Chipper remembers time with Braves skipper

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it repeatedly in your inbox.

Braves supervisor Brian Snitker has a real appreciation for the whole thing of Chipper Jones’ legendary profession. Snitker was Jones’ first full-season hitting coach within the skilled ranks, and he was Atlanta’s third-base coach in 2012 when the third baseman concluded his Hall of Fame profession.

Jones was taken with the primary general choice within the 1990 MLB Draft after which assigned to Single-A Macon firstly of the ’91 season. His hitting coach was a 35-year-old Snitker.

“You go back and look at those numbers,” Snitker stated. “It was just stupid what he did that first full year. It was crazy.”

Jones hit .326 with 15 homers, 40 stolen bases and a .925 OPS throughout his first full season. One 12 months faraway from highschool, he was already trying far totally different than the strange prospect. The solely knock towards the 19-year-old shortstop was the 56 errors he dedicated in 135 video games.

“He could flat-out hit, and he was a great athlete,” Snitker stated. “He made a bunch of errors. But when you thought back, none of them beat you. He was just a ballplayer. It was great to see.”

What does Jones keep in mind about working with Snitker that 12 months?

“Him working my [butt] off,” Jones stated. “We have been nonetheless in Low-A ball. We have been nonetheless form of bootcamping it earlier than video games. It was floor ball after floor ball after floor ball. [Glenn Hubbard] watching each single transfer I made there at shortstop. Not a lot has modified. It’s the identical temperament [Snitker] has all the time had.”

But John Smoltz has stated Snitker was essentially the most intimidating coach he encountered developing by the Minors.

“I never got that vibe from him,” Jones stated. “That’s a pitcher vs. a guy who is out there with [Snitker] every single day. Snit has never changed in the 30 years I have known him. I think it’s that consistency every single day and making sure players know he’s going to be patient when they go through rough stretches. Players appreciate that. Now that he has the big league job, it’s kind of like Bobby [Cox]. You never heard a player say anything negative about Bobby.”