The San Francisco Giants are currently gearing up for the upcoming 2026 season by taking part in spring training. Many expect the Giants to be among the contenders to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL this year, and they will be led by new manager Tony Vitello, whom they hired over the offseason.
Vitello has wasted little time in familiarizing himself with the Bay Area community, including meeting with some members of the Golden State Warriors, who moved from Oakland to San Francisco a few years ago.
Recently, Vitello spoke on his interactions with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, as well as San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“I think (Kerr) just talked more about how great the city is and things within the city and how the organizations all bond together, which I think is unique,” Vitello said, per Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I don’t think that vibe goes on in every city. Getting to hang around Shanahan, you get that vibe as well.
“A lot of people have a similar thing to say about making sure to stay true to your roots. What maybe got you to where you are should be the backbone of what you’re doing.”
Kerr also had nothing but nice things to say about Vitello as he gets acclimated to the Bay.
“He’s very impressive,” Kerr said in a text message. “Humble but confident and excited for the job.”
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Vitello also made a hilarious admission about a starstruck moment he had with Warriors point guard Stephen Curry.
“I was kind of more distracted by Steph Curry, that guy was the second to last guy to leave the weight room postgame,” Vitello said. “With (Mike) Dunleavy and Kerr, getting to talk with those guys while this was going on, I was distracted and like a kid in a candy store.”
Vitello will hope to implement some of the lessons he learned from Kerr and Curry when the 2026 MLB season gets underway next month.
