Buster Posey sat in the San Francisco Giants dugout Tuesday, June 23, surrounded by cameras and microphones, ready to take the heat for his hand-picked manager getting disrespected by his hand-picked superstar.
Yet the franchise legend and current president of baseball operations and the organization were thoroughly unprepared to address the Oracle Park-sized elephant in the room – three pitchers scrawling Bible verses on hats to commemorate the club’s June 12 Pride night, prompting a tepid response from the organization.
Remarkably, it is now a 12-day story, a sequence that initially angered the team’s LGBTQ-friendly fan base, prompted a Department of Justice investigation into the team’s response and inspired Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to respond to Sen. Josh Hawley that the club’s communications before the event were “inadequate and not clear.”
Posey opted to read a prepared statement on the Pride dust-up and then fell back on answering “baseball questions only,” a decision that frustrated the gathered media and likely will only further disappoint large swaths of the Giants’ fan base.
“I understand that there's strong feelings on this topic,” Posey said in his statement regarding pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker scrawling a Bible verse that infringed on the rainbow SF logo on their cap, and reliever Sam Hentges not wearing the hat altogether. “There's differing perspectives, and out of respect to everybody involved, it's not something that I'm going to revisit.
“I understand that some fans are upset and frustrated, and I can promise you this is something that we've talked about a lot internally and will continue to do so.”
But certainly not externally.
Asked if the club talked to Vitello, the former University of Tennessee coach in his first job in professional baseball, and the clubhouse to explain the import of Pride night to the demographic, Posey said: “I’m not going to revisit. I’ll answer baseball questions.”
Asked to defend the club in the wake of Manfred’s comments, Posey said: “I’ll answer baseball questions,” the three-time World Series champ and future Hall of Fame catcher growing increasingly uncomfortable.
After two more queries, a team staffer threatened to end the press conference if the line of questioning continued.
And there was plenty more to discuss.
Defending his guy
The Giants are 31-46 in Posey’s second year helming baseball operations, and he hired Vitello with the hope the fiery former Volunteers coach could provide a boost after four seasons in which the Giants hovered between 79 and 81 wins.
Instead, the bottom has fallen out, aided and abetted by Posey’s roster construction.
Posey guaranteed shortstop Willy Adames $182 million and traded for Devers – still owed more than $200 million – before and during the 2025 season; both are barely performing above replacement level, with Adames batting .223 with a below-average 94 adjusted OPS.
Posey-signed starter Adrian Houser was recently moved to the bullpen. Fellow signee Tyler Mahle posted a 6.04 ERA before landing on the IL.
It’s been a grim season, and the June 21 flareup between Devers and Vitello epitomized the frustration.
Two days prior, Devers told Vitello his hamstring was a bit tender, but not enough to take him out of the lineup. When the Giants trailed 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning at Miami, that’s why Devers believed Vitello sent in pinch runner Jonah Cox when Devers drew a key leadoff walk.
He wagged his finger vigorously at Vitello, screamed into his helmet and gave bench coach Jayce Tingler the brushoff when Tingler aimed to pat him on the back upon return to the dugout.
Tuesday, Devers addressed the media and said he apologized to Vitello.
“I just thought he was taking me out of the game because of my hamstring and if he felt I was disrespecting him, that’s why I went into his office and apologized,” Devers said via club translator Edwin Higueros in the Giants clubhouse. “I know the type of person I am, I know the type of person he is.”
It might have looked worse than it was, but the incident nonetheless produced worthy questions regarding Vitello’s command of the clubhouse. This was a 100% Posey pick, a significant risk given the move’s unprecedented nature and the potential blowback if it went sour.
And Sunday looked awfully sour.
“I feel like Tony has the clubhouse, has the respect of the players in the clubhouse,” Posey insisted Tuesday. “Everything’s going to be heightened when our record is what it is. There’s no concern on my part that he doesn’t have the respect of the clubhouse.”
He said Vitello and Devers had a good conversation after the game.
“We’re all prone to have missteps at times,” Posey said.
Meanwhile, Posey has a potentially large task ahead of him: Selling off parts at the trade deadline should the losing continue. He said Tuesday he has not yet approached veterans Matt Chapman and Adames regarding their no-trade clause, nor will he trade starter Logan Webb.
It will be the second consecutive summer Posey will sell at the deadline amid a disappointing season, though this should be a more vigorous fire sale, with bigger names and better parts. Most notably, four-time batting champ Luis Arraez – a Posey success – should draw some return.
“I think with where we're at, unfortunately, we’ve got to have everything on the table,” says Posey, “and hear out different thoughts, from not only internally but from other teams as well, and try to right the ship.”
Right now, the ship is listing. And Posey is looking more and more like a very uncomfortable captain.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buster Posey press conference highlights Giants' struggles, controversies
