Chipper remembers time with Braves skipper

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Braves manager Brian Snitker has a genuine appreciation for the entirety of Chipper Jones’ legendary career. Snitker was Jones’ first full-season hitting coach in the professional ranks, and he was Atlanta’s third-base coach in 2012 when the third baseman concluded his Hall of Fame career.

Jones was taken with the first overall selection in the 1990 MLB Draft and then assigned to Single-A Macon at the start of the '91 season. His hitting coach was a 35-year-old Snitker.

“You go back and look at those numbers,” Snitker said. “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 during his first full season. One year removed from high school, he was already looking far different than the ordinary prospect. The only knock against the 19-year-old shortstop was the 56 errors he committed in 135 games.

“He could flat-out hit, and he was a great athlete,” Snitker said. “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 remember about working with Snitker that year?

“Him working my [butt] off,” Jones said. “We were still in Low-A ball. We were still kind of bootcamping it before games. It was ground ball after ground ball after ground ball. [Glenn Hubbard] watching every single move I made there at shortstop. Not much has changed. It’s the same temperament [Snitker] has always had."

But John Smoltz has said Snitker was the most intimidating coach he encountered coming up through the Minors.

“I never got that vibe from him,” Jones said. “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.”