PHILADELPHIA – Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker's family stayed out of Philadelphia on opening day.
Snitker called out Phillies fans in spring training for what he said was objectionable behavior from them in the playoffs toward his wife and other Atlanta friends and family members.
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“It’s rough there,” Snitker said in an interview with Atlanta radio station WZGC broadcast March 21. “And they don’t seem to mind, either, quite honestly. It was rough on them all last year to the point where it was concerning.”
The Phillies eliminated the Braves in Philadelphia each of the last two seasons in the NL Division Series. The Braves have won six straight NL East titles and the 2021 World Series.
Snitker had also said Philly had “by far the most hostile crowd” and his wife would refuse to return to Citizens Bank Park.
Asked what made his family feel unsafe at the ballpark, Snitker said Friday, “I'm not going to get into all that. Let's talk about today.”
“My wife's babysitting and the grandkids are in school,” Snitker said in Atlanta's dugout. “They wouldn't be anywhere, honestly, other than home.”
Snitker otherwise praised the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park which — aside from celebrating its 20-year anniversary this season — has earned a reputation as one of the rowdiest places to play in baseball.
“This is a passionate fan base and there's a lot of energy in the air, and rightly so," Snitker said. “This is a really good club. These fans are passionate about what they do. It's a fun place to come play, quite honestly, because there is a lot of energy.”
Snitker brushed off nearly 45,000 booing fans and broke out a wide smile and laughed as he jogged to the third base line during lineup introductions ahead of Atlanta's 9-3 win over the Phillies on opening day.
“They don’t boo nobodies," Braves starter Spencer Strider said. "That’s what I’ve been told. I like playing here. It’s a fun place to play. There’s passionate fans, and a good team on the other side of the field. Usually it leads to a good game.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb