Tony Vitello believes Giants finally are ‘true version' of themselves at plate
Giants manager Tony Vitello speaks to reporters before San Francisco's game against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field.
Tony Vitello believes Giants finally are 'true version' of themselves at plate originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
I feel like we didn't get a chance to really ask you about Carson's work yesterday.
Yeah.
You know, he eats up a bunch of innings.
Did that leave, leave you in a, a lot better shape given- He- how long this trip is?
You know, I think you go, obviously when it's a positive outcome, you, everybody gives more grace.
But I, I think, you know, his first inning back, you know, walks a guy to start things, but then after that what we needed was attacking.
And, didn't overcomplicate the situation.
He attacked.
couple guys got into balls, nothing crazy.
But he didn't deviate from kinda leaving the scoreboard alone and, and just attacking.
And I th- he got us exactly where we wanted.
We You sit back there, I think I said at post-game, you map everything out, and we thought he'd be a perfect complement to Robbie if the pitch count got high.
And he did us a huge solid with three innings because, for the most part, you guys follow, I don't know if everybody else realizes, it can, it can get really thin down there at certain times.
You're obviously not gonna have games like yesterday every game, but over the last 30 days you guys have scored more runs than anybody, and that's coming after, you know, how slow things started.
Yeah.
What are you kinda seeing from the at-bats, the offense overall that leads you to think, like, this is, yeah, again, even if it's not, like, 18, 19 runs, but a m- more sustainable, better representation of what your offense can do?
Yeah.
I think you see the more true version of guys.
Some of the spring training at-bats in particular for guys are embedded in your head, and you kinda see similarities where obviously the season starts and it's pressure.
It doesn't matter who you are, how old you are, every at-bat comes with some sort of pressure.
And that kinda brings about the next topic is confidence is so key.
And, you know, confidence can waver no matter who you are, but, when you find it a- and it's there, it's a lot easier to build on it.
And, you know, I think some guys are, you know, in a confident place.
And it's easy all year long for the guys to say the same thing, and hopefully I've said it to y'all e- enough where it's a theme, is, like, everyone believes in this group for good reason.
you know, but as an individual it does take a little bit to get the confidence ball rolling.
And once it gets rolling, you can really build off it, and it's a good reminder of that's a huge key to your success, no matter who you are.
I think you mentioned earlier that a lot of guys maybe trying too hard, maybe pressing.
Do you think guys have kinda loosened up as, over these last couple weeks, especially on the offensive side?
The dugout's a lot looser.
so I, I think i- and the clubhouse has always been good, but when the game starts, there's ups and downs throughout it.
But, you know, even in some games that haven't worked out on this road trip, you, you feel the confidence level a little different, and everyone's a little bit more loose.
Are you sending Logan back maybe a little early given the- Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And, and we made the offer to Hauser, maybe a travel buddy situation or just try and help him.
But, you know, he wants to be here, and I know Webby does too.
traveling with the guys is one thing, but also being at the game is another.
But obviously for Webby's circumstances, it's practical to leave tomorrow afternoon.
He's going Monday.
Yes.
Logan.
Yeah.
Do you There's, it's about as much momentum as you've probably felt as a team.
I mean, three in a row and pretty outstanding offensive efforts.
you can't win every game, but i- is there kind of a vibe that, you know, this is a good thing and this is a role that we've been waiting for and will continue?
I think so.
I mean, I think Chappy's day yesterday is a microcosm of what you're talking about.
can't keep a good man down y- you know?
But, everybody's cheering for each other and pulling for each other in particular, you know, on days where a guy's struggling or, you know, a guy's looking to get that momentum or whatever you wanna call it.
And so the, the joy for how well he did yesterday, and then the My favorite part of the day was how sincerely excited some of those relievers were for Smitty at the end of the game, how well he threw and just that he got an outing.
that, that breeds something in the locker room where guys feed off it.
And so that to me is the most valuable part about what you're talking about.
You, you could have used a position player too to go that last inning.
Why, why did, was it important to you to give it to an actual pitcher?
It was discussed.
I mean, he needed to throw.
I don't know.
it's new to me.
We, again, we talked about it a bunch.
Is there a respect thing there too?
it's day one of a series.
so maybe we're in a position where it's an option down the road.
But the other thing at that point too, we had got, we put everybody in the game earlier than we normally would.
There's been kind of these interesting games where it's do you take guys out?
Do you not?
And, of course the guys, y- you know, they really benefit from it, even if it's just an inning off their feet.
If anything mentally it kinda does something for you, as much as it does physically.
so yesterday was a true game to kinda g- clear the bench early.
And so at that point, that affected it a little bit too.
You mentioned it's a respect thing.
are you a believer that you don't show up the other team?
Is that- Yeah.
I mean- kind of what- I mean, I think that's certainly something too.
And, but I don't, you know There, there's a- all these interesting unwritten rules.
Yeah.
And, this is a learning process in a lot of ways, and I think that's one too.
And I think s- I mean, there's a million of them.
I think some of them are foolish, some of them make sense.
And I don't, you know Even though we've had a bunch of conversations over here, when we've had to use a guy or, you know, something like today or yesterday or discussing it, I don't, I don't really know what the best thing is, to be honest with you.
But the one theme that continues, and talked with Craig before the game, is, like, the professionalism at this level's completely different, and it's a very, very high level.
Did you guys talk about kinda ha- handling a- No, no situation like that?
He was, You know, he said something to me that I won't, I won't forget.
Like, it's a really good nugget.
just kind of would keep it personal, but I won't for- I won't forget it, the phrase and the way he said it, which was very helpful.
So more of a casual conversation.
But I think, everybody knows no matter who you are, it's hard.
Winning's hard at this level, whether you're a player or a coach.
And so I think everyone's been, overly nice to me and cordial as far as throwing out advice or just, just chatting.
How was the coffee run?
It was all right.
So I couldn't find my dad yesterday, and I already went to the street in uniform, so I felt a little more in place than maybe you normally would.
And fortunately Starbucks was close.
but it was fun.
I ca- I mean, anything to get a guy like Barracuda, who's so unassuming and, and low-key, smiling and talking, is a good thing in my opinion, so.
And then I know the old tradition that used to go on here, and, that one's a lot safer and a lot easier to execute.
