After firing Bob Melvin last fall, the Giants couldn’t have found a more different manager in Tony Vitello to be his replacement.<\/p>\n
Melvin is a former Giants player who grew up in the Bay Area and had two decades of MLB managing experience before being hired by San Francisco. On the other hand, Vitello — with practically zero local connections — hadn’t played or coached in MLB prior to making the leap from head coach at the University of Tennessee.<\/p>\n
In an interview with John Shea of The San Francisco Standard<\/a>, Melvin shared his thoughts from afar on the Giants’ new hire.<\/p>\n \u201cIt makes sense that Buster wants somebody who can be around for a while and grow with,\u201d Melvin said. \u201cI totally understood that part. I wish him the best. It seems he\u2019s going to be a really good fit for that team based on what I\u2019m hearing. The guy\u2019s got a great track record, did a lot of great things very quickly at Tennessee, knows the game really well, seems like he\u2019s well spoken. It\u2019s a good hire.\u201d<\/p>\n Bob Melvin opens up: A Giants firing, an A\u2019s hiring, and what comes next \u2014 I went on a trip to check in with the former manager on quite a few topics: https:\/\/t.co\/kRmXA6HOUS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) February 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Melvin, 64, is 17 years older than Vitello, and that age difference inevitably should bring the Giants a different type of demeanor from their manager, which Melvin appears to recognize. <\/p>\n After a 161-163 record across a “disappointing” two seasons under Melvin<\/a>, San Francisco’s front office hopes Vitello’s new perspective could help take the team over the hump. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, Melvin will be taking a step back for the upcoming year, as he was hired this week by the Athletics<\/a> to be a special assistant to baseball operations. <\/p>\n Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t