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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – What to make of new Giants manager Tony Vitello?
One week into spring training, the baseball industry is still trying to figure him out, and it might be a while until it’s known exactly who he is or exactly where his mind-set is.
Is Vitello the perfect fit as the Giants’ manager, dedicated to pushing the organization to the postseason? Or does he miss the University of Tennessee so badly that he’ll continue to sing the praises of the Vols program even on the Giants’ dime?
So far, he has given off vibes that suggest both, and it has fans wondering about his priorities – and it’s not just the fans.
Vitello often drops references of his experiences at Tennessee (as well as Missouri, TCU, and Arkansas) during his morning media sessions, and Monday, a player shared that Vitello does the same during conversations within the clubhouse and asked a bystander if it’s normal practice.
The anticipation is that Vitello eventually will move on from excessive college talk, perhaps once exhibitions begin or at the very latest by Opening Day. Once there’s a box score, once someone hits a three-run homer or pitches a few scoreless innings or makes a fabulous catch, data will surface to evaluate.
But for now, college ball is pretty much all Vitello can draw from, and he mentions it a lot even when not asked about it. In his defense, he has no pro ball experience, which makes this such a historic (and risky) hire, so he shouldn’t necessarily be knocked for how he lays out his initial messaging.
It didn’t seem to be a huge deal or detriment, but then Monday, Vitello took his Tennessee tales to a regrettable extreme. Usually, media sessions begin with reporters asking questions. This time, he did the questioning because he admittedly remains bothered by how the process of his hiring by the Giants was perceived.
“New format today,” began Vitello as he sat in the Giants’ Scottsdale Stadium dugout in front of more than a dozen reporters. “Let me ask you guys a question first: When did you first think I was taking this job? Do you remember that far back?”
Someone said four days before the Giants made the announcement on Oct. 22.
3 days ago
6 days ago
Saturday, Feb. 7
“That’s funny to say that because that was not reality at all,” said Vitello, proceeding to go off on a long “tangent” – that’s his word – on why he’s still annoyed, even hurt, by the reporting of his pending departure from Tennessee.
That Vitello brought this up to start his press session was odd. It shouldn’t be the story of the day, but it was. Any veteran manager with ample media training would know that something so concerning should surface after the session, off the record with beat writers he trusts. Not in front of a gaggle of cameras to share with the world.
But this is all new to Vitello, who has gone from a relatively small town where college sports are king to a huge media market and major metropolitan city where pro sports blend in with countless other activities.
I asked Vitello why this was a concern four months later, and he vented on why he was upset that the story surfaced before he made his final decision.
“Because somebody tweeted it out,” he said. “I don’t know who told him. I wish I did. It might’ve changed the course of history if I knew who did, to be honest with you. It just bothers me.”
Hmmm.
This statement and others went viral on social media and were interpreted all kinds of ways. One prevailing theme: If Vitello had discovered who leaked the info, and the leak came from a certain corner, would he have told Buster Posey and the Giants no?
Vitello is the 16th big-league manager I’ve covered on a daily basis, and he’s far different for one main reason: From a Giants standpoint, Roger Craig, Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou, Bruce Bochy, Gabe Kapler, and Bob Melvin all had a wealth of professional experience and all played in the majors, in some cases exceptionally well, while Vitello never played, coached, or managed in pro ball.
It’s a transition he’ll need to make if he wants longevity in the pro game. The focus ought to be more on the Giants and less on the Vols, ASAP. Monday, however, his mind was on the old news.
On Oct. 18, The Athletic ran a story that the Giants were “closing in on hiring” Vitello. Earlier that day, The Standard reported that “there are people with knowledge of the process who believe Vitello’s candidacy is realistic, even at the top of the list.” By the end of the day, it was assumed in Knoxville that he was taking the job, and he was left to play defense.
Vitello said Monday that it was a wrong assumption, that he was still considering it. He didn’t appreciate that he couldn’t control the narrative and that coaches, players, and recruits all wondered what was happening. Curiously, he also said, “I didn’t read any of it. I still haven’t read any of it.”
Either way, the decision was made, and the announcement came out. Vitello is the Giants’ manager, and that’s all that should matter. Too much preparation is required in spring training for him to be distracted with what transpired late last summer in Knoxville.
Buster Posey hired Vitello after firing Bob Melvin at the end of the 2025 season. | Source: Ash Ponders for The Standard
What triggered Vitello to vent is anyone’s guess. It should be noted that before the media session, he did an interview across the field with Ken Rosenthal, who co-authored the October Athletic story, but Vitello mentioned no names and said, “I’m not throwing this water bottle at anybody.”
“The only thing that sucks is I still haven’t said bye to anybody,” Vitello said of the folks back in Tennessee.
He confessed a “chunk of my heart is in Knoxville” while adding, “I’m pretty geeked up to live in San Francisco.” The latter part should be the emphasis.
The best question of the week came from Stephanie Apstein, senior writer at Sports Illustrated, who asked, “You’re in an interesting spot where you want to be able to draw from your experience, but you also don’t want to start every sentence with, ‘Well, in college …’ How do you balance wanting to share that side of you without making it seem like that’s your entire personality?”
To which Vitello said, “Have I done that too much here? … You hit a soft spot.”
Monday, he hinted he might be ready to pivot.
“It’s probably time after today to divide the line in the sand,” he said.