Overview
- Speaking on KNBR, Maddon said hiring a manager without professional-level experience suggests the job no longer requires paying minor-league dues, citing his own years of scouting and riding buses.
- Vitello was hired from the University of Tennessee after leading the Volunteers to the 2024 national title and is reported as the first MLB manager with no professional experience.
- Maddon, a World Series-winning former manager of the Rays, Cubs and Angels, last managed in 2022 but noted he understands why some view Vitello as ready.
- He also wished Vitello “nothing but the best” and framed his criticism as part of a broader shift that prioritizes communication and perceived leadership over years in pro baseball, even pointing to politics for comparison.
- Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper objected to Maddon's language on KNBR, saying he was “insulted” by Maddon's characterization of the hiring.