San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello, the fan favorite former Tennessee Vols baseball coach, has had an eventful week.

Vitello has been the victim of a media firestorm this week that arose simply because the former Tennessee coach spoke his mind about some reporting from last fall that he didn’t agree with.

The media folks making a big deal about Vitello’s comments will eventually move on to other things to complain about, but for at least a few days, Vitello has been at the center of the MLB universe during spring training.

Considering Vitello’s outspoken style, this probably won’t be the last time he’s the center of media attention. In fact, Vitello could once again be in the spotlight if a new MLB rule is passed.

Tony Vitello could be part of the reason that a new MLB rule gets passed

Vitello, according to The Athletic, is planning to bring a little piece of the college game to the Giants’ dugout.

The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly noted this week that Vitello and the Giants could call pitches, at times, from the dugout this season.

“Vitello said last week, for now he is reserving the right to call pitches from the dugout at times and take the onus off catcher Patrick Bailey,” wrote Baggarly.

It’s not something that’s going to happen all the time — Giants catcher Patrick Bailey is an elite all-around catcher who excels at calling games — but it’s something Vitello will utilize when it makes sense.

“There’s a lot of guys that were not happy with last year, right?” said Vitello to The Athletic. “This is a mutually exclusive year, but the past does have an influence, and I think some of these guys are using last year’s frustrations, whether they were in the minor leagues or at the big-league level, as motivation to be better prepared and to be a little hungrier this year. I think there’s an openness to trying new things….I don’t think it’s going to be a hard-line rule. Patrick Bailey is who he is and the flow of the game is crucial. It’ll be case by case, and it’s something we’ll roll through in spring training, but if you’re going to put me on the spot, I’ll say occasionally, yeah, we’ll do it.”

MLB teams obviously game plan for each night’s lineup, but catchers and pitchers (thanks to the PitchCom) almost exclusively call pitches. One exception, which started last season, is the Miami Marlins, who began calling pitches from the dugout under manager Clayton McCullough.

The Colorado Rockies, according to Baggarly, are also considering a similar approach.

One problem with this approach is that MLB teams currently have to signal the pitches from the dugout — only players on the field are allowed to use the PitchCom devices.

“You just need to have a PitchCom in the dugout for a coach to press,” said Bailey to The Athletic. “I think it’s pretty stupid if teams are doing that, that a coach can’t push a button. There’s nothing a catcher can do that a coach can’t do.”

The feeling, at least from what I can glean, is that Vitello will mostly use this strategy on nights when Bailey isn’t playing, or in certain situational moments with Bailey (such as when an unexpected pinch hitter enters the game).

Vitello is known for speaking his mind (as Giants fans learned this week). And since a PitchCom device in the dugout would make this whole process easier for everyone, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Vitello loudly shares some thoughts at some point to help get the rule changed.

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