ATLANTA -- Walt Weiss didn’t learn he had gotten his dream job until Monday. But he spent the past month knowing he was the right man to become just the fourth Braves manager over the past 35 years.
“There was no doubt in my mind I was the best person for this job,” Weiss said. “I was the best fit for this job, and it has nothing to do with who may or may not have interviewed here. It has nothing to do with who the other candidates may or may not have been. It's just that I know this team like the back of my hand.”
Weiss made this confident statement shortly after being introduced as the Braves' new manager on Tuesday morning at Truist Park. Familiarity should be a benefit as he will now lead a group of players he has developed bonds with while spending the past eight seasons as former Atlanta manager Brian Snitker’s bench coach.
“I couldn't be more excited about his experience, his character and his work ethic,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said. “This is exactly what we want here. We expect great things going forward and we expect to get back to the playoffs.”
Weiss was Snitker’s top lieutenant as the Braves won six straight National League East titles (2018-23), made seven straight playoff appearances (2018-24) and won a World Series (2021). He was also Atlanta’s shortstop from 1998-2000, a three-season stretch that included three division titles and an NL pennant that came with the assistance of the great defensive play he made with the bases loaded in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 1999 NL Division Series against the Astros.
Weiss’ familiarity with winning dates back to 1988, when he claimed the American League Rookie of the Year Award after helping the A’s win the first of three straight AL pennants. Now he is looking forward to tasting more success while dealing with a front office and roster that is far more accomplished than the one he worked with when he produced a .437 winning percentage as the Rockies' manager from 2013-16.
“Look, we didn't have a great record over that four-year period,” Weiss said. “But I’m very proud of what me and my staff and the front office did, as far as changing that culture and setting them up to be better. So I'm proud of that.
“Here [with the Braves], it's obviously very different. I mean, think about yourselves. Where are you now compared to 12 or 13 years ago? Hopefully you're a little bit wiser. If not, you probably need to check yourself. So, yeah, I've experienced a lot, and at a high level. I know what this brand means, and how important it is, and how high the standards are here. That's what's exciting.”
Weiss’ confident and energizing spirit makes it harder to understand why the Braves needed a full month to find a replacement for Snitker, who transitioned from manager to special assistant on Oct. 1.
Anthopoulos wasn’t willing to say how many individuals he interviewed for the job, but he said he needed time to evaluate various coaches and managers from around the game. Even though it had long been assumed this past season would be Snitker’s last, Anthopoulos said he didn’t finish compiling a list of candidates before the second week of October.
Mark DeRosa and David Ross were speculated as candidates, but neither was directly contacted by the Braves. Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann’s candidacy wasn’t nearly as strong as it seemed over the past few weeks.
But like many Braves fans, Weiss spent the past few weeks wondering if he would get the job. Knowing a decision might be imminent, he said he spent Monday’s morning hours “looking at my phone every 35 or 40 seconds.”
“I knew Alex would eventually call me, but I didn’t know what the message was going to be,” Weiss said. “I thought it might be, 'Hey, you're free to look elsewhere, we're going a different direction.' ... I had no idea, because he works under the cover of darkness, man. Nobody knows what he's doing and usually when he comes back up for air, he’s got some surprises.”
Choosing Weiss as Snitker’s successor wouldn’t have been a surprise a year ago, or even during the early days of October. But as this past month progressed, there was reason to wonder if the Braves were going in a different direction.
Anthopoulos said a phone conversation he had with an unidentified individual on Saturday led him toward his decision to choose Weiss. But he still had to make a few more calls on Monday before making this significant decision.
“There is a lot of responsibility here with this brand and this franchise,” Weiss said. “But I embrace it.”