Interim skipper Snitker a longtime Brave

PITTSBURGH — When Brian Snitker received a call from Braves general manager John Coppolella early Monday morning, he simply assumed he would be told to inform one of his Triple-A Gwinnett players that he had been promoted to the big league level. But to his astonishment, he quickly learned he was the one receiving a quite unexpected promotion.

Upon deciding to relieve Fredi Gonzalez of his managerial duties, the Braves determined that they would be best served utilizing Snitker as interim manager over the remainder of this season. The 60-year-old suburban Atlanta resident has served as player, coach and Minor League manager in the organization dating back to 1977.

But at this stage of his career, he certainly did not anticipate gaining the opportunity to fulfill the dream of serving as a big league manager, even on an interim basis.

“It’s bittersweet because Fredi’s a good friend of mine,” Snitker said. “We went through a lot together here and he’s a good man. But it’s part of what we do here. It’s part of the business. Unfortunately, when things go like they …

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