Surprising ex-SF Giants manager extended classy gesture to Tony Vitello after hiring

The hiring of Tony Vitello as the 40th manager in SF Giants history has fittingly grasped the headlines around San Francisco for a few weeks now. The groundbreaking hire brings a fresh perspective and begins the next era for the historic organization. With a surplus of unknowns involved in hiring a former NCAA head coach with zero professional experience, one thing is certain. The Giants have gone in the complete opposite direction from their previous manager, Bob Melvin.

A lot was made about the fact that Tony Vitello talked with legendary managers Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker prior to officially becoming the franchise's next skipper. Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard claimed that both gave Buster Posey a "double thumbs-up." However, those around Major League Baseball might be surprised to hear that after the official hiring, Vitello heard from a different SF Giants manager.

Surprising former SF Giants manager reached out to Vitello after his hiring

Bochy and Baker will always be legends in San Francisco but Bob Melvin's tenure will be one of the more forgettable in recent memory. With the orange and black, he went an underwhelming 161-163 and was let go after the 2025 season. While fans might expect Melvin to have some salty feelings towards Vitello—the complete opposite in terms of personality and style—and the organization, that's apparently not the case.

On a recent episode of the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, Tony Vitello dropped a quick nugget about the former Giants' manager:

"Bob Melvin...I didn’t get to say it at the press conference, shame on me, but he reached out to me and was a class act and was very helpful."

Tony Vitello, New SF Giants Manager

Many might expect Melvin to be the last person to reach out to Vitello, but it seems as if he still holds the Giants in a special place. While his tenure might not have worked out, at the end of the day, Melvin grew up in the Bay Area and played for the Giants. It's only fitting that he wants to see the first-time manager see success with his old ball club.

Giants fans will obviously hope that Vitello brings about different results than Melvin, but one cannot help but appreciate the classy gesture from the former Giants manager.