Duane Kuiper fires back at Joe Maddon for 'insulting' SF Giants manager comments

Former MLB manager Joe Maddon made headlines recently with his comments about the SF Giants hiring Tony Vitello which he called "insulting." Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper fired back at Maddon with some comments of his own.

Kuiper appeared on KNBR on Wednesday and said that he was insulted by Maddon saying that he was insulted.

Kuiper fires back at Joe Maddon after Tony Vitello remarks

Kuiper expanded on why he took issue with Maddon's remarks, saying: "Well, I mean, look, I was insulted because that word is going to get the headline. I mean, he also said, look, I'm rooting for the guy. Did I'm rooting for the guy get in that headline? Absolutely not. So that's why I thought the whole thing, you know, just kind of upset me a little bit. Insulted is a really strong word.”

After that, Kuiper reminded everyone that Maddon made some pretty egregious remarks years ago where he basically blamed Buster Posey for the season-ending leg injury that he suffered on a collision at the plate in 2011.

Bruce Bochy, who just rejoined the Giants organization as a special adviser, took issue with Maddon's remarks at the time, saying, "I don’t really care to visit it. I don’t. Anybody who goes into that, they don’t know what they’re talking about where Buster was at on that play . . . I wish the guys who make these comments were standing there when Todd Greene got hurt and say the same thing.”

Maddon is clearly not afraid to spout off and speak his mind. He may have been the manager of the Chicago Cubs in 2016 when the Cubs won their first World Series in over 100 years, but there is an argument to be made that the team won in spite of him given a number of questionable decisions he made during the playoffs.

The Vitello comments from Maddon really just seem like sour grapes comments from a manager who knows his days as a manager are over and he probably just wishes he got any sort of shot at another job. But after he flamed out in Chicago and led the Los Angeles Angels through three disappointing seasons, he probably doesn;t deserve another chance as a manager.

It is nice to see Kuiper fire back at Maddon like this, though. Kuiper is more of an old school guy who was close with manager Bob Melvin so he could have been crotchety like Maddon. Instead, he has been fairly open-minded on the Vitello hire even if it is a risky move.