Giants sign Vitello to manage

[hermanotarjeta]

Wow, first time a college coach with no MLB experience has been plucked to coach in the big leagues.

Still won’t be able to beat the best team in their division……

[mfw13]

It's a gamble by Posey, to be sure.

And no Giants fan, myself included, expects them to be able to beat the Dodgers until the Giants actually start developing some quality prospects.

[hermanotarjeta]

Hopefully this gamble is a sparkplug that ignites the organization. I have to admit, I don’t watch Tennessee baseball but I hear good things about their program. I wonder if anything positive can translate to the MLB level - or does managing really affect the outcome of the game? We’ll see.

I just know fan enthusiasm for the Giants has been dead for the last decade. They need to do something drastic and maybe this is a good start.

[mfw13]

It all comes down to player development.

And aside from Logan Webb, the Giants haven't developed anybody since the Cain/Lincecum/MadBum/Posey/Sandoval group 15 years ago!

Signing Adames & Chapman is great, and trading for Devers was great, but they need to develop a SUPERSTAR if they're going to be anything other than an occasional Wild Card team.

[awz50]

I'm a doubter this will work out, hope I'm proved wrong

[duwal]

Originally Posted by mfw13

It all comes down to player development.

And aside from Logan Webb, the Giants haven't developed anybody since the Cain/Lincecum/MadBum/Posey/Sandoval group 15 years ago!

Signing Adames & Chapman is great, and trading for Devers was great, but they need to develop a SUPERSTAR if they're going to be anything other than an occasional Wild Card team.

not necessarily, look at how dynamic the Dodgers are and hardly anyone on current roster aside from maybe Will Smith are potential stars that were draft and came in through the organization. Their success has been from free agency, signing overseas players and crafty financial managing

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by mfw13

It's a gamble by Posey, to be sure.

And no Giants fan, myself included, expects them to be able to beat the Dodgers until the Giants actually start developing some quality prospects.

Yeah, I would have just stuck with Melvin -- the Giants have a veteran-heavy team who might not work well with a young college coach.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

I just know fan enthusiasm for the Giants has been dead for the last decade.

Their attendance figures actually increased quite dramatically last season:

Attendance per game:

2023: 30,866
2024: 32,688
2025: 36,121 (7th in MLB)

Fans got excited about the team during their good first half this season -- they were 41-29 and in 1st place in the division on June 13th -- and after they traded for Rafael Devers. Finishing .500 again and the firing of Bob Melvin was definitely a step back in terms of fan optimism and enthusiasm -- attendance figures might fall back again in 2026.

When you're competing in the division with an all-time powerhouse like the Dodgers and a playoff team like the current Padres, there is not much to be hopeful for -- the D-Backs couldn't even find a way to make it back to the postseason after their trip to the World Series in 2023.

[fabiani12333]

The Giants were a combined 7-19 against the Dodgers and Padres this season -- minus 56 run differential.

The Dodgers and Padres are just better teams -- no new manager hire is going to change that.

[Skipscards]

Surprised they are just throwing him right in. Though not the exact same thing, the Padres brought Pat Murphy from ASU and he climbed the ranks pretty quickly to become a big league manager.

[Tom Oates]

Originally Posted by duwal

not necessarily, look at how dynamic the Dodgers are and hardly anyone on current roster aside from maybe Will Smith are potential stars that were draft and came in through the organization. Their success has been from free agency, signing overseas players and crafty financial managing

You forgot Kershaw...and claiming players off the waiver wire like Max Muncy. ...and smart trades like Mookie Betts. The Dodgers don't yield one or two methods. They leverage every possible avenue to improve their roster. Meanwhile, some teams pocket their revenue sharing money and field mediocre, or worse, teams.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Their attendance figures actually increased quite dramatically last season:

Attendance per game:

2023: 30,866
2024: 32,688
2025: 36,121 (7th in MLB)

Fans got excited about the team during their good first half this season -- they were 41-29 and in 1st place in the division on June 13th -- and after they traded for Rafael Devers. Finishing .500 again and the firing of Bob Melvin was definitely a step back in terms of fan optimism and enthusiasm -- attendance figures might fall back again in 2026.

When you're competing in the division with an all-time powerhouse like the Dodgers and a playoff team like the current Padres, there is not much to be hopeful for -- the D-Backs couldn't even find a way to make it back to the postseason after their trip to the World Series in 2023.

Giants fans come out because they live in one of the wealthiest areas in the country - people live in multimillion dollar houses and they value their leisure time - they are no longer the blue collar workers who used to go to candlestick. But the general feel is that they are nowhere near able to compete, from what I sense.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Giants fans come out because they live in one of the wealthiest areas in the country - people live in multimillion dollar houses and they value their leisure time - they are no longer the blue collar workers who used to go to candlestick. But the general feel is that they are nowhere near able to compete, from what I sense.

I mean, the Giants didn't draw many fans during their years at cold and windy Candlestick. It's why they almost left San Francisco multiple times until they got their current ownership group, signed Barry Bonds, and built their current ball park with private money -- no tax-payer handout.

The Giants had a franchise-record 107 wins in 2021. It was a fun season, but since then, they've been consistently a .500 ball club. The fans know the franchise has been stuck in neutral for seasons now, while the rest of the teams in the division have at least had flashes of success (aside from the putrid Rockies).

The Dodgers have been the class of the division for over a decade now, winning the division 12 of the last 13 seasons -- the aforementioned historic 107-win Giants season being the lone division loss. That doesn't seem to be changing any time soon, so Giants fans are probably resigned to their team's fate. The team had their golden era of baseball in the early-to-mid 2010s, winning 3 championship in 5 seasons. So, the fans are probably more content than other team's fans. Plus, like you implied, they have plenty of other more worthwhile things to do in Northern California than following a .500 baseball team.

[panamamyers]

Originally Posted by Skipscards

Surprised they are just throwing him right in. Though not the exact same thing, the Padres brought Pat Murphy from ASU and he climbed the ranks pretty quickly to become a big league manager.

Pat Murphy was forced to resign at ASU.
There is no way Vitello would come in to be anything other than a major league manager.
Murphy made the college world series once in his first ten years at ASU. Vitello made it three times in seven years and won one

[Handsome Wes]

Originally Posted by panamamyers

Pat Murphy was forced to resign at ASU.
There is no way Vitello would come in to be anything other than a major league manager.
Murphy made the college world series once in his first ten years at ASU. Vitello made it three times in seven years and won one

Also with Murphy, he was brought in because he had decades of experience on the bench -- which was the perfect complement to brand-new manager Craig Counsell. It should be mentioned that Murphy happened to be Counsell's college baseball coach.

[SaveMeTheGum]

Posey probably figures he can get 3 years for the risk of 2 with the lockout looming. This feels like a "change the way things are done" attempt. I have a hard time thinking this can work, but wouldn't be the first time I'm wrong. Good luck managing Devers...

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by SaveMeTheGum

Posey probably figures he can get 3 years for the risk of 2 with the lockout looming. This feels like a "change the way things are done" attempt. I have a hard time thinking this can work, but wouldn't be the first time I'm wrong. Good luck managing Devers...

Yes, Divars will be a YUGE challenge.

[Tastybrisket10]

A head-scratching move for sure but wish for success for coach, what a great opportunity for him leaving what I am sure he thought was a career-ending position already at Tennessee.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by Tastybrisket10

A head-scratching move for sure but wish for success for coach, what a great opportunity for him leaving what I am sure he thought was a career-ending position already at Tennessee.

I suppose he’s leaving at the pinnacle, like George Costanza after a funny joke.

[erock28]

Originally Posted by Tom Oates

You forgot Kershaw...and claiming players off the waiver wire like Max Muncy. ...and smart trades like Mookie Betts. The Dodgers don't yield one or two methods. They leverage every possible avenue to improve their roster. Meanwhile, some teams pocket their revenue sharing money and field mediocre, or worse, teams.

Don't kid yourself. The Dodgers have a MASSIVE revenue advantage over every other team in the league. A part of that is team popularity and market size yes, but the lions share is their ridiculous TV contract and the Ohtani factor. Their 2025 revenue is guessed to be somewhere in the $1B range, whereas the Brewers are $350M. All other factors equal, they could spend $650M more than Milwaukee on payroll/tax alone and come out with similar profit margins. Smith is a superstar who was drafted and developed by LA. Kershaw is a legendary pitcher also drafted and developed by LA, but has had minimal impact on the 24/25 clubs. Yes, Betts was a steal via trade - but there were only a couple teams in the market because guess what? He had a massive contract extension coming. They BOUGHT Snell, Yamamoto, Ohtani, Freeman, Hernandez - and even argue they got Glasnow via the Mookie trade route. The Dodgers leverage exactly one avenue - money.

I'm not whining, just spouting facts. What the Dodgers do isn't illegal in any way shape or form. The team could spend $200M on payroll and be a profit machine, but they buy everyone and put it into players to try and win championships. That's commendable in a sense, and I sure as hell would appreciate it if I were a fan. But turning a blind eye to their revenue advantage and scolding others for pocketing a few million is ridiculous. If the economics of the game don't change through the next CBA in 2027, the game will die.

[Skipscards]

Originally Posted by panamamyers

Pat Murphy was forced to resign at ASU.
There is no way Vitello would come in to be anything other than a major league manager.
Murphy made the college world series once in his first ten years at ASU. Vitello made it three times in seven years and won one

All true, which is why I said not the exact same thing. My point is, he’s an example of a College coach who, so far, has turned out to be pretty solid as a big league manager.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by duwal

not necessarily, look at how dynamic the Dodgers are and hardly anyone on current roster aside from maybe Will Smith are potential stars that were draft and came in through the organization. Their success has been from free agency, signing overseas players and crafty financial managing

That's because they trade away a lot of those prospects to get guys like Betts (and Scherzer and Trea Turner).

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Skipscards

Surprised they are just throwing him right in. Though not the exact same thing, the Padres brought Pat Murphy from ASU and he climbed the ranks pretty quickly to become a big league manager.

The biggest concern with this hire is Vitello has literally no big league experience, whether it be as a player, coach or manager.

Murphy had plenty of big league experience before becoming the Brewers' manager -- he was the interim manager for the Padres in 2015, for example.

[fabiani12333]

On a related note, it seems like the league is ushering out the boomer managers -- Bochy, Melvin, Washington -- for a newer generation of younger managers -- Vitello and Suzuki.

If you ask me to try and name all the managers in MLB, I'd have a hard time to doing it -- that wasn't the case a decade ago. It's kind of weird that Aaron Boone and Dave Roberts are by probably the most well-known managers at this point -- it feels different from iconic managers of the past like Tony LaRussa and Dusty Baker.

[Skipscards]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

The biggest concern with this hire is Vitello has literally no big league experience, whether it be as a player, coach or manager.

Murphy had plenty of big league experience before becoming the Brewers' manager -- he was the interim manager for the Padres in 2015, for example.

I was referring to his climbing the Padres ranks.

I think it’s an interesting experiment. I also think, over time, this will happen more often as the NIL world morphs college sports into de facto professional sports.