We’ve now known Tony Vitello for all of two days — the lengthy, feel-good introductory mass press conference on Thursday; and a 20-minute more intimate get-to-know-ya chat on The Sports Leader Friday morning — and the Jock Blog is ready to double down on last week’s In Buster We Trust(Er) entry:
Tony V is what the Giants need.
He has yet to write a lineup. He has no bullpen to speak of. The players he is inheriting were last seen yawning their way to an 81-81 record.
And we’re still ready to say this, and only partially because the man’s undeniable energy and charisma obviously stems from his Irish-Italian bloodlines.
As a listener texted in, asking for a trademark: it’s less Tony Vitello and more Tony Vibe-ello™.
It’s obvious the man’s skill set is centered around people. He shies away from no questions, tries to engage every inquisitor with interesting conversation and thought, uses humor when necessary and — oh that’s right — talks a lot about winning as a way of life. Engaging, authentic, competitive. We’re off to a good start.
Here’s a brazenly hot take for a Friday Jock Blog: it’s no coincidence that part of the interview process saw Vitello have lengthy conversations with two former Giants managers who won NL flags — Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy — because Vitello has a good chance to embark on a long managerial run that would remind Giants fans of both Baker and Bochy.
The hottest of takes.
With 2,252 wins, Bochy is a four-time World Series champ who is the sixth-winningest manager in the history of baseball. With 2,183 wins, Dusty Baker is a World Series champ who is the eighth-winningest manager of all time.
Tony Vitello has never managed a major league baseball game, or a minor-league baseball game, or an Arizona Fall League baseball game. None. Zip. Zero. Zilch.
And yet, here I am saying Vitello has the best chance to remind Giants fans of two of the all time greats. I told you: Jock Blog features sizzling hot takes only.
By this, I mean that of all the skippers the Giants have featured since the ballpark opened at McCovey Cove, Baker and Bochy were the best ‘people people.’ Not everyone is a ‘people person’. Felipe Alou was a gentleman, but reserved to a degree. It was hard to connect with Gabe Kapler, as you felt he was always running your conversational data through a mental spreadsheet. Bob Melvin, like Alou, was a baseball lifer and a gentleman, but also not a huge extrovert.
But Dusty and Boch — you wanted to be around these guys.
Bochy oozed folksy charm, had enough competitive edge to get grumpy sometimes, and never jeopardized that earned reservoir of folksy charm. Baker is simply one of the coolest cats you’ll ever meet, from the toothpick to the gap-toothed smile to the fact that he was on deck when Henry Aaron hit home run No. 715.
How cool is Dusty Baker?
“Cool enough that it makes you feel like a dork when you’re hanging out with him,” Vitello cracked to us Friday.
Vitello told us Bochy and Baker exuded a “calming positivity” in their chats, and Vitello told us he wants to get Bochy and Baker involved with his Giants run as much as possible. These are positive signs.
In just two days of interactions — and let’s be honest, a wealth of anecdotes from his wildly successful run at the University of Tennessee — Vitello is giving off those vibes. Peyton Manning told Giants owner Greg Johnson that Vitello was a “rockstar” and only half-jokingly told Johnson to get his paws off the beloved Vols ball coach. Tennessee fans displayed their deep love with public pleas for Vitello to stay. And Vitello’s first two days by the Bay displayed a combination of humility and edge.
Perhaps the most impressive answers Vitello gave were when he said he didn’t know how some things would play out: the energy of a 162-game season, handling a bullpen, earning veteran trust. My late father used to tell me that not enough people say “I don’t know” when they don’t know something; it’s OK to not know and to learn along the way. No instant promises from Vitello. Just a promise that he “wants to do a good job.”
Obviously, the whole thing could blow up. Obviously, Vitello needs players and pitchers. Obviously, his revved-up college intensity will have to majorly readjust to the grind of The Show.
But also obviously — Vitello is someone people want to be around. Buster Posey said Thursday he is betting on the person. First impression is, it’s a smart bet.
