The San Francisco Giants on Oct. 30,2025 announced Tony Vitello, former Tennessee Volunteers baseball manager as the new manager. He will be the third manager for the Giants since 2020. This quick turnaround comes with frustration from Giants fans who have had to endure middle-of-the-road seasons since winning the World Series in 2014.
Since the movie “Moneyball” was released in 2011, the casual baseball fan has questioned the need for a manager. The movie portrays Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland A’s, as the main reason for the team’s success. The movie portrays Art Howe, the team manager, as an old-school manager who has not adapted to analytics-based coaching. This gives an accurate portrayal of the relationship between the A’s managers and front office, but does not give an accurate portrayal of the modern day manager. Local A’s fan Diego Pena speaks on his experience with the team, “The A’s my whole life have been a disaster but I can say the front office have found some good talent. The manager has never mattered to me…”.
Around the early 80’s, analytics began to be incorporated in baseball at that time, the role of a manager was much different. At that time, the front office would construct a roster and then hand over the team to the manager, allowing them to make all decisions from there. This is what “Moneyball” portrays with Art Howe, who was hesitant to adjust to Billy Beane’s personnel suggestions. This dismissal of Beane is not portrayed as a rejection of analytics but as a stubbornness to relinquish control of the roster. Having complete control over the team allowed for a different style of coaching. This power structure was important in the past to allow for the manager to make any adjustments, no matter the star power on the team. This kind of control allows a manager to bench or discipline a star player without that player threatening not to play or leave the team in the offseason.
Today, the front office and coaches work together to build a roster as well as strategize game to game. The role of the manager has developed from being just a coach of the roster to the role of CEO. As a manager today, the main responsibility becomes the relationships with players, media, and ownership. Dave Roberts, the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is the most successful version of this kind of manager. First part of his job is to collaborate with the front office on building a roster, as well as how that roster fits into a full season. He must meet with the analytics department everyday to discuss how the team is doing analytically and discuss how to better the team. He must also meet with the marketing and publicity departments multiple times a week. This is where the role of the manager becomes closer to a CEO. In the past, managers would not have to participate in the management of operations; today, they demand that managers be aware of and control every aspect of a team. The marketing department asks for appearances, making the manager the spokesperson for the team, a role that was not asked of the past managers.
The role of the manager has evolved to become more than just a baseball coach; the manager must be a spokesperson, marketer, analyst, and relations manager. Being a manager today is much more difficult than it was in the 80s. The problem is a public relations one; the general public does not understand why a manager is important. A campaign for awareness should be created for baseball managers. Understanding the difficulty of being a manager could bring more eyes to a sport that is losing viewership.
The San Francisco Giants will be opening next season on March 27,2026 at Oracle Park against the New York Yankees. The first game for brand new manager Tony Vitello. The Giants so far this season have been quiet as it comes to news for player signings. They are looking to the newly signed manager to create a new environment for success with a similar roster from last year. The success of the new manager will speak more to the confidence in the roster than it will to the signing of the new manager. Will a cultural change be enough for a Giants roster to take a step towards the playoffs, or will this be another middle-of-the-road season?
I spoke to San Francisco Giants fan Christian Salgado about the role of a manager in baseball today check it out below.
