Recently, Braves manager Brian Snitker told utility man Nicky Lopez, “You’re getting expensive.”
In the middle of August, Snitker bought Lopez a bottle of tequila. (Lopez is a big fan of tequila.) Recently, the manager gave Lopez a bottle of wine.
“Ever since I’ve been in the minor leagues, when a (position) guy pitches for me, I get him a gift,” Snitker said. “Because I think it’s a big deal. They don’t have to do that. They don’t have to say, ‘Yeah, I’ll go out there and do it for you.’”
A team will pitch a position player in a blowout to save its bullpen. By doing it twice, Lopez helped his team.
Lopez pitched in the first game of the August doubleheader against the Mets at Citi Field — a blowout victory for the Braves. In Miami last month, Lopez took the mound again during a blowout loss.
After that, Snitker went up to Lopez and said: “There’s no way you finished your bottle of tequila yet, so what else do you drink?”
Lopez told him he drank wine, so Snitker purchased a bottle of wine.
“He takes care of us, which is awesome,” Lopez said.
Added Snitker: “That’s just showing my appreciation for (him) being able to do it.”
The above item first appeared in the AJC Braves beat reporter Justin Toscano’s Braves Dispatch newsletter. It is available free on Fridays. To sign up for the newsletter, go to https://www.ajc.com/newsletters/subscribe-atlanta-braves/. Just enter your email address and you are done.
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