SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Tony Vitello’s day opened when his players spoiled the suspense of the USA men’s hockey team’s gold medal victory Sunday morning, got to meet new Hall of Famer Jeff Kent, had a fire alarm go off during their game, witnessed the most bizarre play of his life, won a spring-training game, and ended with one of his childhood heroes, Chicago Cubs Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe, stopping by afterwards to say hello.
Vitello knew life would be different as the first man to go straight from a college to major league manager with the San Francisco Giants, but nothing quite prepared him for this.
Each day this spring has been a learning experience for Vitello. He painfully discovered where not to stand in the dugout during games in his spring-training opener Saturday, and then was reminded Sunday not to live-stream a sporting event on your iPhone when you’ve got a clubhouse full of players watching on live TV.
Vitello was in the middle of rules meetings in the second level of the Giants’ clubhouse with the USA-Canada hockey game playing on his cell phone. He was intensely watching the action, bracing himself for overtime, when he heard his players screaming and shouting, and breaking into USA-USA-USA chants.
So when he finally saw Jack Hughes score the overtime game-winner for the United States’ first Olympic hockey gold medal since the “The Miracle on Ice’ team, he already knew the outcome.
“When you’re streaming stuff,’’ said Vitello, a Blues fan growing up in St. Louis, “you better be careful where you’re sitting. Their reaction was pretty loud. Pretty awesome to see those guys get awarded the gold medal, pretty special to hear the anthem. Maybe that kind of sets the tone for the WBC (World Baseball Classic).’’
While his players may have ruined his own suspense, it was a lot less painful than his Cactus League debut Saturday against the Seattle Mariners in Peoria, Arizona, when he was smoked in the left shin by a foul ball by Mariners outfielder Jared Sundstrom
“I’ve had a broken face twice from baseballs as a coach,’’ Vitello said. “I’ll be standing in a different place next time.”
Then, after the events of Sunday, who could blame Vitello — who had never even attended a spring-training game as a fan, let alone as a player or coach — for wondering if someone has a warped sense of humor initiating him into MLB spring training?
Vitello has witnessed some bizarre things in his 25-year career as a collegiate coach, but the first inning of his first home game as Giants manager could be the ultimate.
It began with the Scottsdale Stadium loudspeakers blaring that an emergency had been reported, with the announcement: “Please cease operations and leave the building.’’
Dozens of fans took the advice and scurried for the exits, but crew chief Bill Miller told Giants’ veteran starter Robbie Ray to stay put and keep pitching. The game continued even with the announcement recurring for at least five minutes.
“You’re trying to play, but your family’s in the stands,’’ Vitello said. “I’m a condo guy, when the fire alarm goes off, you just assume somebody pulled it or something like that. But that was a little bit of a dicey situation.’’
It turned out that someone was smoking in the bathroom, triggering the alarm
“That fire alarm kind of rattled me,’’ Ray said. “To be honest, I thought we were just going to wait it out. … I’m looking up in the stands and people are filing out of the stands, and I’m like, we’re just going to play through this.’’
The bizarro world was just starting, triggering a play that has never happened in the history of a major-league regular season game.
It was a triple play that actually started on a base hit, turning a single into a 4-3-6-5 triple play.
“A triple play on a base hit,’’ Ray said, “I’ve never seen that.’’
Said Giants third baseman Matt Chapman: “That’ll be a glitch in the Matrix.’
It began with Cubs leadoff hitter Matt Shaw walking, stealing second, and Alex Bregman drawing a walk. Seiya Suzuki then hit a single to shallow right field, fielded by second baseman Luis Arraez. Arraez threw home, but third baseman Rafael Devers cut off the throw, and threw out Suzuki trying to reach second. Shortstop Willy Adames, noticing that Shaw never tried to run home and was standing on third base, along with Bregman, ran to third base and tagged out Bregman. He handed the ball to Chapman, and then, inexplicably, Shaw walked off the bag towards the Cubs’ dugout. Chapman tagged him, and Shaw was called out, too.
“I still don’t know what happened,’’ Adames said.
Ray, realizing he just pitched the most outlandish 1-2-3 inning of his life, couldn’t stop laughing when he reached the dugout and guys were yelling, “Way to get out of it.’’
Normalcy returned the rest of the afternoon, and after the first two games of Vitello’s career, the Giants are undefeated, with a clubhouse that has a whole lot of believers in Vitello.
“It’s definitely different in here,’’ said Ray, 34, the Giants’ oldest player. “He’s unique because he just brings a different energy every day. It’s infectious. And he does stuff you don’t necessarily see other managers do.’’
When the Giants take infield, or have fielding practice for pitchers, Vitello isn’t just standing idly by leaning on his fungo bat or talking to coaches. He’s taking grounders with them, or covering first base, or taking cutoffs.
“I think he’s going crazy,’’ Adames said, laughing. “Nah, he’s enjoying it. He has a lot of energy. He’s very intense. And he loves to work.
“He’s been amazing for us in terms of bringing the energy and trying to push everybody to be better. I think that’s something that we needed. I believe he’s going to be great for us.’’
The fundamentals, with as many as 25 players on the field participating in drills, reminds veteran scouts of the college ranks, but, hey, it’s what Vitello knows. And certainly it worked with Vitello turning Tennessee into a national power, and winning the NCAA championship in 2024.
“It’s different, but it’s cool,’’ Chapman said. “He’s got that young energy and good vibe. I think he’s really going to inspire this group.’’
While Vitello has been criticized at times for his rambling media sessions, bringing up stories from his college coaching days, and chastising reporters early in the week for prematurely reporting that he had accepted the Giants’ managerial job, the players don’t seem to mind one bit.
In fact, they’ve embraced him.
“I love the guy,’’ Giants veteran starter Tyler Mahle said. “He’s got all of that energy, and that’s what you look for in a manager, right? You like to talk to someone who’s fiery. He’s someone you can connect with like a friend or a teammate, but he’s also going to be get on somebody’s (butt), too.
“I mean it’s early. There’s going to be some growing pains. But he’s exactly someone you want as manager. I really think he’s going to do a great job for us.’’
Certainly, no manager will draw more scrutiny than Vitello all season. There are plenty of managers furious that he landed the job without paying his dues in the minors or on a coaching staff. There are veteran managers upset that he’s being paid $3.5 million a year, which is more than twice the amount any first-year manager has ever been paid. There are those who want him to fail for fear that it could open the door for more collegiate coaches following him directly into managerial positions.
“I love the move myself,’’ one rival GM said. “I think it’s creative. I think it’s bold. But would I have had the guts to do it? No (expletive) way.’’
The folks at Tennessee watched Vitello turn the Vols into a power, and believe he’ll have the same impact with the Giants, who haven’t had a winning season since 2021. They’re disappointed he left, but will forever have his back.
“People absolutely loved him, just a personal guy, taking pictures, signing autographs,’’ said Mark Smith, a longtime Tennessee booster who was wearing a Vols championship T-shirt at the game. “I know people want to know why he left Tennessee, but that’s a moot point now. I think it’s just people looking for controversy.
“You know everything he does will be under the microscope times 1,000. If he makes the right move, people will say, ‘Well, he got lucky.’ If he makes a bad move, it will be, ‘See, we told you he’s not ready for it.’ That’s not fair.
“I think he’ll be great.’’
Vitello won’t be afraid to be unconventional, willing to try different things. There will be times he’ll call pitches from the bench, like he’s a college coach. They’ll be aggressive, perhaps regardless of the score. He’ll experiment with the lineup.
For now, he’s just trying to get comfortable, getting to know his players, and understand what this big-league life is all about.
“There’s a lot of people, and there’s a lot to juggle,’’ Vitello says. “We’ve had conversations about trying to see as much as you can, and learn as much as you can, especially with personnel. I don’t think anything too drastic.
“It’s just something will pop up on the radar screen that’s like, ‘Well, I used to do that, but I don’t do that now.’ Like, I’ve got enough help around here. I feel like I don’t even have to tie my shoes if I didn’t want to.
“I feel comfortable, but I don’t know, you don’t want to get too comfortable. It’s probably not a good thing.’’
Certainly, not in this business, where there are 10 new managers than a year ago.
But then again, there has never been a hire like Vitello, either.
“I was so excited to see him hired because I’ve seen Tennessee play, and I’ve seen the kind of energy they have on the field,’’ Giants infielder Casey Schmitt says. “You can see that same energy here. There’s definitely a different kind of vibe here, a different kind of energy.
“I know people are curious to see how this will work, but I think this is going to be great for us. Everyone is going to see the impact he makes.’’
Now, if he can just survive this crazy spring training.
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