Brian Gerald Snitker (born October 17, 1955) is an American professional baseball coach and former player who is the manager of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Snitker has been in the Braves organization in different roles since playing in their minor league organization from 1977 to 1980. He became their manager in 2016. In 2021, Snitker led the Braves to a World Series championship. Early life Snitker was born in Decatur, Illinois to Richard F. Snitker and Catherine (Collins) Snitker. He grew up in Macon, Illinois, where he attended Macon High School, and played as a right fielder for the 1971 baseball team. The team's surprising run to the state championship tournament was documented in Chris Ballard's 2012 book One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season. As a youth, Snitker also played American Legion Baseball, an experience that he said in a 2018 interview, "Gave me the platform to be seen because there are always scouts at American Legion games. It had a big part on my development as a player and helping me get a jump on a professional career." Playing career Snitker played two seasons of junior college ball for Lincoln College in 1975. He served as catcher for the Lynx baseball team where he was second team All-State. He finished his college career with two seasons at the University of New Orleans. Following his injury-shortened junior season at the University of New Orleans, Snitker was drafted in the 25th round of the MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs. He opted to return to UNO for his senior season, and then signed a free-agent contract with the Braves organization in 1977. Snitker bounced around the minors, playing mostly catcher and some first base in the minor leagues, registering a slash line of .254/.316/.390 with 23 home runs in 780 at bats. Coaching career The Braves released Snitker in 1980, but he remained with the Braves as a roving instructor and was hired as a minor league manager for the Anderson Braves in 1982, where he led the team to its only winning season of its five-year stint in Anderson, before moving to the Durham Bulls the following season. He also managed the Macon Braves, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Greenville Braves, Mississippi Braves and Richmond Braves, all in the Braves farm system. He was also the Atlanta Braves' bullpen