For the third time in six years, the San Francisco Giants held a press conference to introduce a new manager. Tony Vitello is the 40th manager in franchise history — 42 if you count interim managers — and a wholly unknown quantity at the major league level. A successful Division I college coach with no pro playing or coaching experience to lead what was once one of the sport’s crown jewel franchises? Unprecedented, and, given Baseball’s failure rate, one that seems like a disaster from the jump;
however, calamity was the last thing on my mind after watching this morning’s presser.
It came as close to joyful as (1) a baseball press conference that (2) introduces an unknown quantity could be. Buster Posey was impressed by the 47-year old Vitello’s natural leadership, along with “His vision. His conciseness. And plenty of other leadership qualities.” Vitello met the moment with energy and snappier responses than we’re used to seeing from a Giants manager since, probably, Dusty Baker.
When asked how he would manage his energy and intensity for the 162-game major league season versus the 56-game college season, Vitello said, “I think if you ask my mom, she’d want me to tone it down, but if you asked my dad he’d say, ‘Kick it up a notch!’” He was only just getting started with this response.
It was an approximately 54-minute conference that showed everybody what Buster Posey was talking about right up top. Vitello led the press conference. There wasn’t the awkward tension and rambling responses from Gabe Kapler’s introduction or sort of low-key and grumpy/entitled energy emanating off of Bob Melvin’s. No discussion of how to attract elite free agents or earn the trust of fans who are rightly skeptical because of the way a previous controversy had been handled. Vitello was given the spotlight and he showed why he’s a star.
On that note, Zack Minasian added, “As much as this feels out of the box, Tony’s name has been bouncing around Major League Baseball for a while.” Given that, Vitello still didn’t come off as entitled or even so blindlingly cocky that you could see how this was going to go wrong real fast. He made a comment about being an outsider and paying your dues that didn’t feel forced or showy, either.
He even articulated his coaching philosophy: “Coach guys as individuals.” On top of that, he was very clear that the goal is to “create a bond” and to “come to the office and vibe it out.” Now, I’ve depleted the word “vibe” over the past 18 months because of the whole Zaidi to Posey power transfer and it was funny for a moment before becoming annoying — I admit that — but now look what we have here: a vibes-based manager who is being propped up by a vibes-based President of Baseball Operations.
After Vitello got his share of questions, Posey chimed in later to respond to the question about what kind of leader he sought:
I was looking for somebody who shared a similiar vision and ideals — you’ve heard him talk about people. To me, that’s your secret sauce in everything: it’s the relationships you build. […] The hope is that this is a relationship that lasts a long time.
So, coming to the office to hang out with people whose company you enjoy in an environment created to maximize an individual’s strengths is the overarching theme here. The vibes might not be quantifiable (yet), but they’re real.
“I am sensitive to ‘pay your dues’ […] it’s a lotta lonely nights in a hotel, and it’s a lot of phone calls, and it’s a lot of text messages. It’s hearing ‘no’ just as much as an insurance salesman […] so, dues have come in a different way, and hopefully respect will be earned in different ways […] and the only way I know how to do that is through hard work.”
He touched a little bit on his in-game management, explaining that he believes every game has its own personality and that it’s important to have that in mind while running through decisions. He gave an example of how a 9-6 loss suggests the pitching blew it while a 3-2 loss is considered a failure of the lineup — it’s a team sport and they’re all in it togther. A less Hallmark-y comment, though, was this 21st century line:
Baseball is a sport that is built on sample size and you have to be willing to separate each one as a mutually exclusive one and attack it for what it is at that particular time.
Vitello might just win over the oldheads out there who have stubbornly clinged to 1960s-era ball, but figure he won’t. It’ll be fun to see how this seeming duality upsets the people who’ve spent their time proudly not learning anything about how the modern game is played. I mention them because they’re a loud contingent everywhere you go to engage with the Giants. Vitello might be a near-perfect fusion of the old and new.
To wit: he’s not a social media guy.
And his belief that “positivity’s got a lot of power” signals that the numbers won’t be the be all and end all in his decision-making, and that the unquantifiable human element matters.
He also knows how to look the part:
He even managed to dodge the buttoning bullet that has made so many elite figures look clumsy and all of us feel a little silly at a press conference.
Where he differs from the old school types of Bruce Bochy and Bob Melvin, though, is his relationship with his own staff. No hires have been made, but the work has already begun. Vitello’s philosphy is clear: they don’t work for him so much as they work together.
Pulling on the same rope is a cliche for a reason. [..] It literally is a marriage through the course of the season. FOr me, it doesn’t have to be the brightest, the best, the most experienced or the best resume. It needs to be the guy that’s gonna have your back.
It wasn’t all great, though, and that’s okay. Bumps along the way are to be expected.
When asked for his thoughts about competition in the division, Vitello mentioned that “if you’re going to win the last game of the season, then you’re probably going to have to play everybody. Now, not everyone can be on your schedule” — I didn’t transcribe the rest of that because WELL, ACTUALLY, thanks to the new scheduling, all teams do play each other now, Tony.
He also called the Giants’ roster “pretty good,” which is a PERFECT thing to say for a new manager, especially one who has no experience in the majors. But is it accurate? Not even a little bit.
And then, this is less of a negative and more of a question: what’s going on inside his blazer? That’s a print of baseball cards, I presume, but more information is needed.
I’ll close with this. Tony Vitello was not the Giants’ first choice, but he is the last, best choice who said all the right things and delivered on the promise of that high energy persona that’s been reported on over the past couple of weeks (for those of us who don’t watch college baseball). Everything that was complimentary towards the franchise and Bay Area was definitely calculated, but delivered with a solid degree of sincerity. Coaching for two seasons in Salinas would not have revealed everything that makes the area great or even tell one a lot about the Giants, but he still used the experience to express a very kind and very San Francisco sentiment:
It’s different up here. It just is. Abnormal may sound like you’re saying weird in a bad way, but very abnormal the last couple of days since I’ve been here. The attention to detail […] it’s not random, it’s not coincidental. It’s culture. And, again that’s also a vague word, and one that’s overused a lot, but it’s abnormal here. And I think it’s probably fed into the success of the organization, which has also been abnormal.
A statement like this is why Buster Posey mentioned that he liked Vitello’s “conciseness.” This wasn’t a total shot at Gabe Kapler, though, because he was asked what he meant by concise and he answered, “There’s not a lot of hemming and hawing.” I don’t think that’s an accurate explanation of Gabe Kapler’s speech and behavior (anxious word salad would be a better description), but it does feel true to Bob Melvin. No matter what the comparison, the Giants have hitched their immediate future to a new relationship that features a guy who knows he’s got a lot to learn while also knowing what he wants from his players and coaches.
The Tony Vitello era has started on the highest possible note.
