SAN FRANCISCO — Before they officially became co-workers last week, Tony Vitello already had first-hand experience in watching Buster Posey lead his team to a championship.
During his first year as an assistant at the University of Arkansas, Vitello sat behind home plate at Kauffman Stadium for Game 7 of the 2014 World Series. Posey, of course, was right behind home plate, a franchise cornerstone who helped lead the Giants to their third championship in a five-year stretch.
“It was rather intense, correct?” the Giants’ new manager laughed Thursday when he recalled that night in Kansas City.
“I’ll second that. It was,” Posey responded.
That moment was 11 years ago. Posey played six more seasons, retired and became the Giants’ president of baseball operations. Vitello became University of Tennessee’s head coach, turned the Vols into a collegiate powerhouse, and now is making the unprecedented leap from collegiate head coach to major-league manager.
Since that night, the Giants have effectively been a .500 team, making the playoffs in 2016 and ’21, but failing to advance past the NLDS.
Vitello, the 40th manager in franchise history, is aware of this team’s past. He cited a laundry list of franchise icons during his opening statement of the introductory press conference: Bruce Bochy, Dusty Baker, Madison Bumgarner, Sergio Romo, Hunter Pence, Tim Lincecum, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays. Now, he’s taking on the task of joining those ranks and leading the Giants back to prominence.
“There’s a lot to learn from in the past, and there are very high expectations, very high standards to meet because of the past,” Vitello said. “This is a challenge that’s been presented to me. I’m humbled and honored to be in front of you today to take on that challenge.”
Posey’s bold hiring of Vitello is not without risk.
Vitello, 47, has never played, coached or managed at the professional level. He spent time as an assistant at Missouri (2003-10), TCU (2011-13) and Arkansas (2014-17) before taking over at Tennessee and leading the Vols to national prominence. When the Giants host the New York Yankees for Opening Day next year, it will be Vitello’s first time managing a professional game in any capacity.
It’s an expensive risk, too. In addition to Vitello’s $3.5 million annual salary (three years plus a vesting option for the fourth), the Giants were responsible a $3 million buyout to lure him away from Tennessee. There’s also the $4 million they must pay Bob Melvin after Posey picked up Melvin’s option in July before firing him in September.
Despite Vitello’s lack of professional experience, Posey believes that Vitello checked all the boxes that go into making a good leader: teacher, motivator, tireless worker and “someone who understands how to build culture.”
“We believe his leadership is not only going to impact our clubhouse, but it’s also going to impact our organization and our entire fan base as well,” Posey said.
Posey added: “I feel really comfortable about the person. A lot of people that I trust felt really comfortable about the person. So, I probably don’t see is much risk. Now, I will say that if this, for some reason, doesn’t work, then people are going to look back and say, ‘Well, that was a dumb decision, and it was too much risk that you’d take.’ I’m fully aware of that. But obviously, I don’t think that or we wouldn’t be standing here.
“I have full confidence this is going to be a great relationship with us and with him and the fanbase.”
There’s another quality that Posey admires in Vitello: his willingness to ruffle some feathers.
Tennessee has become known for its collective intensity, passion and swagger — all being traits that stemmed from Vitello. Whether it was chest-bumping an umpire or crowdsurfing after winning the College World Series, Vitello showcased the entire spectrum of human emotion as Tennessee’s head coach.
Posey doesn’t think Vitello will do things with the sole intention of getting under an opponent’s skin. But if something happens organically? To Posey, that’s sports — that’s entertainment.
“For me, there’s an argument to be made that we’re lacking that severely right now. All the young players will not like me, but I don’t like guys hugging (opponents) before the game. I don’t like it,” Posey said. “As a fan, I want there to be a little bit of a friction at times. … I wasn’t necessarily a guy that was going to cause friction, but I can promise you, you can ask people who came to the plate, I wasn’t being friendly. So, there’s an edge to be had with that type of mentality and it’s something that he’ll bring.”
There are no shortage of challenges that await Vitello, chief among them being adapting to the length of a major-league schedule. In Knoxville, Vitello coached about 60 games per season. In San Francisco, he’ll have to manage a 162-game gauntlet. That doesn’t include a month-and-a-half of spring training or an extended postseason run.
Vitello conceded “there are a lot of unknowns and a lot of wonder in my mind.” He acknowledged that he can ask questions and draw on his past, but knows he won’t know the feeling of a full major-league season until he goes through his first year. Given his lack of professional experience, Vitello may find himself leaning on his coaching staff — a staff he will have the autonomy to construct.
“My biggest thing is for everybody to be on the same page,” Vitello said. “Pulling on the same rope is a cliché for a reason. We talked about how long the season is, so it’s important to have a group of guys that are willing to be there through thick and thin. It literally is a marriage for the course of the season. For me, it doesn’t have to be the brightest, the best, the most experienced or the best résumé. It needs to be the guy that’s going to have your back.”
While Vitello is still months away from his professional debut, he challenged the notion that he has not paid his dues.
“It’s a lot of lonely nights in a hotel, and it’s a lot of phone calls and it’s a lot of text messages,” Vitello said. “It’s hearing no just as much as maybe an insurance salesman or … maybe a reporter looking for an interview that hears a no. So, dues have come in a different way. Hopefully, respect will be earned in different ways. The only way I know how to do that is through hard work.”
Along with the much lengthier schedule, Vitello will have to build relationships with the Giants’ veteran core, all of whom are well past their amateur days. Vitello has had casual back-and-forth conversations with several players and hopes to have some face-to-face time between now and spring training.
“I think we all want the same thing: to win,” Vitello said.