Tony Vitello is making history as the first college coach to be hired as an MLB manager with no prior experience in the majors.
Although he has no experience in the major leagues, he believes his college experience can bring a fresh perspective to one key area: building relationships.
“I think in college it’s so important to build relationships with these kids because they’re at a vulnerable part in their life when they’re so impressionable, and they need to be able to come forward to you with things that maybe don’t even relate to baseball,” Vitello said Thursday in his introductory press conference. “In all walks of life, any kind of business — and we’re in one of the most innovative and aggressive areas of business in the world — whether it’s that or with baseball, relationships are so important.”
Obviously, building and maintaining relationships within an organization is not a new concept in professional sports.
But Vitello offers a fresh perspective on management for professional baseball.
“You look at guys like [Los Angeles Angels infielder] Christian Moore who are almost immediately in the big leagues, and [Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher] Paul Skenes is having success and things like that – I think the [college baseball and MLB] are kind of melting together,” Vitello said.
Highly touted prospects have the potential to get the call up to their major league squads quickly. In the case of the Giants, Bryce Eldridge was called up in September just over two years removed from playing high school baseball.
Vitello’s experience with young, developing players can prove fruitful not only for the Giants, but to bridge the gap between MLB and college baseball as well.
“I think one thing that can come out of this, is it [being] one step closer of the two – again – kind of melting together. MLB supporting college baseball and doing things for it and college baseball interacting with MLB… I think can be very, very beneficial to the game,” Vitello said.
Aside from producing emerging stars such as Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet at Tennesee, Vitello also had a hand in developing players elsewhere such as former infielder Ian Kinsler, Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi and Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer.
An important gap for Vitello to bridge: to develop the Giants’ prospects as they’re called up while leading a veteran core to their fullest potential.
The Giants’ front office is betting on that.
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