San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello just got thrown under the bus by his GM
Former Tennessee Volunteers baseball coach Tony Vitello, who is in his first season in the big leagues, has had to put out quite a few fires during his first few months as the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
One of the biggest “controversies” that former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello has had to deal with in his first season as the manager of the San Francisco Giants has centered around infielder Bryce Eldridge and his playing time.
Eldridge, one of the Giants’ top prospects, was recalled to the big leagues on May 4, but he’s received inconsistent playing time over the last couple of weeks, leading some folks to question if calling him up was the right move.
The Virginia native is hitting .179 with just two extra-base hits and two RBIs while playing sporadically.
“I don’t like that personally, and I’m not sure how they’re gonna figure that out, but it’s so hard to learn the big leagues, and this is a prospect that you’re looking at being a franchise kind of guy,” said former Giants outfielder Hunter Pence this week on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show. “He’s got that kind of talent. He’s still so young. I would want him playing every day, personally.”
Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey addressed Eldridge’s playing time during a tense interview with KNBR.
“You’re trying to get the 21-year-old in the best spots you can,” said Posey. “Hopefully, everybody sees, too, the positive that Casey Schmitt’s playing as well as he is. The other guys, I think Bryce was going to originally have some time playing for, are going to be some of our veterans who started to pick up as well.”
Giants GM throws Tony Vitello under the bus
The big question that fans have been asking about Eldridge is, “Who is responsible for deciding when Bryce Eldridge is in the lineup?”
Some fans have speculated that Posey and the Giants’ front office is making the lineup decisions, while others suggest it’s Vitello.
On Sunday, former MLB general manager turned analyst Jim Bowden revealed that Giants general manager Zack Minasian, who works under Posey, told him that Vitello is responsible for Eldridge’s uneven playing time.
I think two things are true here: Eldridge needs to play every day to reach his potential (the same is true for all young big leaguers), and Vitello has to put a lineup out that he believes can win each day. If Vitello doesn’t think Eldridge gives the Giants the best chance to win that day, then why put him in the lineup? It may not be what’s best for Eldridge’s development, but again, Vitello has to try to win each day.
That’s why I was surprised to hear the Giants general manager essentially put the blame on Vitello for the way Eldridge is being handled (it was the front office’s decision, after all, to recall Eldridge).
Vitello’s undoubtedly off to a rocky start in MLB, and stuff like this won’t make his journey any smoother.
Who knows, maybe Vitello is reconsidering his relationship with Tennessee athletic director Danny White after experiencing life in the big leagues with general managers who are quick to throw managers under the bus…