'I was freaking out' – Tony Vitello explains his brief panic moment in Tennessee's series-opening win against Texas A&M
Tennessee Vols head baseball coach Tony Vitello had a brief moment of panic on Friday night in UT's dominant series-opening win against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Volunteers run-ruled the Aggies in Lindsey Nelson Stadium, winning 10-0 in seven innings while allowing zero hits (it was Tennessee's second no-hitter of the season). Vitello's moment of […]
Tennessee Vols head baseball coach Tony Vitello had a brief moment of panic on Friday night in UT's dominant series-opening win against the Texas A&M Aggies.
The Volunteers run-ruled the Aggies in Lindsey Nelson Stadium, winning 10-0 in seven innings while allowing zero hits (it was Tennessee's second no-hitter of the season).
Vitello's moment of panic came in the sixth inning when left-handed starting pitcher Liam Doyle had to be checked out on the mound for what turned out to be a blister on his throwing hand.
"Just a blister," said Vitello when asked about Doyle after the game. "I was freaking out because you want to make good decisions… you don't really know what's a good decision until the scoreboard tells you, and sometimes the scoreboard is a liar — not just for me but for everybody. You want to put the guys in position to succeed, and he's always going to want to be out there….it probably was time to get him out (of the game)."
"Like I said, I was freaking out," added Vitello. "Very poor composure. I didn't know what was going on at first. And then Frank (Anderson) just calmly went out there, and we didn't get charged a visit because it was kind of a health check-up, and there wasn't really anything you could do for it. It was just causing a little bit of a distraction, if you will, more than anything."
Vitello also noted that it's the first time that Doyle has dealt with a blister issue.
Doyle told reporters after the game that the blister is "nothing to worry about" while adding that he'll be good to go for next weekend's series in Oxford against Ole Miss.
You can't blame Vitello for "freaking out" on Friday night. Anytime your ace has to be checked out mid-inning, while in the midst of throwing a gem, it's going to be a source of panic for baseball coaches/managers at all levels.
But fortunately for Doyle, Vitello, and the Vols, it was nothing serious and the future big leaguer should be back on the mound ready to go next Friday night in a big game against the Rebels.