The big name in the search for the next SF Giants manager as of late has been University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello. Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow warns there could be some issues if the team hires Vitello, though.
The Giants are reportedly closing in on Vitello for the job although a deal has not been announced as of yet. He still remains the favorite to land the job, but the fact that it has taken some time is a little disconcerting for those hoping the Giants make him the first MLB manager to come directly from the collegiate ranks.
Krukow warns of issues that could arise if SF Giants hire Tony Vitello as manager
He may not have been the first choice of president of baseball operations Buster Posey, but he represents roughly the same thing that a Nick Hundley hire would have with a shift in energy and a much younger manager taking over. Still, if a deal with Vitello falls through Posey will have egg on his face.
Even if a deal is reached, there is still a lot of risk involved. Vitello has no experience in professional baseball either as a player or a coach so he would be getting his first real taste of the big leagues as a manager.
Krukow believes that is just one reason some issues could arise. He appeared on KNBR on Tuesday and had the following to say:
"There's going to be some issues. There's a lot of culture up there that he's going to have to have help with. I mean, think about just the culture in the clubhouse, the culture on the road, how to travel, how to tip, how to deal with media. He's never dealt with media like he's going to be dealing with in San Francisco. Those are all things that are issues that I don't think are easy things.”
He went on to say that he views Vitello as more of a analytical candidate which is a word that is very divisive amongst Giants fans, but also said he has heard good things about him and credited him with being a good communicator. He said he almost seemed like a bit of a hybrid between Gabe Kapler and Bob Melvin in that he can communicate well while also embracing the new way the game is played.
But Krukow is right that Vitello is going to have to deal with a lot of news things if he ends up being the next manager of the Giants. He is going to be under a lot of scrutiny with a lot of people interested to see whether this experiment will succeed or fail.
Nothing is set in stone yet so there are no guarantees he will be the next manager, but Krukow's warning is still true.