TONY VITELLO ERA BEGINS: Giants SWING for the Fences | Next Steps BUILDING Coaching Staff

TONY VITELLO ERA BEGINS: Giants SWING for the Fences | Next Steps BUILDING Coaching Staff

the aftermath of the Tony Vitello hire, how they’re going to build his coaching staff, and what to expect in his first season. That’s all coming up on Locked on Giants. You are Locked on Giants, your daily San Francisco Giants podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello and welcome to Locked On Giants, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, where it’s your team every single day. My name is Alan Sas. On the show, we provide daily episodes Monday through Friday talking about the San Francisco Giants in a way that combines passion, analytics with the eye test, and a little bit of fun. I’m from the Bay Area, but I live in Sacramento now, and I host a show at Sacktown Sports 1140, as well as MCing the Sacramento Rivercats games. All in all, I’m lucky enough to cover a team I’ve been a fan of all my life. Let’s talk about the aftermath of the hire and the haters that are out there building Tony Vitello’s staff and what to expect next season. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the app today. There was there was a lot to break down as the news came out yesterday. Tony Vitello, the next head coach, the 40th manager of the San Francisco Giants. And a lot of people had a lot of things to say. A lot of people had a lot of uh opinions on it and that is welcomed whether I agree with them or not in the comments as well as those on the outside, just baseball people in general. And this is a polarizing thing to do. Buster Posey knew exactly what was going to happen, the decision that he made, and he decided to do it anyway. And I gotta say, kudos to him, like I said a bunch yesterday, that Buster Posey made a bold choice. We don’t know if it’s going to work or not, but Buster Chosy made a a heck of a choice and a direction that we that we haven’t seen before. And now, uh, the conversation is how this is going to work. We’ll discuss the the staff and the expectations a little bit later in the show, but just everything that came out and you know there are people in the comments and and thank you. We have Tennessee fans now that have converted over. Lockdown Giants is growing and we appreciate all of you. Be sure to keep liking and subscribing all that jazz. And if you’re a podcast listener, we love you. We love you. Uh there are a lot of people that have a lot of thoughts on this and there was one person in particular that he always has something to say and I don’t actually know his his real name. His real name is not even on the his ex account, but this guy Fry Daddy, he just always says # sheaggone at the very end, but Fry Daddy says the SF Giants and Buster Posey just gave the finger to Major League Baseball and that industry and all the managers and coaches in professional baseball who have been working towards getting an opportunity to manage in Major League Baseball. He actually says the MLB and we all know it is not the MLB. nothing personal against Tony Vitalello, but he hasn’t earned the right to manage in the show. And then he goes on to complain about the NCAA and things like that. In sports, just like in sales, it’s based on performance. So when you have a performance and your performance or your perceived performance is greater than someone else’s and it’s all objective, subjective, however you want to say it, that is the direction that it goes in. So, it doesn’t happen the same way as you’re working, you know, oh, I got passed for that manager job. I should have got it. I’ve been here longer than the other person. That’s not how it works in sports. It’s never worked like that. So, you can save me your tears unless you are shedding those said tears every time a first-time manager is hired. Every time somebody that doesn’t have that exact experience is hired. Kurt Suzuki didn’t have managerial experience. Anybody crying about the Angels? Okay. They almost hired Nick Hunley. Nick Hunley no managing no managing experience. We’re gonna cry about the that if that were the case. This makes people uncomfortable. And sometimes when you’re uncomfortable, you lash out in different ways. I’ll tell a story myself. So, as a lot of you know, I played baseball many many moons ago at Temple University. So, I was a center fielder. I I wasn’t the center fielder for long, right? I’m I’m I’m a corner guy. Always been. I got good speed, but more of a corner guy. But I’m a two I was a two-h hitter back when two hitters were, you know, get a bun down, a little bit of pop contact, guys. Not now when the big dumper is a two-h hitter. But, you know, we were at a tournament at Virginia Tech early on in the season and my coach says to me, Allan, you know, we were we’re warming up, right? Maybe you should have told me more ahead of time, but I’m already in center field shagging during during BP. You know, coach says to me, “Allan, why don’t you go left? We want to try something. We want to see something.” Okay, put a a freshman in center field. Right? I was a starting left fielder for the rest of the season and the rest of my career. And it turned out that that freshman ended up playing for a very long time, made it all the way to double A, and is still playing to this day high level in Mexico. So my coach in that moment knew he had a decision to make. He knew Allen might be mad. Allen’s a senior, probably wants to play center more than left, but I got to make the decision that’s best for the team. I have to do this based on who I think is going to set us up for success in the best way. And some of you, I will say, some of the comments that I’ve seen are uh maybe uh maybe you’re catching on late and joining us late. Just to be clear, I saw some comments saying that the Giants didn’t interview anyone else. That’s not true at all. The Giants ma they they interviewed Nick Hunley. I believe they interviewed Brandon Hyde or at least they spoke to Brandon Hyde. They interviewed Curt Suzuki who ended up getting hired. So, I don’t know where this narrative started that the Giants didn’t interview anybody else because they were so zeroed in on Tony Bello. To be completely honest with you, Tony Bello was their second pick. They really wanted Nick Hunley. He was the front runner. Hundley because of a family obligations decided not to do it. So I don’t know where that started but the Giants definitely interviewed people and decided that Tony Vitello was the the best pick. And with that being said the whole thing had been vetted. Buster had been talking to Tony Vitello for months and he knew all right well I don’t know because going back to Nick Hunley Nick Hunley told Buster and the Giants no before they hired Bob Melvin. Bob Melvin wasn’t their first pick. So Buster knew, hey, there’s a chance that Nick says no again. And if he does says no, we’re going to go in this direction. So you can spare me this high and mighty talk about you got to earn your opportunity. What does that mean? What is the opportunity that you’re earning? Why aren’t you complaining about AAA managers getting a position? Why aren’t you complaining when a firsttime manager because he played for a team? What about Aaron Boone? What’s going on there? So choosing what you’re upset about, it’s tired. It’s honestly kind of corny. We’ll see if it works. Maybe it doesn’t. But this random idea that something has to be earned when you can’t tell me what that looks like cuz then here we have this. Then we have assistant managers. If we want to take it all the way there, then it becomes an assistant coaches. Then it becomes, well, you hired somebody who was only assistant coach for two years and there was somebody else there that was an assistant coach for four years. that person should have been hired. That’s not how it works in this industry. And a lot of people know that, but a lot of people are just uncomfortable with this decision. And good on Buster for making people uncomfortable. Maybe it won’t work. Maybe he gets Buster fired, but he’s taking a swing. So, I I had to get it off my chest the the aftermath that we’re seeing. A lot of people are happy about it. A lot of people, obviously, a lot of Giants fans, but there are some others that don’t think it was the best look for the league, which is insane to me. Now, I’ll say this. If I’m a if I’m somebody out there that is, you know, trying to become a manager, then obviously this might start a whole new pool. I get that. But, you know, it’s just a little bit different. It’s just a little bit different. It’s not normal life. This isn’t You’re not an accountant. You’re not working at a law firm. We all know that. We all know that. On the other side, let’s discuss how the Giants are going to build Tony Vital’s staff. Don’t move. More locked on Giants coming up. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I love how FanDuel gives me so many ways to play. I’ve built parlays, tried player props, and even followed the live lines during games. It makes watching football even more exciting when you got a little something riding on the action. Whether you’re a casual fan or love diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. So, what are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Let’s be real, making excuses doesn’t solve anything. We’ve all heard them before. It’s just stress. I’m tired or it happens to everyone sometimes. But when it comes to performance, sometimes your body just needs a little extra support. That’s where Rouette comes in. Reiet offers fast acting doctor prescribed treatments for ED designed to help you stop making excuses and start making moves. Reiet makes it so easy to get started. You just connect with the board-certified doctor 100% online. No awkward waiting rooms, no in-person appointments. If prescribed, your treatment ships discreetly straight to your door. The process is fast, simple, and private. And it’s all handled by real doctors. It’s about confidence, connection, and getting back to moments that matter. Visit rugg.com/locktonmlb to get 15% off your first order. That’s rugg.com/lockton MLB. And don’t forget to use our code locked on MLB so they know we sent you. Ruiet. Stop making excuses and start making moves. So this staff is obviously going to be very very important for Tony Vital and the Giants. There are a couple uh notes here about where they want to go and I think the bench coach is incredibly important. I also think the pitching coach is incredibly important and those are the things that are going to build the foundation for Tony Vitello and the staff and the culture that he wants to just emanate throughout the rest of the SF Giants system. seasoned pitching coach is so crucial because of what the Giants are trying to identify and the Giants are trying to make sure that they’re able to do on the mound. And then there’s a communication, right? Bello controlled so much. It’s such a smaller operation in college in in major leagues. He’s going to have to collaborate with so many different people, the analysts, the scouts, front office, a whole laundry list of people. So this is a report from NBC Sports Bay Area. They suggest Posy’s already been in touch with several potential assistants who share the same competitive DNA. This staff will tell us a lot about how the Giants want to operate, whether they’re leaning towards young and developmental or experience and stabilizing. Either way, every higher round Vitello will be made with intent. I I don’t see them they’re going to bring somebody else on that does give Vitello vibes and maybe doesn’t have a lot of experience. I don’t think it’s going to be Vital and a bunch of people that have had 10 years in the league. Don’t get me wrong, because they’re still looking to match on that culture, but I also can’t see them bringing in a bunch of young dudes that might have the same mind as Vitello, but nobody has any experience at the major league level. So, I don’t think it’s going to be all elder statesmen that have, you know, been around the game, grizzled vets as far as coaching is concerned. they they will have some of them, but I do think it will be a healthy balance. And I think that’s something that Buster uh wants to make sure uh is illustrated and something that’s highlighted, I should say, as he as he moves into this uh next phase of honestly his career and the next phase of the of the Giants. This is what Buster Posey said. uh he called Vital at 47 one of the brightest, most innovative uh and most respected coaches in college baseball. He also noted that his commitment to developing players stood out. That will be crucial for the Giants moving forward along with the other vital traces from Pavlovich from that article. Quote, “His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization.” That’s what Posie wrote. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring along with the memories to be made as we focus on the future of Giants baseball. And this is not just a a a quick hitting hire for the Giants. They want Tony Vital. He’s only 47. They want him to be here for a long time. They want him to be here till he is old and gray. That’s the hope for the Giants because that has not been the situation lately when it comes to their recent hires. That’s the hope and their staff that they hire is going to be a huge part of this. I think there will be some innovation for sure, but you’re going to go a little bit more conservative as far as where you’re trying to make up for the fact that he doesn’t have experience. Nobody is denying that. it it’s kind of the extremes that it’s been taken to as far as you know what this says to the league and things like that. But nobody is denying that he doesn’t have experience, right? You can’t you can’t fake that. If you ain’t six feet, you ain’t six feet. You know what I mean? You could wear lifts if you want, but you go home and take shoes off, right? You go home and take those big boots off. You are what you are. That doesn’t mean that, you know, you can’t make up for it in other ways, right? And if you’re Tony Vital, you don’t have that experience. doesn’t mean you can’t make up for that experience in other ways. And one of those ways is to make sure that you have a very established staff. You got to remember Tony Vital, he’s coaching in the SEC. The SEC is the closest thing to rookie ball as you’re going to find. So you have the the background of the SEC, the Big 12 when he was at TCU. This is not a random a random coaching situation where he’s just been around to some of these smaller organizations. These are big-time programs who get guys drafted all the time. So, I if he’s not right there, right, as far as Major League Baseball is concerned or MLB, they’re essentially the G-League to getting drafted. That’s what the SEC is. And Tony Vitello has been running that like like a boss, I should add. So get the right guys around him. Some names will come out and I’ll give you those names as I have them and we’ll see what happens from there. One more segment with you. Let’s talk about what to expect in year one and some of the challenges that Tony Vella might face as he takes the helm as the Giants number one guy. Locked on Giants, don’t move. This episode is brought to you by Prize Picks. Every day we make decisions, but on Prize Picks, being right can actually get you paid. Don’t miss the excitement of this football season. With Prize Picks, it’s good to be right. Playing Prize Picks is such a fun, simple way to add more excitement to football. You just pick more or less on player projections like Josh Allen’s passing yards or Saquon Barkley rushing for a touchdown and you’re in the game. I love how quick it is. You can make your lineup in just under a minute. My favorite part, Prize Picks just added stacks. So, if I want to ride with a player, I can select their pass yards, rush yards, and touchdowns all in one lineup. It’s also fun to follow other players in the app and copy their lineups with one click. And the new injury reboot feature that is clutch. If your player leaves early and doesn’t return, it won’t count against you. Download the Prize Pick app today and use code locked on MLB to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code and locked on MLB for $50 in lineups after your first $5 lineup prize picks. It’s good to be right. One more segment with you on this Thursday, aka Friday Eve, and it’s time to discuss some of the challenges and expectations in year one for Tony Vitello. What can we realistically expect from coach Vitello in the first year? Patience is going to be a theme. I’m just not sure how much Giants fans are going to have. I think a lot of it depends on what it looks like, right? Does it look different? Does it feel different? I think it felt different early on with Bob Melvin and then that went away. The first test will definitely be buyin. Velo can get veterans to respond to his energy and message. It’s definitely about the vets. I have somebody that I that I work with and he played in the miners for years and years and years years to be fair. He’s a Smurf fan. He’s a Dodgers fan and he said, “Look, man. I played in the league. Are we really sure that these vets, he’s like basically not even he’s saying I’m not sure these vets are going to buy into Tony Vitello?” Right? And and I would say this, they’re vets, but at the same time, and no agism here, but it’s not as if he’s younger than anybody he’s coaching, right? I mean, they’re more like peers, if you will. And even still, I mean, even the oldest guy on the Giants, Vital has 10 years on. But this idea that oh who’s this young whippers snapper, he’s older than them. So that’s what I’m confused about. I’m just not sure that somebody now Matt Chapman who’s very connected to Bob Melvin. Yeah, it might take him a while to to come around. I I don’t know that or not, but you got to win games and if you wanted Bob to keep his job, then you should have won more games. But with everybody else, I I I’m just I’m not understanding this vet thing and how we’re not going to believe in this vet. I think it’s going to take Tony Vitello understanding how he needs to speak to these guys. It is different and and a lot of the comments we have comments from Tennessee fans in the locked on Giants uh in the locked on Giants YouTube they said Tony Vatello he will yell at and you can find the clips he will yell at umps right and he will get after it with umps but he doesn’t really yell at players like that which I think is something that Buster Posey probably already knew when he decided to hire Tony Vitello. He’s not going to get it for any college basketball fans. I mean, a Dan Hurley, right, maybe doesn’t translate the same way cuz he’s always yelling, you know what I mean? Some of these coaches that have decided to stay in the college ranks and Dan Hurley almost went to the Lakers. But guys like that, the Tom Isos, the Shasheeskis, some of them realize what I do is not going to translate, you know, but Tony Vitello and and the other side of it, and I’m sure all these guys have gotten NBA offers, but the other side of it understands it, too. So, from the standpoint of Buster Posey, Buster played in the league. So, I don’t understand how people are just ignoring that as if Buster is hiring a guy that Buster himself would not as a vet. Buster didn’t stop playing too long ago, but Buster doesn’t understand to put two and two together that I don’t know if these guys are going to listen to him. Buster would know that. Buster would know, oh my goodness. I mean, he’s wearing this kid out because he didn’t run the first or whatever it is, which is necessary even at the major league level, I might add. Oh, that’s I don’t know how that’s going to go over with Rafie Devers when these guys are making a hundred $200 million. I just think that we’re the collective we, not me and probably not you, the viewer or listener. I just don’t think we’re giving Buster Posey enough credit. Not based on whether this will be successful or not, based on how he vetted the situation. This was going on months before they even moved on for Bob Melvin. That’s the report that’s out. So, this is not some willy-nilly, let’s just go get him and and make a splash and make history just for funsies. This is not that. Buster Posey has felt this way about this coach for a long time, right? I apparently I’m not the only one that’s been watching Tennessee baseball. So, uh, this is the reality of where they’re at, those expectations. Uh, Buster said this hire was about quote changing how we operate every day and and building something new. That’s not part of the quote. I added that in, but building something new. So, when it comes to the expectations and the challenges, I think the challenges are obvious. They’re all logistical. It’s a grind. The season is a grind. In college baseball, you got fall ball, you show up, you know, everybody’s paying attention to football anyway. You show up in fall ball, you have some fun scrimmages, the pitchers start to get uh acclimated, you’re getting in shape, right? They’re running you. You’re doing two days. You’re lifting. Spring comes, it’s time to go. You go to the College World Series if you’re Tennessee. So, you’re done. what early June and then you enjoy from the end of June all the way to October all over again. That ain’t the case. So Tony Vital, his stamina and his appetite for baseball is going to have to grow. And this first year, there’s going to be a lot of eyes on him. We understand that. A lot of haters, a lot of people that uh don’t want it to work, I should say. Because I I’ll be honest with you, I’m not trying to become a Major League Baseball coach, but if I was, if this works, I’d be kind of annoyed myself. Whether that’s fair or not is a different conversation, but I would be a little bit scared and a little bit annoyed. And honestly, I’d want it to not work because if it works, now I got to worry about assistant coaches. I got to worry about former players. I got to worry about analysts if you’re Aaron Boone. And now I got to worry about college dudes and I got to worry about minor league coaches as well. It’s a doggy dog world. So I understand why there’s some people out there that don’t want it to work. But over here you see me in my Rivercast shirt. We want it to go down in the right way. We want there to be another parade. It’s been too long. And how Vital is going to come at this, it ain’t going to be for a lack of trying. It ain’t going to be for a lack of effort. It ain’t going to be for a lack of energy. I believe he’s going to do his part. I don’t know that for for certain, but I believe he’s going to do his part. Buster’s got to put the requisite pieces around him. You cannot hire a firsttime coach in this capacity who has no experience in Major League Baseball and leave holes all throughout the lineup and not have a a pitching staff, you know, to to to go from where they’re at. In college, I’ll tell you right now, you got three starters, okay? And you got a spot starter. So, three starters. You got your Friday guy, which is normally back in my day, your best guy. Saturday guy, which is your your second guy. Then Sunday guy, he could even be a position player, but he’s your third best starting pitcher. Then you have midweek games. It’s either Mon, it’s either Tuesday or Wednesday. Sometimes it could be both. Those are your highlevel bullpen dudes, and those could turn into bullpen games. So, Vitella will have a little bit of experience, but this is a different beast. So Buster, if he wants this to work, Buster knows he made his job harder because he can’t just say, “Set it and forget it. Here, Braden Hyde. Set it and forget it. You’ve done this before. Here you go.” Buster knows he’s going to have to help Tony to make this thing work. And we’re going to have to wait and see uh how this all whole thing unfolds. But I I feel good about it. I feel good about it. My initial feeling is to feel good about it. And next is making sure that there are no less holes, I’ll say. Maybe not know, but less holes in that lineup and that rotation and pitching staff is better equipped to handle it. Because look, Bob Melvin, they should have made the playoffs, don’t get me wrong. But Bob Melvin, there were clearly holes. There were clearly holes all throughout that Giants roster. You got to fix that and put your guy in a good spot because there are a lot of eyes out there on King Street in in San Francisco. And I’ll be one of them. I know you’ll be one of them as we take you up to opening day, which sounds crazy to say now. Monday through Friday every day, thank you for listening to Locked On Giants. Be sure to follow me on social media at the South Files with an I. Thank you for making locked on your first listen every day. For your second listen, find the all night locked on MLB game night every game every night until the World Series champion is crowned. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB game night on lockdown MLB on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. We will talk to you tomorrow. It’ll be a happy Friday. Peace.

The Tony Vitello hire has the baseball world buzzing — and for good reason. The San Francisco Giants just handed the keys to a fiery college coach with zero pro experience, signaling a massive cultural shift under Buster Posey’s leadership. In this episode, we break down the aftermath of the hire, the urgency behind Posey’s bold decision, and what it tells us about the team’s new identity. We’ll also dig into Vitello’s next challenge: assembling an MLB-ready staff to balance his energy with experience. Finally, we’ll look ahead to year one — the obstacles, the expectations, and what success really looks like for a franchise trying to rediscover its soul.

0:00 Aftermath of the hire
10:27 Building Tony’s Team
16:55 What to expect

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