Tony Vitello: Buster Posey Was the X-Factor in Choosing the Giants

Tony Vitello: Buster Posey Was the X-Factor in Choosing the Giants

And then ultimately if you’re able to attach your name to one of the biggest winners in the history of American sports in Buster, that maybe is one thing that kind of pushes or tips it over the edge. Tony, I want to jump right into that because I think we’ve heard a lot from you about the difference between college and the major leagues and obviously the gut-wrenching decision that you had to make and everything that went into that and all the people you talked to. Super fascinating and you’ve been open about it. You know what question I don’t know if I if I’ve heard you answer though is why why did you eventually make the decision to leave somewhere you loved and join this? I I think um ultimately the challenge uh I think Buster Posey was the X factor. I I think if if you’re comfortable in a position you work at you know it could be South Carolina, it could be Florida State, it doesn’t have to be in our league. could be at Oregon and it’s going well and by that I mean, you know, we’re having a little success, but there’s really strong relationships in place. It’s a great, you know, place and people to work around. Um, then it’s going to be tough to leave. So, it’s got to be a situation where some criteria is met. And I I think once you start dissecting each organization in the big leagues, there there’s 30 teams and it’s all under one label, but they’re all very very different. That’s something we tried to educate recruits on is just because you get drafted, it doesn’t mean you’re getting drafted by Major League Baseball. You’re getting drafted by a certain organization. And when you break down all the things that are in the Bay Area with again the tradition, how cool of a city and area it is, the park, um the way everything is structured from Greg Johnson on on down, uh the roster, the current roster certainly is not um it’s not oh poor me. We need to find some players. were in a decent spot. Obviously, everybody wants to get better. All these things started to pile up. And then ultimately, if you’re able to attach your name uh to one of the biggest winners in the history of American sports in Buster, um that maybe is one thing that kind of pushes or tips it over the edge. Yeah, it’s exciting. And I think Giants fans are excited to have you be here. And one of the questions many people have is about the transition from college to the major leagues. um college much shorter season but it still is you know three outs an inning and nine innings in a game. Do you think the whole idea of you making the transition has been overblown or is it something that you think is going to be really daunting? No, I mean I I was kind of joking about um you know you guys maybe overblown and I wasn’t even listening the whole time but fans over fans overreact to a Warriors loss or whatever. That’s the beauty of sports is you get to read the newspaper back in the day when I would follow the Cardinals and the Giants and teams like that. Uh now it’s online and Twitter. It’s the beauty of sports. You pick a side and and that could be um uh you know a debate within the team. We’re all Giants or 49ers fans, but we pick a side in a debate um and you argue who was better in this era. It’s the beauty of it and it’s a part of it. Uh unfortunately for me when it comes to the Giants or or in the past it was the Vall’s baseball squad. I can’t take part in that. Alls I can do is kind of focus on my job. So that’s going to keep coming up. I think it’s best served uh to be kept out of my ears or out of my focus as well as the rest of the coaching staff. But it’s not going anywhere. It’s it’s going to be brought up and if we have success, people um will take jabs and if we we suffer defeats, people will take jabs. So why worry about it? Let’s push forward and try and make this team that’s coming up this coming spring and summer as good as we can. Do you think this is as big of a jump as people are making it sound like it is? Here’s an overly honest answer that I’ll probably get myself into trouble uh more times than once, especially with the the multiplication of media opportunities with the big leagues is I don’t know. I I I’ve not been in that dugout. I’ve been to a lot of games. I’ve coached players. I’ve talked with guys. I don’t know exactly what differences will pop up. Now, that that might make me look bad down the road, but I’ll take a little weight off my shoulders, and I’m not trying to make any excuses, but especially at the pro level, but also in college, the players are the ones that are on the field. And our job as coaches is to put them in a successful position. And of course, you know, the better ones like Coach Shanahan do that more often. Um, but there’s a lot of people that are involved in a win and a loss. A crowd, uh, the players have the biggest role, and then there’s going to be an entire coaching staff we put together. My role on that coaching staff will be maybe the final say on a pitching change or or a lineup decision or what a speech is after a tough loss or something like that. Um, but I’m not going to be the only one in the dugout. I’m not going to be the only one in the building that’s helping us prepare for a game. I know you haven’t put the staff all together just yet and I don’t want you to have to name names, but what types of people, what mix of OGs, major leaguers, young bucks like yourself? What’s the mix you’re looking for for your coaching staff? You know, I I think, you know, it’d be great to retain some of the staff at a minimum for some consistency. I think some new blood would be great. I think some major league experience and by that I mean cleats in the dirt and in certain situations even if it’s just one or two guys. The big thing for my input and so far uh I don’t think I’m being tricked. It’s it’s a collaborative vibe and a collaborative effort uh mindset that’s going on over at the park when we all get together or if it’s on Zoom or a teleconference. And so when my input is welcomed, uh, loyalty and and team chemistry is huge. And that’s got to start with the coaching staff because the players, whether they’re 19 years old or 35, they can sniff it out if the coaches aren’t on the same page. Um, and and the players have their own deal where they got to come up with stuff behind the scenes when the coaches aren’t around where they get along. Um, and then ultimately if you’re going to have not just a good team, but a great team, then everyone’s got to kind of intersect and the whole deal has got to be, you know, it’s a cliche for a reason, one group pulling on the same rope. What do you plan on doing and how do you set about going from now into March to get yourself and your staff ready to go out and and be a winning team next year? Step one right now though on the major list that’s more interesting is hiring staff. From there, it’ll be revisiting some convos with some players and maybe even getting to get out and see those guys in person and then really sit down and get an early start with some staff. Hopefully, most of us can get together in person and figure out how is this spring training going to set the tone for uh what we really want to make the next season. I feel like we haven’t gotten the the media as a whole hasn’t really had much of a chance to talk baseball with you yet and maybe you haven’t even had a chance to think about it, but you joked about how Bryce Eldridge turned down Tennessee and maybe you needed to have a little chat with him about that now that you’re you’re his manager. But but what what is your vision for him this year? Um positionally, roster-wise, all of that, if you have one, I I think it it’s picks up where when we scouted him in high school. Um, what a blessing to see a guy that is ultra talented and could make an impact at a high level right away, but also you can legitimately dream on what is to come. And I I I wouldn’t by any means call him raw. He knows what he’s doing. He he played at a very high level at some competitive areas and on a great team when he was in high school even and now he’s been through the system a little bit, but physically he’s still growing into that body and body control is so important. Part of that is, you know, adding in agility stuff and and things to become more athletic, but also a lot of it is some of those guys it takes longer to gain core true core strength um which can control your body and just make things easier to repeat. And I think as he does that, it’ll be a higher percentage of success he has at the plate. But more importantly for him, I I think defensively and on the basis, he’ll become a more complete player as he becomes more of a complete athlete. What is your general baseball philosophy? And I I can’t help but think about Toronto this year, so close to winning the whole thing, and they’re a team that doesn’t really strike out much. There are a lot of contact, and they’d like to to get people in motion. Do you look at your philosophy and then look at this ballpark and try to marry the two going forward as the new skipper? Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I I think if you want to fire me in 6 months, you can recall on this answer. Uh I I whatever is going to win, you know, I I think a lot of things for me are overly simple. And uh I I I really don’t like losing. I I I haven’t grasp on to the idea of you even having a good season means 60 losses. That’s going to take a change in some temperament and some other things. Um so I I like when the whole team for us it would be meeting, you know, in left field or right field. I assume it’ll be now in the dugout at the conclusion of a game. There’s no better feeling when everybody the group got what the group wanted. And sometimes that means a guy had to pitch outside of his normal role or maybe a guy had to lay down a bunt. And I’m not, you know, again, bunting if if it helps win, I’m all for it. But I don’t feel like I’m drastic uh one way or the other. I just I hate the feeling of not being prepared and I hate the feeling of not competing. And uh it is a true challenge to compete every inning of every game, no matter what level you’re at. But when you’re playing that many games, it becomes an even greater challenge. Um, and so that’s that’s part of my role is to make sure our guys are help, you know, kept in check as it relates to preparing and competing the right way. Tony, I I I saw you say that some of the Bay Area Sports Elite have have maybe already made contact and and that you have a number on George KD and you wouldn’t mind getting into some shenanigans with him. I’d like to know, what do you want to do with George KD? Just be around that guy’s energy. um you know, he he kind of seems to be a guy that makes you feel like you’re on his team no matter when you’re around him or in what capacity. And uh that’s that’s the type of energy that makes a locker room great. Um but also the guy’s got unique charisma. So, I’m sure anytime you’re I didn’t even know there was a KDF fest, but at a game KDF fest or at a concert or even just having coffee, I’m sure being a part of that, you know, energy he gives off or again just seeing that charisma in person would not only be entertaining but probably a little inspiring. And you played for your dad in high school, if I’m not mistaken, baseball and soccer. Which of those athletic sports were you better at as a kid? Just baseball. And again, um, I’m probably giving you ammunition. I shouldn’t, but Oh, yeah. I I love I love baseball. Um, but I I just love competing. I love sports. And I was the type of kid that um I liked being on top of all of them. Again, reading the newspaper, following all of them. I loved playing all of them out in the yard, going to all sporting events. And baseball was the one I wasn’t great at, but I was best at. So that’s what helped me, you know, move along and be able to be in a position where I could do something involved in the game for work. Um, the one part that probably led me to love this game more than any other wasn’t so much when I was in it because it was tough. I wasn’t having as much success as I wanted. But then I started to realize that’s the beauty. um overcoming things like fear um overcoming failure and also just meeting challenges head-on and discovering who you are as a person is often what is at the source of you know many great players like some of the role players you know a guy like Bill Miller he was able to put numbers up like superstar players like Derek Jeter and Manny Ramirez the year he won the batting title because he was not just on a journey to be a better player but just to discover who he was as a person. And uh that was one of those things that was in the back of my mind when this decision uh was available is and our roster is pretty good at Tennessee. Uh number one recruiting class next year in the year after looks to be similar to that. Um but why not go out there and discover what happens when you get punched in the mouth a little bit more often or you got to move to a new city and you got to adapt to some things. And um we’ll see. No matter how it goes, I think it’s going to be a great learning experience. And uh I’m no George KD, but I like I like to make things fun. So, at the very least, I think I’ll have fun and I think people around me will have some fun. [Music]

Tony Vitello sits down for an in-depth conversation about his decision to leave Tennessee and become the San Francisco Giants’ new manager. He reveals that Buster Posey was the X factor in his decision, breaks down what made the Bay Area and Giants organization so appealing, and addresses the college-to-MLB transition head-on with brutal honesty: “I don’t know what I don’t know.” Vitello discusses his baseball philosophy (“whatever wins”), his vision for Bryce Harper’s development, the importance of loyalty and team chemistry in building a coaching staff, and why he embraces challenges and failure as opportunities for growth. He also talks about wanting to connect with George Kittle, his thoughts on the ballpark and roster, and why he’s ready to “get punched in the mouth” as he discovers what it takes to succeed at baseball’s highest level. This is an incredibly candid, thoughtful interview with one of baseball’s most intriguing new managers.

00:00 – Opening: Why Did Tony Vitello Leave Tennessee?
00:45 – Buster Posey Was the X Factor
01:30 – Breaking Down the Giants Organization Appeal
02:30 – Is the College to MLB Transition Overblown?
04:00 – “I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know” — Brutal Honesty
05:00 – Building the Coaching Staff: Mix of Old & New
06:30 – Preparing for Spring Training & Setting the Tone
07:15 – Vision for Bryce Harper’s Development
08:30 – Baseball Philosophy: “Whatever Wins”
09:30 – Competing Every Inning in a 162-Game Season
10:15 – George Kittle, Bay Area Energy & Charisma
11:00 – Why Embrace Failure and Getting Punched in the Mouth
12:15 – Final Thoughts: Making Things Fun

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