Bruce Bochy wanted to break bread.

President of baseball operations Buster Posey consulted Bochy before hiring Tony Vitello, and Bochy threw his support behind the unorthodox hire. Bochy hadn’t met Vitello beforehand despite spending his offseasons in Tennessee but had admired the former Volunteers coach’s work from afar. In late October, before Vitello was officially introduced, the Giants’ manager of the past met with the Giants’ manager of the future.

The conversation began with introductions and pleasantries. Soon enough, they talked ball. Vitello, the student, picked Bochy’s brain about bullpen management, a field where Bochy earned a doctorate.

The chat wasn’t a one-off. Rather, it was the first of many. With Bochy joining the Giants as a special advisor to baseball operations, Vi

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