Tony Vitello is already dealing with a tough situation, and he’ll need to keep it from becoming a big clubhouse problem for the Giants
Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello is getting a quick indoctrination to the highs and lows of MLB. Vitello in his first season as the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello is learning quickly that part of being an MLB manager is putting out small fires before they become wildfires that consume the clubhouse.
Vitello, who is in his first season as the manager of the San Francisco Giants, is already dealing with an awkward situation with one of his best players.
And how Vitello handles it will go a long way in determining how his time as the Giants’ manager plays out.
Does Tony Vitello need to call out Matt Chapman?
Earlier this week, Giants third baseman Matt Chapman went viral when cameras captured him telling first baseman Casey Schmitt to “catch the f—king ball” after a play that wasn’t made.
Chapman told reporters that he spoke to Schmitt about the moment and that everything is good.
Schmitt also told reporters that he wasn’t mad about Chapman’s viral moment.
Vitello dismissed the incident as a nothing-burger, comparing it to two brothers arguing in the backyard.
Vitello and the players involved said the right things publicly, but this is still an incident that could linger in the clubhouse.
Especially after Chapman made a costly error on Saturday night in the Giants’ 9-0 blowout loss to the New York Mets.
Chapman bobbled a slowly hit grounder in the top of the second inning and then threw it away, resulting in the first two runs of the game.
The bobble from Chapman cost the Giants a chance to get the out at home. The bad throw cost the Giants an additional run.
I’m not trying to pile on Chapman — he’s obviously an elite fielder, and errors happen to every player who has ever played the game.
But if Chapman is going to call out a teammate on the field for the entire world to see, how are his teammates supposed to react when he later cost the team two runs?
We’ll see if this becomes a big issue for the Giants moving forward. But right now, Vitello is dealing with a delicate situation. The Giants aren’t playing well to start the season, and players are calling each other out in front of everyone.
This thing can get away from Vitello quickly if he lets it.
Tennessee Volunteers News
Tony Vitello already has an earthquake story just a couple of weeks into his tenure as the manager of the San Francisco Giants
Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello experienced his first Bay Area earthquake this week. Vitello, is in his first season as the manager of the San Francisco Giants, told reporters about the experience.
