"Following the Giants' firing of Bob Melvin, Vitello boarded a flight to the East Coast on a recruiting trip. The plane had no Wi-Fi, leaving Vitello briefly disconnected to the world. Upon landing, a text message from Buster Posey awaited. 'The season had ended, they had made some moves, and I kind of just said, Oh hell' to myself. Here we go, this could be something,' Vitello recalled."
"I never dreamed of being a Major League Baseball player. I don't know why, Vitello said. I think it was just so far above the clouds that I never even saw it. And for me as a coach, I was just kind of trying to make my way. I got thrust into a position at a young age that I probably didn't even deserve. So I was just trying to do a good job."
Tony Vitello was introduced as the San Francisco Giants' 40th manager after Buster Posey's outreach following the firing of Bob Melvin. Vitello received the message while on a recruiting trip and sensed an opportunity upon landing. Vitello has no professional experience as a Major League player, coach, or manager. Vitello transformed Tennessee from an SEC bottom dweller into one of college baseball's top programs. Vitello describes the managerial role as a recent dream and expresses humility and a desire to do a good job. Giants leadership, including Posey and Zack Minasian, backed the hire as a gradual progression to this position.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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