The Giants just played the Reds and it’s very clear that things are not okay between Tony Vitello and former Vols RHP Chase Burns
Cincinnati Reds RHP Chase Burns started his career with the Tennessee Vols before landing with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Burns was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello, who is in his first season as the manager of the San Francisco Giants, faced off against one of his old players this week.
But this wasn’t a welcome reunion between two old friends.
Vitello and the Giants traveled to Ohio for a midweek three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.
After dropping the first two games of the series, the Giants faced former Vols RHP Chase Burns on Thursday.
Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, spent the first two seasons of his career at Tennessee before transferring to Wake Forest.
The Tennessee native left Knoxville after he was moved to the bullpen during his sophomore season.
There’s no love lost between Chase Burns and Tony Vitello
Burns threw six shutout innings against the Giants, but the Reds’ bullpen couldn’t finish the job and San Francisco won the game 3-0.
After the game, Burns was asked by a reporter if he caught up with Vitello at all this week.
Burns quickly made it clear that he doesn’t talk to Vitello.
“No, I don’t talk to him,” said Burns when asked if he spoke to Vitello this week. “I have some guys over there, though. Q, the strength coach (former Vols baseball strength coach Quentin Eberhardt), I chatted it up with him. That’s about it.”
“No thoughts to that really,” added Burns when asked if it was nice to pitch well against Vitello’s team. “It doesn’t really matter, just go out there and do my job.”
Vitello didn’t say much about Burns after the game on Thursday, but he did note that there were comments shouted from the Giants’ dugout about Burns possibly balking at one point during the game.
In the third inning, Burns threw over to first base and nearly picked off Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert, his former Vols teammate.
On the next pitch, Burns came set fairly quickly before getting Giants catcher Patrick Bailey to ground into an inning-ending double play. Someone from the Giants’ dugout yelled that it was a balk as Burns delivered the pitch. Vitello then had a brief argument with one of the umpires.
Chase Burns hasn’t talked much about his time at Tennessee
Burns hasn’t said much about his time at Tennessee since leaving Rocky Top after the 2023 season, though he did admit it was “weird” seeing the Vols win the College World Series in 2024.
“Yeah, it was weird seeing them win it, but I’m thinking about the long-term goals,” said Burns last year. “It’s awesome that those guys won the national championship, and I’m happy for them, but a national championship wouldn’t have helped me develop and be the starter that I want to be.”
“I wish I would have won a national championship, of course, but not everybody can say they went second overall,” added Burns. “It plays hand in hand. I’m happy that they won that, and they deserve it all, but I’m also happy for myself and my hard work.”
Maybe Burns and Vitello will bury the hatchet one day down the road. It doesn’t sound like that’s going to happen anytime soon, though.