Walt Weiss Determined to Uphold Atlanta Braves Winning Standard

Walt Weiss has been given another chance to manage in Major League Baseball. His time out in Colorado with the Rockies didn't have the desired results, but he comes into this opportunity with years of experience coaching with the Atlanta Braves, which he lacked the previous time around.

While he was a special instructor with the Rockies from 2002 to 2008, he took the managerial role after some time away from the game.

"I was coaching high school football," Weiss said. "So, I got pulled back into it. I got asked to do an interview, and I said, What the heck? I've never done this. I'll go through this process. It'll be a good experience for me. I end up getting the job."

At the time, the Rockies were coming off what was then their worst record in franchise history (not a distant fourth). Weiss led them to a 10-win improvement in year one, winning 74 games. However, the Rockies would still lose more than 90 games twice. He got them to 75 wins again in 2016, but that was ultimately his final year with the team.

Overall, he finished with a 283-365 record. The Rockies finished in last place twice, but they were up to third place in his final year at the helm.

Regardless of how his time turned out in Colorado, it provided a necessary stepping stone to where he is today. Weiss took pride in what he was able to achieve and the culture he helped build.

"It gave me this opportunity," he said. "If I didn't do that job, I wouldn't be sitting here today and had great relationships there, and it really challenged me, and I'm very proud."

That experience helped him land the bench coach position with the Braves in 2018. He got to grow as a coach under manager Brian Snitker and got to be part of a winning culture. While he tried to bring his managerial experience to the table to help Snitker, he was the one who received guidance in the end.

"Usually, it was him giving me therapy," he said. "So, his patience and his feel for the room and for situations, his timing, impeccable."

Weiss indicated that he's ready to take on the higher expectations of being the Braves manager. He's had the time to learn more over the last decade since he's been a manager, and looks to put it to the test.

"Here, it's obviously very different. I mean, think about yourselves. Where are you compared to 12 or 13 years ago? Hopefully, you're a little bit wiser. If not, you probably need to check yourself. I've experienced a lot at a high level. I know what this means and how important it is and how high the standards are here. That's what's exciting."

The outcomes are going to be what Weiss described as the "bottom line" in this game. That wasn't lost on him. During the press conference, he expressed his desire to embrace what could be in store in the future as the game evolves, notably in the area of analytics.

“You’d be a fool not to evolve with the game," he said.

He also felt he had a good starting point, already knowing the players. He said it can take the better part of a year to learn the roster. That's a non-issue. He's been around these players since 2018. Rosters change every year, but key players have been around for years now. There genuinely could be some results that we see in year one that might not have come about until year two or three under an external hire.

While there is continuity, he'll get his chance to show that he can bring his own flavor to the manager position. How different it can be is something we'll know in time. A more experienced and wiser Walt Weiss could bring different results than what we've seen from him before.

More From Atlanta Braves on SI