SF Giants doubters will find young player's Tony Vitello endorsement a little ironic

After the SF Giants officially hired Tony Vitello as the team's next manager, many people instantly thought of the team's young outfielder Drew Gilbert who just gave his former coach at the University of Tennessee a ringing endorsement.

Vitello began his lengthy farewell to Tennessee in humorous fashion by saying he was leaving to go babysit Gilbert. This quip did not surprise Gilbert at all who said that Vitello was always pretty funny when he played under him for the Vols.

Young SF Giants player endorses Vitello in somewhat ironic way

Gilbert spoke at length about Vitello recently and had the following to say: "It’s an energy that’s so organic. It’s nothing fake, nothing forced. It’s real. It’s intense. I think a lot of people have a misconception that it’s this rah-rah stuff. Don’t get it twisted, man. He has a high level of expectation for each player."

Now, for those who are skeptical of the Vitello hire this comment may be somewhat ironic. Detractors would say that Gilbert's energy, which he displayed so enthusiastically last year with his dugout antics like getting choked out by teammates and chewing on Robbie Ray's jacket like a dog, can come off as fake.

Similarly, many may believe that the energy and passion that Vitello brings to the table can seem forced or fake. That would be a bit of a harsher take, but it is not a surprising one in the game of baseball where stoicism reigned supreme for so long and really only in the last ten years or so have bat flips and grandstanding become a more accepted part of the game.

There will always be that inevitable push and pull between traditionalists who think the game should be played a certain way and those who want to push the boundaries. Gilbert and Vitello are both boundary-pushers who clearly want to bring that collegiate spirit to the big leagues.

That could be exciting for many fans, especially younger ones, but it could also be a bit alarming or induce eye rolls from older fans who feel like that is an unnecessary or grating aspect of the modern game.

Vitello by his nature has the potential to be a divisive personality amongst Giants fans in the same way that Gabe Kapler was. Perhaps the charm and charism that Vitello is known for will help win over people who are on the fence, but what it will really come down to is whether the team wins games.

If the Giants are successful, then Gilbert getting choked and Vitello jumping into the stands or doing crazy things that most big league managers would never do will seem fun and exciting. But if the team stinks it will seem amateurish and embarrassing.

That is the risk the Giants are taking and they are certainly opening themselves up to criticism, but clearly that is a risk Buster Posey feels is worth taking.