Snitker admits being concerned about his own health in this pandemic

Braves manager Brian Snitker admitted personal concern for his safety as we get closer to the baseball season

Brian Snitker is 64 years old. He's in good shape, healthy. But he is smart enough that people his age must be careful, very careful about the COVID-19 virus. 

Today, Snitker was asked if he was concerned about being his age and having to deal with the travel and being around more people, particularly since four of his players have tested positive for the virus, and since two of his older veterans have decided not to play this season.

His thoughts are genuine, and along with Nick Markakis obviously being concerned after hearing the severity of Freddie Freeman's illness first-hand, should hit home to those possibly still skeptical of the seriousness of this virus.

"It is real," Snitker said Saturday when announcing the Freeman positive virus.

And anyone who knows this obviously wants to avoid it. 

Freeman is a healthy, 30-year old professional athlete who, according to his wife Chelsea, "never gets sick." And yet, it hit him "like a ton of bricks," she said.

If someone that young and healthy can get it, especially after staying in as much as Chelsea Freeman said Freddie and his family had, it should let everyone know how dangerous this virus is and how vulnerable people are right now. 

Let's hope the Braves players and coaches stay careful in the next few weeks as they prepare for the 60-game regular season.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.