What Tony Vitello said on Tennessee at his Giants introductory press conference  

Former Tennessee baseball national championship-winning coach Tony Vitello was introduced today to San Francisco fans and media as the new manager of the Giants.

During the 38-minute introductory press conference, Vitello was asked plenty about leaving Tennessee, his relationships in Knoxville and what made the Giants the right organization to take this step with. The skipper was also asked questions about the difference in college ball to the NL West and what his adjustments will be.

Below is the video of the entire Tony Vitello introductory press conference with the Giants from Thursday. A transcription of the most relevant topics for Tennessee fans is also provided.    

Vitello opening statement…

“Obviously, thank you to Buster (Posey), to Zach (Minasian), to Greg Johnson, Larry (Baer) – all the ownership, really all the organization and I know players feedback was important. That’s kind of where my whole deal has started, is with players. Gavin Kilen, who some of you may know, was fortunate enough to be a first round pick here and that’s where some of those conversations exist between the college level and the pro level. Obviously, something all those players are aspiring to do is make it to the big leagues. And as this process has gone on, it’s been funny. I’ve gotten a lot of text messages about living out your dream or somebody said ‘when you have baseball cards when you’re little, which I still have some – I don’t know if they’re worth anything or not – did you dream or you dreamed of being this?’

I never dreamed of being a major league baseball player. I don’t know why. My skill level wasn’t very high. 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. And fortunately, it helped get me to the next spot and the next spot and the next spot. And eventually, this did become a dream where I just kind of decided if I was blessed enough to receive an opportunity, this is something I wanted to do before I was done coaching in general. And now I’m incredibly humbled and blessed to do so.

So, it is a dream come true, but it’s a very recent dream. It wasn’t one I had for a while. And as much as I’d love to sit up here and promise things and pound my fist on the desk and all that – really, all I want to do is a good job. And I think because of being around my dad and being blessed around winning players, similar to Buster (Posey), those standards are very high. I know it’ll be a question later, I have spent some some time around this organization, either as a fan or just watching or, again, through business ways, I’m fully aware of the tradition that’s here and the excellence that’s been brought by managers like (Bruce) Bochy, Dusty Baker, the toughness from guys like (Madison) Baumgardner and (Sergio) Romo. The loyalty, which is incredibly important, (a) word to me and my family, which is epitomized by the guy to my right (Posey). The records that have been set by guys like (Willie) Mays and (Tim) Lincecum and everybody else.

The one thing that always got to me was the family, the sense of family that was a part of this organization. And one of the players I coached came up during Hunter Pence’s playing days and just talked about how good that guy was to everybody in the organization, especially younger aspiring players and rookies. So, there’s a lot to learn from the past. And there is very high expectations, very high standards to meet because of the past. And this is a challenge that’s been presented to me. I’m humbled and honored to be here in front of you today to take on that challenge.”

Vitello on a new challenge of coaching 162 games and not 56…

“I think it is completely different. Obviously, we didn’t waste any time. We got to the first question that everybody was maybe thinking and should ask, and it is very different. So, I think the one thing about each game unto itself, whether it’s high school, college, or pro, is it’s kind of got its own personality, its own flavor, and you have to adapt to that particular day, especially in our sport. The one common theme that I always – when I first started coaching that I didn’t like – is when you win, or I’m sorry, you lose 9-6, it’s the pitching let us down. And then when you lose 3-2, it’s the pitchers did their job, but the hitters didn’t hit. You win and lose as a team and every game, for whatever reason, kind of has its own vibe to it. And I feel every day is like that, too. And whether it’s 162 or 56 or whatever, baseball is a sport that is built on sample size. You have to be willing to set separate each one as a mutually exclusive one and attack it for what it is at that particular time. So, I wish I had an answer in my own head, to be honest with you, because as I first got here, I was like, man, there are a lot of unknowns and just a lot of wonder in my mind. And of course, you can ask people and draw on previous information, but until you live it out, you don’t know what it’s going to be like.”

Vitello on channeling his emotions and how his coaching style will fit with grown men with families just as it did with college students…

“I think one thing we did well at the places I’ve been, in particular Tennessee, was coach guys as individuals. I’ve always used the example in recruiting, you turn on a TV and watch a big league game – whether it’s last night or you’re watching the Giants play the Padres – you’re going to see nine different stances, four or five different deliveries and things like that. So, it’s not an exact parallel, but just kind of use an example of it’s got to be individualistic. Some of these guys are guys that I’ve recruited. I don’t know what the punishment running is, but Bryce (Eldridge) said no to Tennessee when I was there. So, we’ll have a separate conversation. But no, he’s a great kid, but to be honest with you, he’s exactly what I just got done doing a week ago.

And then climb the ladder and you get to a guy like Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer or somebody like that, I think those conversations are completely different. So, it’s an easy answer to say it’s individualistic because it’s kind of vague, but that’s truly what it is. And then falling back on my other answer, I do think you got to come to the office and vibe it out.

I think some of those conversations are a lot easier when things are going good and when they’re not. Buster (Posey) just kind of got done commenting on we’ll all work together. The whole goal is to create a bond here between everybody at the top all the way down to whatever you consider the bottom of the depth chart, and all have a bond strong enough that when Alex Gordon hits a triple, everybody is still on the same page and willing to get through that moment and come out victorious. I was at that game, by the way, behind home plate. It was rather intense, correct?”

Yeah, I’ll second that. It was.” (Posey)

Buster Posey and Zach Minasian on when the idea of Tony Vitello first came to be…

Posey: “I’ll start because I’ll give Zack credit. He was the one who first had the thought. I think that’s credit. Right? Yeah. But no, it’s so – I don’t remember the exact time, but once the season was over, started having conversations pretty casual to start with. A unique thing about this process was, and it’s one thing that I’ve come to really appreciate about Tony and honestly made me feel more confident in this decision is this guy, was he was hard to get ahold of because he was on the field all the time or he was bouncing from city to city recruiting. And just because this was on his plate, he was still full go with what his job was at Tennessee. And I have a tremendous amount of respect for that. I wish it was easier getting contact with you during those times sometimes. That’s a little bit of how it played out. Zach, you feel free to add onto that.

Minasian: “I would just say, as much as this feels out of the box, Tony’s name has been bouncing around Major League Baseball for a while. Fortunate to sit in the draft room and Tennessee’s program has been top-notch, which means there’s a lot of good players that we’re talking about year in and year out. I’ve been fortunate to go watch them and I think the nature of this job is you’re always evaluating everything. Not necessarily sitting here three years ago watching Tennessee play and (Drew) Gilbert om centerfield and (Chase) Dollander pitching saying ‘one day we’re going to hire Tony as a manager.’ But you get a sense of how he goes about it, his passion, his intellect, his care. I mean, he talks a lot about family. And those are things that we talk about. But I think starting the process, you really want to try and build as big a list as you can. There’s a lot of talented people out there. And as we started to go through it and started to go through it, it’s back and there’s no better coming back to this one would be really interesting. And it just got even more and more interesting as we continue to speak.”

Vitello on the lack of ‘paying his MLB dues’ before getting the job…

“More just touching base and pretty cool that some of those guys beat me to the punch and reached out to me first, but just some casual going back and forth. And I think we all want the same thing. (on current Giants reaching out to him)  It’s to win. That’s where the conversations have started to this point. Normally it’s recruiting in college, you’re going to see people face to face. I think it’s good that there’s some time between now and spring training for me to maybe go out and, wouldn’t be able to do it with the whole roster, but do spend some time face to face with those guys. Earn their trust or their respect in a different way.

Because I can’t go back in time and be a switch hitter or be a catcher or anything like that. But I am very sensitive, with all due respect, to the phrase pay your dues. The other coaches in our league and across the country. Cliff Godwin is the coach at East Carolina. He reached out last night because Max (Scherzer). 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. It’s hearing ‘no’ just as much as maybe an insurance salesman or whoever else – or maybe a reporter looking for an interview that hears a no.

So, dues have come in a different way and hopefully respect will be earned in different ways. The only way I know how to do that is through hard work.”

Vitello on the decision-making process to join the Giants and leave Tennessee…

“It’s relationships. I don’t have a bread and butter. And to be honest with you, just mentioned work ethic. I joke. I mean, I had decent skills, and I don’t know that I have many skills to offer in baseball and sorry if that lowers expectations around here. I think for whatever reason, I clicked on pitching a little bit when scouting. Maybe a few guys maybe hit the nail on the head there, but I’ve just tried to work hard and I think no matter what field it is. Probably everyone here knows from the media it’s not easy, it’s hard work. You all have a job to do, too. And the harder you work, the more you have success and the more you also figure out what doesn’t work and trial and error and things like that. So, that’s a long lead into a lot of relationships and a lot of work were put into that. It’s a phenomenal place to live, work. Like here, the one similarity I saw is the fan base is arguably the best in the country for who they are. And you end up creating a bond if you do put in the work with those people where there’s a reciprocation for everything you give to them, you get back. I don’t know what number you want to attach to it, but you get back. And then I started my rambling at the beginning by talking about players. I owe everything to the coaches that have given me opportunities, like Tim Jamison, who I played for (Missouri), and he gave me my first coaching job, but more to the players that have competed the way they have when I’ve been fortunate enough to be in the dugout. And then you get some credit. Those relationships are tough and no one wants to see that team go to Omaha more than me – that’s in Tennessee. But I’ll tell you whose wins I’d enjoy way more than Tennessee’s (is the) San Francisco Giants.”

Vitello on things he wants to bring from college to MLB…

“I think there’s a trade back and forth off the cuff. I don’t want to say the wrong one. I’m around big league guys up here, but I think in college, it’s so important to build relationships with these kids because they’re at a vulnerable part in their life where they’re so impressionable and they need to be able to come forward to you with things that maybe don’t even relate to baseball. In every all walks of life, any kind of business we’re in, one of the most innovative and aggressive areas of business in the world, really. So, whether it’s that or with baseball, relationships are so important. And so, I’m sure that’s being done at this level. I just think it’s a different perspective that either I can bring or other coaches can bring. I’ll also say this, you look at guys like Christian Moore who are almost immediately in the big leagues and obviously Paul Skenes is having success and things like that. I think the two are kind of melting together. And trust me, the college base– I wouldn’t vote myself to be the pioneer of college baseball, but I think one thing that can come out of this is it be one step further of the two. Kind of melting together and MLB supporting college baseball and doing things for it and college baseball interacting with MLB and seeing how those two things can kind of, call it melt or bridge together, I think could be very, very beneficial to the game. especially since some of the minor league teams have been taken away. And also, especially since college baseball has risen in popularity so much, there is real star power and the fan following has kind of matched that. And some of those guys are in the big leagues two months after they get drafted.”