Braves' Walt Weiss pays heartfelt tribute to Brian Snitker during introductory press conference

Hunter Cookston

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Braves' Walt Weiss pays heartfelt tribute to Brian Snitker during introductory press conference image

All season long, former Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker contemplated whether he would sign another contract. However, by the conclusion of the regular season, he still hadn’t decided. A few days later, he announced that it was time to hang it up — a move that had been widely expected.

“Because of that consistent recent success, Snit would normally be afforded a ‘mulligan’ year—even though going from the second-best preseason World Series odds to possibly the third-best odds of winning the draft lottery is a pretty serious mulligan,” Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller wrote. “At 69, though, he's already the oldest manager in the National League by a several-year margin and was likely to retire at the end of this season, which is the last one in his current contract.”

On Monday, bench coach Walt Weiss was officially hired as Snitker’s successor.

“The Atlanta Braves hired Walt Weiss as manager Monday, turning to their longtime bench coach in hopes of a turnaround after they missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Weiss, 61, managed the Colorado Rockies from 2013 to 2016, going 283-365 and never finishing higher than third place. He inherits a talented Braves team that finished 76-86 and was ravaged by injuries,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote.

During his introductory press conference, Weiss made sure to acknowledge Snitker, sharing a heartfelt sentiment for the former manager.

“I loved these last 8 years working for Snit. I would've happily done it for another 10 years if Snit went another 10 years,” Weiss said.

The good news for Weiss is that he has been involved with the organization for some time, giving him familiarity with the team and its culture. The challenge, however, is that he isn’t exactly a proven manager — his previous stint yielded a losing record.

Fortunately, the Braves bring a wealth of playoff experience, which will be a huge asset for Weiss. The new manager made it clear that Snitker’s impact on the organization would not go unnoticed.

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