What Tony Vitello is learning from ‘entertaining' infield coach Ron Washington originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Giants manager Tony Vitello is enjoying the Ron Washington experience.
The first-year skipper detailed the lessons he has learned thus far from the seasoned infield coach in talking to KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” on Friday.
“‘Entertaining’ is easily the first word that comes to mind, and I don’t know if that’s going to change between now and the end of the year,” Vitello told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “And obviously, there are other attributes he’s bringing to the table, but it’s been entertaining for sure. And, you know, you talk about him helping me or giving me advice …
“I jumped in on some PFP (pitcher fielding practice) yesterday — more than anything, because I kind of wanted to be in the middle of it to see how it was going and the differences and stuff like that — and he was all over me about my fielding technique. And so I think we’ve had fun and he’s had fun with the players, kind of giving each other some locker room humor, jabs back and forth. But also, I can tell you, he was very, very serious about me correcting my technique on a particular ground ball.”
That sounds like Washington.
The 73-year-old is one of the more respected names in baseball, known for his blend of humor, seriousness and teaching abilities. Considering Washington has been in MLB since his playing career started in 1977, he is a perfect fit for the up-and-coming Vitello’s staff.
Vitello is learning as he goes. And having Washington, who just served as manager of the Los Angeles Angels, around helps the Giants’ new manager formulate his plan to make San Francisco one of the more enjoyable teams in MLB.
“So that’s the balance he’s got going on between having a lot of fun, but also bringing a lot of intensity to the ballpark. It’s one of the reasons why fans like Drew Gilbert is a player, why everyone loves Washington as a coach.
“And … when this year is complete, we like fans to reflect on the team and say, ‘You know what, it was a fun group, but they also played hard. They brought a lot of intensity to the ballpark every day.’”
Washington sure does bring “fun” and “intensity” to the Giants, as Vitello has experienced firsthand.