ATLANTA — As he approached his first regular-season game as Atlanta Braves manager, Walt Weiss couldn’t help but think of those who held the seat before him.
There weren’t many over the past 30 years, after all.
“It’s a little overwhelming,” Weiss said after the Braves’ 6-0 win over the Kansas City Royals in the opener for both teams Friday night. “I don’t take this responsibility lightly. Sitting in the seat that I’m in with this uniform on is really, really special, and there will never be a day that I’m in that seat that I take it for granted.”
Weiss, a former Atlanta shortstop and the team’s bench coach the past eight years, was promoted in November as the successor to Brian Snitker, the well-liked manager who led the Braves to the 2021 World Series title. Fredi Gonzalez held the position from 2010-16, and Bobby Cox was manager for the 20 years before, a stretch that included the 1995 World Series championship.
Weiss is familiar with all of the above.