Braves legends remembered fondly at WS

ATLANTA -- As Ralph Garr chatted with Dusty Baker and Brian Snitker before Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, there was again reason to recognize the absence of Hank Aaron, who made a significant impact while serving as a great friend to each of the three aforementioned men.

“Well, I think about him all the time, especially in a series like this,” Baker said. “I feel his presence.”

When the Braves play their first World Series home game since 1999 on Friday night, Aaron’s memory will be visible via the large No. 44 painted in the center-field grass at Truist Park. His legacy also lives on through countless individuals, including Baker and Snitker, a pair of managers whose baseball careers were significantly impacted by the legendary Hall of Famer.

“He was very instrumental in both of our careers,” Snitker said. “I know both of us just loved the man to death and what he did for us.”

More than nine months after he died, Aaron’s fingerprints can be found throughout this World Series. Baker, his former teammate, is managing the Astros. Snitker, his former employee, is the Braves’ skipper.

Long before he ended a successful playing career with an impressive managerial career, Baker was a wide-eyed, 19-year-old rookie who debuted for the 1968 Braves. His roommate was Garr, and their mentor was Aaron, who made sure the two young players went to church and stayed out of trouble.

What would a conversation between Aaron and Baker have been like this week?

“The first thing he’d do is say, ‘Calling Mr. Dusty Baker,' and then he’d start laughing,” Baker said. “I don’t know what the conversation would be. We probably wouldn’t talk much baseball. The first thing he would have asked about is my mother. He promised my mom (he’d take care of me) when I was 18 years old.”

Snitker was a little older when he was introduced to Aaron. In 1980, Snitker was a 24-year-old backup catcher in the Minors, when Aaron -- then serving as Atlanta's farm director -- decided it was time for Snitker to transition from playing to coaching. More than 40 years and countless stops in Minor League cities later, a diligent Snitker finds himself in the World Series and forever thankful for the opportunity and friendship Aaron provided.

But it’s not just Aaron whom the Braves are missing this year. Within a four-week span this past winter, the club lost three Hall of Famers -- Aaron, Phil Niekro and Don Sutton, who had a long tenure as a Braves broadcaster after his playing career. There is also a void without Bill Bartholomay, the longtime executive and former team owner who passed away in March 2020.

• The life and legacy of Henry Aaron

“I've said many times there's a lot of bragging going on in heaven right now with all those guys,” Snitker said.

As another Braves great, Dale Murphy, prepared to travel to Atlanta on Thursday to watch the games this weekend, he thought about the many great years he spent playing with Niekro, who like Aaron routinely called and texted Snitker as Atlanta advanced to Game 7 of the 2020 National League Championship Series. A little more than three months after that series concluded, both had passed away.

When the Braves began this postseason against the Brewers, there was a natural connection to Aaron, who spent his entire career playing for either Milwaukee or Atlanta. Niekro was also a member of both the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves.

As for Sutton, before he became a highly-respected broadcaster, he played three seasons for the Brewers.

After getting by the Brewers in the NL Division Series, the Braves played the Dodgers. Aaron hit his historic 715th homer against Los Angeles, and Sutton spent the majority of his great career with the Dodgers.

Now, the World Series provides more similar parallels. Sutton played for the Dodgers, Brewers and Astros. Niekro’s brother, Joe, spent the finest years of his career playing for Houston. And, of course, Aaron would have had a blast seeing his beloved Braves battling his good friend and the Astros this week.

Aaron, Niekro and Sutton would have loved this postseason.

“In the back of your mind, you're thinking these guys got a pretty good seat and they’re checking things out and, hopefully, putting in a good word for us,” Murphy said.