Brian Snitker has emerged as the front-runner to become the Atlanta Braves' next manager, a league source confirmed to ESPN on Monday.
Snitker, 60, guided the Braves to a 59-65 record as the team's interim manager this season. He took over for Fredi Gonzalez, who was fired in May after the Braves got off to a 9-28 start.
Snitker broke in with the Atlanta organization as a 21-year-old Rookie League catcher in 1977. He managed 2,571 games in the minor leagues and spent more than 10 years as a major-league coach before finally getting his opportunity to run Atlanta's big-league club.