Tony Vitello is already getting his hands dirty at SF Giants spring training camp

SF Giants camp has begun in preparation for spring training. There are a lot of storylines to follow but the biggest one will be how manager Tony Vitello fares in his new role making the jump from college baseball to the pros.

Part of the reason he was hired was because of his ability to connect with players and that has already been on display in camp. The Giants posted a video to their social media of Vitello taking grounders with the team and he makes a flip to Logan Webb covering first base before saying, "Got him! Gold Glove!"

New SF Giants manager Tony Vitello already showcasing his personality

It's a small moment, but it provides just a taste of that Vitello energy and personality that made him such a star during his time as head coach at the University of Tennessee.

Seeing the coach get his hands dirty and take grounders with the team may seem like a small thing, but it does signal how Vitello is a different kind of manager and how he just brings a different energy to the table than his predecessor.

While Bob Melvin is a respected figure in the game with tons of experience, it's possible that he was not able to relate to players in the same way that someone like Vitello can. That's not necessarily Melvin's fault as he is in his sixties while Vitello is in his forties.

Ultimately, Vitello was brought in to shift the vibes of the organization and the energy he brings to the table, whether it's in the dugout or taking ground balls with the team, should do that.

Of course, the only thing that will really shift the vibes is if the team starts winning. After four seasons of mediocrity, the Giants are hungry to return to the playoffs. Watching the Los Angeles Dodgers make their Death Star fully operational and win back-to-back World Series titles only makes that mediocrity sting even more.

The Giants are counting on their new coaching staff to raise the level of the team, developing from within and raising the impact of players like Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos, and some of the young pitchers on the staff.

Thankfully, Vitello has some guys who have been in his seat before to lean upon in Ron Washington and Jayce Tingler. Plus, Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker are just a phone call away.

The Giants brought Vitello in because he is not like most big league managers. Taking grounders with his players is just one small detail, but it points to the different energy that Vitello is trying to instill.