The San Francisco Giants are one of many extra venturesome groups in MLB, so it’s no shock they’ve been trying into the faculty ranks of their newest seek for a brand new supervisor. This has hardly ever been executed earlier than within the historical past of MLB, and the bizarre situations have been all that memorable. So, it will take a really particular baseball coach to make the speedy bounce from campus to the Present.
Enter into the image: present Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello, the 47-year-old sparkplug who simply led this system to its first Faculty World Sequence title in 2024.
You’ve bought folks from each side of the diamond, from each the professional and school recreation, with a unique perception system right here. Some actually consider Vitello needs to dip his toes into the best degree of organized baseball on this planet, whereas others say it’s a ploy to get extra money out of the higher-ups at Rocky Prime.
It’s a really fascinating argument, however Giants President of Baseball Operations (and former Giants’ nice) Buster Posey has given Vitello a proper contract provide. And that’s placing it kindly about Posey; he’ll go down as the most effective catchers in MLB historical past. If anybody is aware of expertise, and it prepared to make an enormous splash like this, it’s Posey.
We predict a yes-or-no determination any day now, so let’s reply among the questions surrounding this scorching subject:
Why is Tony Vitello Being Sought by the San Francisco Giants?
Vitello compiled a formidable 341-131 (72.2 win%), together with the 2024 Faculty World Sequence title. His enthusiastic teaching model can be a welcome change in some ways for the Giants, who’ve sometimes been a pitching/defense-first kind of group.
San Fran does have a stupendous ballpark, but it surely’s not constructed for hitting. Maybe Posey sees a approach for Vitello to get probably the most out of this Giants group.
Would Tony Vitello Conflict with Rafael Devers on the San Francisco Giants?
That may be must-see TV! Significantly, we’ve got no approach of realizing precisely what’s going to occur throughout an MLB season. These guys play 162 video games, journey, they usually’re all the time round one another; conditions like this might occur.
Nonetheless, it actually is attention-grabbing that the San Francisco Giants simply acquired Rafael Devers final season. If you happen to bear in mind, Devers had an enormous problem not taking part in third base for the Boston Purple Sox, and the group needed him to play first base, which he refused. This was an ongoing saga for a short time, however the Purple Sox finally shipped Devers throughout the nation in alternate for mediocre gamers (at greatest) and the Giants taking over his wage.
Vitello has a really energetic character, whereas Devers is within the “I’m a veteran, go away me alone” stage of his profession, so the record of potential outcomes ranges from the 2 being long-lost greatest pals to there being a full-blown dugout wrestling match in a June recreation towards the Dodgers. As I mentioned, it will be must-see TV.
Is Tony Vitello Attempting to Get a Larger Contract from College of Tennessee?
There are not any confirmed stories, solely rumors, about whether or not Tony Vitello is attempting to get an even bigger contract out of the College of Tennessee.
At present, Vitello has an annual $3 million deal at Tennessee, which even features a $3 million buyout ought to he go away.
Some rumors have circulated that Vitello would really like a deal related that units him up at Rocky Prime for all times, and that’s not the spiciest rumor we’ve ever heard. In actuality, Vitello seemingly needs to ensure he has nothing to fret about for the remainder of his skilled profession – in return for not taking the final word shot at a dream MLB job.
Do Any Former Tennessee Volunteers Play for the San Francisco Giants?
The San Francisco Giants chosen Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen within the first spherical of the 2025 beginner draft.
On the 2025 commerce deadline, the group acquired outfielder Drew Gilbert and pitcher Blade Tidwell (who have been each recruited by Vitello) from the New York Mets. Gilbert hit .190 with 3 HR and 13 RBI in 39 video games this season, whereas Tidwell had a 9.00 ERA over 15 innings (4 appearances).
Have Any Different Faculty Baseball Coaches Made the Soar to MLB Supervisor?
The final school baseball coach to leap straight from school baseball head coach to MLB supervisor was Dick Houser, who coached one season at Florida State College in 1979 earlier than managing the New York Yankees the next season in 1980. Houser would handle the Yankees for 4 seasons, main them to a 346-250 (.581 win%) and the ALCS in 1980; he would win the 1985 World Sequence with the Kansas Metropolis Royals.
Jack Stallings managed Florida State from 1966-75 earlier than heading to North of the border to handle the Montreal Expos from 1976-77. He owned a 61-104 profession document (.370 win%) and was fired after the 1977 season.
Most just lately, Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers has been included on this dialogue. Murphy’s Brewers simply completed the 2025 MLB common season with a league-high 97 wins earlier than falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers within the NLCS. Murphy was head coach at Arizona State College for 3 completely different stints (1976-1983, 1985-1989, 1994-2015).
Nonetheless, Murphy didn’t make the direct bounce from school head coach to MLB supervisor like Vitello may probably have executed. Murphy hung out because the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers’ bench coach earlier than his present function.
