Brian Snitker spent nearly 40 years with the Atlanta Braves. During that time, he became familiar with what it takes to deal with a Philadelphia Phillies crowd.
Snitker recently spoke about how some Phillies fans treated his family and friends during last season’s National League District Series. Snitker said he found some of the fan behavior concerning.
“It’s tough out there,” Snitker said in an interview with Atlanta radio station WZGC last week. “And to be honest, they don’t seem to care either. Last year was tough enough for them to worry about it.”
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Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves watches a Grapefruit League spring training game against the New York Yankees at Cool Today Park on March 21, 2024 in Northport, Florida. (Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
The Braves won the 2021 World Series and won the National League East for the sixth consecutive year. However, the Phillies recently acquired the Braves’ number in the postseason. Philadelphia has qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team in recent years, defeating Atlanta in back-to-back games in the NLDS.
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This season marks the 20th anniversary of the Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park. It became known as one of the loudest and most hostile environments for opposing teams.
Snitker said Philadelphia was “the most hostile crowd ever” and that his wife would refuse to return to the Phillies ballpark.
When asked why his family felt unsafe at the stadium, Snitker said, “I’m not going to go into that. Let’s talk about today.”
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker (43) greets Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on March 29, 2024. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
“My wife is babysitting and the grandkids are in school,” Snitker said from the Atlanta dugout. “Honestly, they wouldn’t be anywhere else but home.
“This is a passionate fan base, there’s a lot of energy in the air, and that’s to be expected,” Snitker said. “This is a really good club. The fans are passionate about what they do. Honestly, it’s a fun place to play. There’s so much energy.”
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker exchanges words with an official during a game against the Kansas City Royals on April 14 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (William Parnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Snitker was all smiles as he trotted to the third base line during lineup introductions ahead of Atlanta’s 9-3 season-opening win over the Phillies, defying about 45,000 booing fans. .
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“They don’t boo anybody,” Braves star pitcher Spencer Strider said. “That’s what I’ve been told. I love playing here. It’s a fun place to play. We have passionate fans and a good team on the other side of the field. That usually makes for a good game.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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