
05:29And it's almost like you guys don't even know who each other is.
05:32And Brian, I think folks are forgetting that when push came to shove and they were looking
05:36for a manager and, oh, you're just going to fill the gap.
05:38We'll figure out.
05:39No, no.
05:40Freddie Freeman was king of the list going, uh-uh, we want Brian Snicker.
05:44And I know there were multiple players that went to bat for you.
05:47Yeah, I know.
05:48And I've, it's kind of, you know what, when I, that happened, I remember Nick Marcakis was
05:52right in that same group.
05:53And, um, you know, uh, I, I said, it's kind of validated everything that I hoped I was
06:00about, that those guys felt that way.
06:03And, um.
06:03It helped change your life, helped change your legacy for your family forever.
06:07Absolutely.
06:08No, there, that's, there's no doubt.
06:09There are moments that these little moments that could have gone either way.
06:13No, could have.
06:14And I had a bunch of those in my career that, um, I remember there was one in the transition
06:19when John took the club over.
06:20John Sherholtz came, you know, all of a sudden we're kind of a rudderless ship for a couple
06:25of weeks and, you know, my contract's getting ready to get up and nobody's called me and
06:29we don't know who the farm director is.
06:31We don't know this and that.
06:31And I'm thinking, I got a mortgage payment.
06:33Yeah.
06:33You know, I got kids.
06:34Reality.
06:35Reality.
06:35And I started calling around and I was real close to taking another job.
06:39Cause I was like, I started, you know, panicking a little bit.
06:42I was young father, but kids and you know, I didn't have a savings.
06:46I mean, I, I, I always talk about when coaches get fired mid season.
06:50And in the NFL or college, or even in base, it's like, you know, there's like 20 people
06:55under them that the, the wife said, where are we living next year?
06:58Like, you know, you're, that's why it's so difficult, especially like in the end, like
07:03you have an interim coach.
07:04There's 35 coaches that are all trying to figure out where their life is going to be.
07:08They got three kids under eight years old and the wife knows we have absolutely no
07:13idea.
07:13We know we're not going to be here because some new coach is getting hired and he's bringing
07:17in his old team.
07:17Right.
07:18Yeah.
07:18Well, I don't think they talk enough about how rough that NFL life is.
07:21I've talked to a few of those guys and you're like, literally they're dragging their, they're
07:24moving their families to cities and schools.
07:27And you know, it's amazing what those guys go through.
07:30The relocation mommies that are dealing.
07:33Kirby's a huge Braves fan though, right?
07:35I know.
07:35Yeah.
07:35Well, he's a huge U fan.
07:37Yeah.
07:37Well, I've, I've, you know, kept, I've loved meeting those coaches.
07:40Those college coaches are, have so much energy and, um, I got, I talked to Brent Key when
07:49I went to the Georgia Tech, he was there last night.
07:51Yeah.
07:51I saw him.
07:52He's awesome.
07:53I love that guy and I respect him.
07:54And I'm like, cause I love it.
07:56The fact that he's a former player, he's doing well, he's a football guy, he's high energy.
08:01I could tell that just first time I met him and all those guys.
08:04So you get a kick out of that.
08:06I do.
08:06I get it.
08:07I mean, it's, are there three or four people that you've met thinking in the last, you
08:11know, 30, 40 years, I don't know if they're hall of fame players, you had relationships
08:16or opportunities to meet coaches or their moments like, why is this guy hanging out
08:19with me?
08:19Yeah.
08:20I met, I remember the first time I met Bill Cower, you know, I was in spring training
08:23and he was touring the site and kind of became friends and, you know, and I'd have
08:27him, I'd text him every now and then, but I'm thinking this guy's an NFL hall.
08:31I was talking with Mike Tomlin the other night at the game.
08:33Oh, okay.
08:34What a cool guy he is.
08:35Oh my God.
08:36And I read it, I told him, I said, I saved it.
08:38I had an athletic article about a guy that said, I think I played for Mike Tomlin and
08:42it was a really, I told him, I said, it's a really cool article, you know, and just
08:46meeting him and his energy still, he's just still a young man and, but just, you know,
08:51he's a, he's a coach's coach.
08:53Oh yeah.
08:53A guy that I said, I'm not a football player, but I'd love to play for him.
08:56I could tell that.
08:58I love the videos of him with his daughter.
09:00Yeah.
09:01He's just a, he's just a gymnastics dad.
09:03You see him, he's leading the chair.
09:05I think he was doing the Georgia cheer and his daughter's on the gymnastics team.
09:08Yeah.
09:09And he's like, and you can relate to this.
09:11It's like, dude, I don't have, I don't have a training camp.
09:14I don't have a, you know, a little off season.
09:17I'm following her all over.
09:19Exactly.
09:19Where that's, and he was so happy to do it.
09:22And I got it on my calendar.
09:23Aaron gives it to me and I'm like, where are we going next weekend?
09:25You know, I said, we're going to Myrtle beach in June.
09:28I already got an Airbnb off the beach.
09:30Love it.
09:30You know, we're going to be there like five days.
09:32And she's like, I got to have something with a washer and dryer.
09:36Give us a quick two minutes on this, uh, the start for the Braves and Walt.
09:40No, I could, you know, Walt take me way longer than two minutes, what he means to me and the
09:45guy that he is, the man he is, the baseball guy, the, I, I'm was, you know, I was a
09:51little
09:51worried there for a while, you know, cause, um, I didn't have a say in who was going to
09:56follow up me up and Alex was pretty tight.
09:58You know, he's close to the best with everything.
10:00I mean, you don't know what's going on with him and, and, um, and he never really, he never
10:05called.
10:05I didn't call him.
10:06I didn't offer cause I figured if he wants to hear my two cents, he'll ask me.
10:09Um, and I'd say, well, you know, I call Walt's like, you heard anything?
10:15And, uh, but I, I was so happy.
10:17I mean, the right, he, they picked the right guy.
10:19Um, it doesn't matter.
10:20You know, they're doing great.
10:21It doesn't matter.
10:22He, he's was the right guy was ready for that.
10:25Right.
10:25Um, such a great friend.
10:26I said, he's going to do a great job and he's done a great job.
10:30He's even better person.
10:31What a wonderful man.
10:32Are you watching them most nights?
10:35No, not really.
10:35I'll be honest with you.
10:36I can't.
10:37Number one, I told him, I said the other day, I said, they played a game.
10:39Somewhere.
10:40And they got beat.
10:41And I said, damn, Walt, I turned that game on.
10:42And I'd looked up and it was over, you know, but I can't stay up a lot of times.
10:48But I, you know what?
10:49I, if I'm home, I put it on, but it's fine on my phone.
10:52I don't have to watch every inning of every game.
10:55Um, different phase of your life.
10:57Yeah, no, it is.
10:57And I follow, they're doing great.
11:00It's, uh, you know, somebody asked me the other day, I said, they're healthy.
11:03You know, the, um, and I know we lost some pictures.
11:05Everybody does.
11:06Because nobody's going to feel sorry for you.
11:08But, you know, Chris Sale is throwing like Cy Young award Chris Sale.
11:13He's amazing.
11:14Um, looks like Randy Johnson in his prime.
11:16Oh, look this.
11:17I mean, they literally look the same.
11:18You know, Grant Holmes.
11:19I mean, he, he bet on himself without doing the surgery and, you know, a knock on wood.
11:24Hopefully, you know, he's done great.
11:26Um, you know, just, uh, Bryce Elder, everybody, I think everybody forgets how good he was
11:31at the end of the year last year.
11:32And I always said about Bryce, he's dependable.
11:35You know what?
11:35He takes care of himself.
11:36He does everything right.
11:38He posts.
11:39And he's, you know what?
11:40He's a young, he's not old either.
11:42And then I think you forget.
11:43I, I look, a lot of our guys, Michael Harris is starting to figure things out.
11:47You know, and no, I remember Chippers was trying to figure things out to the day.
11:51You don't figure this game out ever.
11:53Does anybody, manager, coach, player, figure baseball out?
11:58Because it's impossible.
11:59The, uh, ceremony this weekend, getting in the, uh, Braves Hall of Fame.
12:04What, what, what's planned?
12:06What should fans know about, uh, what's going to be?
12:08I don't think you know a lot.
12:09I don't really a lot.
12:11Yeah.
12:11Is there a ceremony night before?
12:13Yeah.
12:13Well, I'm going to, I'm having, you know, I got a lot.
12:15I got, I got 150 out of town.
12:17I just, people coming in.
12:19I said, I got people coming in from Macon, Illinois.
12:21They're like, I said, we need to do paper tickets because if these guys have, have emails,
12:26it's probably their kids.
12:28And I said, if you called them, I said, we're all over 70.
12:31If you call them, they're going to answer the phone that's on the wall.
12:34And the other one is probably, if they have one, it's probably a flip phone.
12:38So, but I'm having a reception for them Friday night, Saturday night, the Braves, we're
12:43going to have one and, and I think it's going to be fun.
12:45I'm just looking forward.
12:46I'm really, I'm humbled by all the people that have called and they're going to make
12:50an effort to come in.
12:51It's really cool.
12:52Former coaches, players, um, teammates, uh, high school guys.
12:59Wow.
12:59Wow.
12:59It's pretty cool.
13:00It's going to be emotional weekend.
13:01No, it's going to be emotional.
13:02Yeah.
13:02It already has.
13:03We get older as men.
13:04It's easy.
13:04We can cry on the drop of a hat, right?
13:06Yeah.
13:07I mean, I, I'm, it don't take a whole lot for getting me going anymore.
13:11Um, all right.
13:12Well, you are a treasure to have Sandra.
13:14Thanks for putting it together.
13:16And you and Ronnie are just two of my favorites all time.
13:19You know that.
13:19Well, thank you.
13:20You guys are the same.
13:21We appreciate having you.
13:22Hopefully we'll be back.
13:23We already know he's got a broadcast career ahead of him, but he's going to co-host.
13:27You should come in and co-host more as much as you want.
13:29He's got to watch a little more games.
13:30Doesn't watch baseball.
13:31I know.
13:31He's got to move the azaleas.
13:33You better get home.
13:34Yeah.
13:35Well, and you know, these baseball practices I'm taking too.
13:37I don't get home till 1030 sometimes thinking kids are 10 years old.
13:41They go right to the end.
13:43Double sessions.
13:43And it's like, grandpa, I want to go to Moe's.
13:47That's Brian Snicker.
13:48Tomorrow we get ready for the NFL draft with Rusty and Sandra.
13:51Thank you, Bo.
13:52Thank you, Brian Snicker.
13:53And thanks for making the steakhouse part of your day.
13:56Bye.
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