The Atlanta Braves hire of Walt Weiss to replace Brian Snitker as the next manager of the ballclub can best be described using just one word, and that word is – boring! He was the easy choice amongst the available managerial candidates as an in-house replacement for Brian Snitker; however, the easy choice isn’t always the right choice.
In this instance, the team clearly would’ve benefitted from a new voice in leadership as Snitker’s messaging to the team had soured after a disappointing last two seasons. What’s done is done though, and so at this point we’re left to ask several deep-rooted questions as we seek to understand the reason behind the underwhelming decision.
Who is Walt Weiss, and what does maintaining the status quo mean for the Braves? Why did the Braves decide against rocking the boat in favor of taking the safe pick? The answers to these questions & more awaits as the premise of this article unfolds.
Who is Walt Weiss?
Weiss has been with the organization since 2018 when he became the bench coach on Brian Snitker’s staff, replacing longtime bench coach Terry Pendleton in the role. In baseball, the position of bench coach is a well-respected one as it basically means second-in-command behind the manager, the manager’s right hand man if you will.
The 61-year-old receives his second opportunity as the manager of an MLB ballclub after leading the Colorado Rockies to a 283-365 record as skipper from 2013 to 2016. Before becoming a manager, he had a solid career as an MLB player, spending parts of 14 seasons playing for four different organizations (A’s, Marlins, Rockies, Braves).
All in all, Weiss has 32 years of experience in the game of baseball as either a player, front office advisor, or coach, and he has spent a large portion of his baseball career as a member of the Atlanta Braves organization in serving as both coach and player. Twelve-plus years in an Atlanta Braves uniform is surely nothing to shake a stick at.
What is the status quo?
You may have heard of The Braves Way, characterized by player development and an emphasis on starting pitching, but it’s more than just an old slogan for the franchise. This philosophy extends not only to the manner in which business is conducted, i.e. hiring & promoting from within the agency, but to organizational standards as well.
For example, during the press conference to introduce Walt Weiss as their manager, Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations/general manager Alex Anthopoulos commented that, “we [the Braves] expect to be in the playoffs year in and year out.” This is the standard that the franchise has set, one which is a problem for the fans.
On a surface level, yes, every Major League Baseball franchise should expect to be in the playoffs year in and year out; however, should that be their only expectation? Have we all forgotten about the common goal shared by each and every team in the game of baseball – to be in contention for, and to ultimately win, the World Series?
Why is the standard so low?
You see, making the playoffs these days isn’t as impressive of a feat as it was twenty, thirty years ago when there was no Divisional Round, much less a Wild Card round. Hell, the Braves were in the playoffs in 2024 despite dealing with a myriad of injuries and underperformance which led to them never having a chance against the Padres.
But making the playoffs has become the status quo for the Braves, a standard which is not expected to change under the leadership of new ballclub manager Walt Weiss. Time will tell whether or not the Braves made the right decision, but at said time it might be worth revisiting whether or not they could have gone from good to great.
The Sports Beacon 
OUCH!! Sad but true Buddy.
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