PEORIA, Ariz. — When Tony Vitello walked up to the plate to exchange lineup cards with Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson, it wasn’t just his first time managing a Cactus League game. It was the first time the new Giants manager had been at a spring training game, period.
Vitello went straight from his playing days to the coaches room, grinding through spring workouts and games at four different universities before Buster Posey made a historic decision last October.
Much of what Vitello is experiencing is new, but between the lines, he’s right at home. And he’s apparently exactly the same as he was at Tennessee.
Right-hander Blade Tidwell pitched for Vitello in Knoxville and smiled Saturday as he told a story about his inning on the mound at Peoria Stadium. He was checking a runner on second when he heard a familiar voice from the dugout.
“Alright,” Vitello yelled to him, “focus on the hitter.”
The first time out in a new shade of orange ended with another familiar moment for Vitello: He took part in a handshake line. The Giants fell behind 5-0 in the first inning at Peoria Stadium and then scored 10 unanswered runs. The reigning Cactus League champs are 1-0 under Vitello.
“Any time you’re keeping score you want to win, but I think everyone kind of knows, including everyone on (Seattle’s) side, what you’re working towards here,” Vitello said. “There’s a bunch of objectives that probably supersede the scoreboard.”
San Francisco caught a break early when a two-out pop-up dropped. Harrison Bader followed with a two-run double in his Giants debut.
The bullpen — filled mostly with pitchers trying to win a job this spring — threw eight shutout innings. Vitello highlighted lefty prospect Nick Zwack for keeping his composure in the ninth after a couple of runners got on, as well as young catcher Jesus Rodriguez, who had a strong defensive day.
The development of young players is what Vitello is used to, but other parts of Saturday were new. He said he learned a lot about managing his time before first pitch and the conversations that he needs to have with coaches in the dugout.
His main takeaway, though, was a painful one. A foul ball from a right-handed hitter left a big bruise on the left shin of a manager who watched much of the game from the dugout steps.
“This is my first game, and I got hit,” he said, smiling. “I’ve had a broken face twice from baseballs, both times as a coach, and I got one off the shin pretty good here. I’ll be standing in a different place … I was tucked away over here. I realize it would be smarter to not be in the walkway, but I think by now you guys know I’m not that smart and I’m definitely not as quick as I used to be.”
Making a Statement
Tidwell entered in the second and struck out Victor Robles, Patrick Wisdom and Connor Joe. His fastball hit 97.8 mph, and he got three swinging strikes on nine sweepers. After a walk and stolen base, he got both Wisdom and Joe on sweepers.
“He was nasty,” fellow right-hander Hayden Birdsong said. “When he rips his sweeper, nobody can hit it.”
The Giants acquired Tidwell in the Tyler Rogers deal last July. Had it not been for a brief injury scare in September, he likely would have gotten a cameo down the stretch. He’s part of a large group of young starters trying to impress this spring, and on Saturday he certainly had the look of someone who could help this bullpen early in the year, possibly even on Opening Day.
Highlight Zone
The staff has made it clear, mostly with their actions, that Bryce Eldridge will have to win a job this spring, not just cruise to Opening Day. The 21-year-old has not often been included with the projected starters in scrimmages, and many of his at-bats during live BP were on a back field.
Rafael Devers and most of the veterans avoided the long trip across the valley, so Eldridge started at first base Saturday and took advantage. He was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat, but he hit a double over the left fielder’s head in the third to bring Heliot Ramos home. Eldridge went the other way with a 98 mph fastball from Andres Muñoz, one of the game’s best closers. In his final at-bat, he popped up.
All of the relievers who followed Birdsong and Tidwell put up zeroes. Veteran Michael Fulmer struck out a pair and Caleb Kilian — back in orange and black years after the Kris Bryant trade — showed off a 99 mph fastball.
The Giants pulled away late on a two-run double from non-roster invitee Nate Furman.
A New Look
The ABS system isn’t actually new to most players. It was in place last spring and also in Triple-A, but this season it will be used at the big league level for the first time. On day one, the Giants ran out of challenges in the bottom of the eighth.
Catcher Daniel Susac was successful with the first one, overturning an incredibly close call.
In the third, Susac was part of a funny moment with right-hander José Buttó. An inside slider was called a ball, and Buttó tilted his head. Susac nodded toward that side of the plate, indicating that it was a ball, but Buttó tapped his hat and challenged anyway. Susac knew it all the way, and a replay showed that the pitch wasn’t close. In the eighth, outfielder Jared Oliva challenged a two-strike call; it was confirmed to be a strikeout.
Vitello wants his players to be aggressive with ABS this spring and really get to know the system. But Saturday reinforced the belief that nearly all of the challenges this year will come from Patrick Bailey and the other catchers.
Tough News From Knoxville
During his morning media session, Vitello paid tribute to Wes Rucker, a sports reporter in Knoxville who died in a car accident on Thursday. Rucker, 43, had covered Tennessee sports since 2000 and was there for the entire Vitello era. Rucker had announced recently that his wife is pregnant with their second child.
“Wes was unbelievable at his job, but he was a better person,” Vitello said. “He was always good to be around, and I think he helped me, whether he knows it or not, in my job. It’s tough when there’s a family left behind, more than anything. He was a good soul.”
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