MIAMI — On Friday, the Braves were reunited with one of their own.
Pitching coach Rick Kranitz is back with the team. He had been away from the club since early July because of a family matter.
“That was good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of getting Kranitz back. “I know the guys were just really excited and happy to see Kranny. He adds so much, too. That’s another big piece that’s hard to fill when you lose a guy like that that is so close and means so much to that group of pitchers. And Erick (Abreu) stepped in and did an unbelievable job. He did a fantastic job in Kranny’s absence.”
With Kranitz gone, bullpen coach Erick Abreu, in his first season with the Braves, assumed the duties of pitching coach. Kranitz, though, was a sizable loss for the Braves when he was away.
Kranitz, 66, is in his sixth season with the Braves and 24th on a major-league coaching staff. He has relationships with all of the pitchers and has in-depth knowledge about them.
While away, Kranitz connected with the Braves all the time. The team included him in many daily game-planning meetings. He watched all the games.
He still had a voice.
“It’s hard to replace that experience and the guy that he is,” Snitker said. “Because he touches base every day, he connects with all those guys every day. It’s just good to have him back.”
Kranitz also is a prominent presence in the Braves’ dugout. Snitker relies on his insight when managing games.
“He and I have been tied to the hip for how many years now,” Snitker said. “It’s big. That’s a big void inside this dugout here with his feel and experience and everything. I bounce a lot of stuff off him over the course of a game. I’m excited to have him back.”
In Anaheim in August, Angels manager Ron Washington – the Braves’ former third base coach – was asked about the Braves’ struggles during an interview. One point he brought up: The Braves were missing Kranitz.
This was important, Washington said.
“Well, Kranny has a relationship with every one of his pitchers,” Washington said then. “He also helps (bench coach) Walt (Weiss) and Snit in strategy – giving them a vision ahead. He’s always in Snit’s ear about things. And now they got a new pitching coach that’s taken over. I don’t know if that kid is doing that, but that’s the part that Kranny played. He always let him know when he felt like a pitcher was losing it. He always let him know who he thought we needed to bring it right here. And it wasn’t just Kranny telling Snit that. They had a discussion and made a decision. But he was there.
“He was somebody that Snit had tremendous trust in. He was somebody that Snit could sit there and watch the ballgame and not miss anything because Walt and Kranny, they’re seeing stuff that maybe he’s not seeing, and then they bring it to his attention. So that’s what they’re missing.”
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