Tony Vitellos Wrigley Field roots go back generations: Ive sat about everywhere

CHICAGO — When Greg Vitello watches on television and the camera pans to the Giants’ dugout, he notices an expression on his son’s face.Or, more accurately, a lack of one.“I think he’s done a really good job of controlling his emotions,” Greg Vitello told The California Post.

“At this level, you can’t go berserk in the middle of a game.Grab somebody and shake them or any of that stuff.

Because you just can’t do that at this level.I know he’d like to.”Safe to say, Tony Vitello’s tenure as Giants manager hasn’t started the way he envisioned.It has made it a little harder to enjoy the journey as the former University of Tennessee coach attempts to blaze the trail as the first to go straight from college to the major leagues’ managerial ranks.There’s been few opportunities to stop and smell the roses while trying to right the ship after a disastrous start that left the Giants in last place through their first 60 games.So, on the Giants’ visit to the most seminal ballpark of Vitello’s baseball upbringing, the first-year manager was all business.“Need to be on a mission today just to win today’s game,” the childhood Cubs fan said before his first time at Wrigley Field as a big-league manager.

“I get what you’re saying.I think more for my family it’ll be cool.”It was more than cool for Greg Vitello and a dozen family members seated behind home plate.“It’s mind-boggling,” the proud papa said.

“It really is.”Watching his fully grown son manage a big-league team from the visitors’ dugout down the first base line brought back memories of a young Tony’s first time in a Wrigley Field dugout.He was 8 years old.Growing up, Tony was a second baseman and would try to emulate Ryne Sandberg.His favorite player, though, was Andre Dawson.

Greg, by chance, was friendly with one of the Cubs’ pitchers, Al Nipper, who arranged for Tony to come onto the field.And who else was sitting in the dugout but the Hall of Fame slugg...