Tony Vitello Gets Emotional During Opening Statement After Punching Ticket to College World Series

Summary

In this heartfelt speech, the speaker expresses gratitude to fans and players for their dedication and hard work, showing deep respect for the opposing team, Evansville. He discusses the importance of defining personal success, emphasizing teamwork and personal growth over external achievements. The speaker passionately defends his players, sharing anecdotes and values that resonate with the audience, ultimately highlighting the true meaning of success beyond winning games.

Takeaways

• 🎉 The speaker congratulates the fans for their support and the players for their hard work, highlighting the importance of the team's journey.
• 🏆 The speaker expresses deep respect for the Evansville program and team, emphasizing the high regard they hold for their opponents.
• 🗣️ The speaker uses humor and candidness to address the media, sharing personal anecdotes and insights into the recruiting process.
• 🤔 The speaker refutes the claim that their team was number one for most of the season, stressing the unpredictability of the sport and the hard work required to achieve success.
• 📝 Success is defined by the speaker as a personal and collective achievement, encouraging team members to define what success means to them individually.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Success is also tied to the team's dedication to training and trust in one another, as well as the speaker's role as a supportive teammate.
• 🔍 The speaker reflects on past decisions, admitting to making more wrong decisions than right ones, and uses this to illustrate the learning process in leadership.
• 👥 Success for the team is measured by the enjoyment and excitement of being part of the team and the environment they create together.
• 🏅 The speaker shares a personal story about the importance of appreciating mentors and father figures, suggesting that success is also about personal growth and relationships.
• 🤗 The speaker commends a specific player from Evansville for their resilience and performance, using them as an example of success beyond traditional measures.
• 🌴 The speaker ends with a light-hearted note about personal preferences for relaxation, suggesting that success can be found in different forms and places.

Q & A

What is the speaker congratulating the fans for?

The speaker is congratulating the fans for their enthusiastic cheering and support, noting that it's the loudest it's ever been in the venue.

What does the speaker say about the players' hard work?

The speaker acknowledges that the players have worked hard, like anyone else who has reached this stage in the season.

What is the speaker's sentiment towards the Evansville program and team?

The speaker expresses a deep respect for the Evansville program and team, emphasizing their admiration for their performance.

Why does the speaker mention Coach Carol and hotels?

The speaker mentions Coach Carol and hotels to illustrate the extensive experience and effort in recruiting, suggesting that he has stayed in many hotels as part of his recruiting travels.

What is the speaker's stance on recruiting players who are only interested in financial gain?

The speaker discourages the recruitment of players who are primarily interested in financial gain, stating that such individuals should not waste their time or the team's.

What was the incorrect statement made about the team's ranking during the season?

The incorrect statement was that the team was number one for most of the season, which the speaker refutes, clarifying that they had to work hard to achieve that position.

How does the speaker define success for himself?

The speaker defines success as being a good teammate and contributing to the group's success, as well as making decisions and learning from them, even if they are not always correct.

What does the speaker emphasize about the importance of defining success personally?

The speaker emphasizes that success is a personal definition and that each player should write down what success means to them, teaching them to define what a successful at-bat or outing is.

What does the speaker say about the team's performance in 2022?

The speaker mentions that despite not winning as many games as they could have, the team was successful because of individual growth and the impact they had on college baseball.

What does the speaker say about the importance of attitude and success?

The speaker highlights the importance of attitude by mentioning Dalton Bargo's response to not pinch-hitting, showing that attitude and success can go hand in hand.

What does the speaker suggest as a measure of success for the team?

The speaker suggests that success for the team is showing up to work excited, having fun, and being in an environment where everyone wants to be there.

Outlines

00:00

🎉 Team Spirit and Respect

The speaker expresses gratitude towards the fans for their enthusiastic support and acknowledges the players' hard work that has brought them to this stage of the season. They commend the opposing team, Evansville, for their program and the respect they have for them. The speaker also addresses a previous question about the team's season, emphasizing that success is not solely defined by being number one but by the personal growth and achievements of the players. They highlight the importance of defining success on a personal level and the value of teamwork.

05:01

🏆 Defining Success Beyond Victory

Continuing the discussion on success, the speaker shares personal anecdotes about recruiting and the journey of building the team from the ground up. They address a player's reaction to a question about the season's value if they were to lose, defending the player's investment in the program. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of defining success individually, using the example of a player who, despite not playing in Omaha, is considered a success due to his resilience and contributions to the team. The speaker concludes by stating that success is subjective and can be achieved regardless of the outcome, as long as one is proud of their efforts and can look back with no regrets.

Keywords

💡Fans

Fans in this context refers to the supporters of a sports team. They are central to the theme of the video as they are acknowledged for their enthusiasm and contribution to the atmosphere during games. The speaker mentions 'congrats to our fans' and describes the environment as 'the loudest that it's ever been,' highlighting the importance of fan support in creating a dynamic and encouraging environment for the players.

💡Players

Players are the athletes participating in the sport. The script emphasizes their hard work and dedication, which is a key message of the video. The speaker congratulates the players for their efforts, indicating that success in sports is achieved through perseverance and commitment, as seen in the phrase 'congrats to our players they've obviously worked hard'.

💡Evansville

Evansville is likely the name of the opposing team or their city, and it is used to express respect and admiration for their program and team. The speaker shows sportsmanship by acknowledging the quality of the opposing team, which is a significant aspect of the video's theme of mutual respect in sports competition. The term is used when the speaker says 'huge congrats to Evansville' and discusses the respect they have for their program.

💡Coach Carol

Coach Carol is a character mentioned in the script, possibly a respected figure in the sport. The speaker uses Coach Carol as an example to emphasize the extensive experience in recruiting and the dedication it requires, which ties into the overarching theme of commitment and hard work in sports. The reference is made when the speaker says 'coach Carol has stayed in an awful lot of hotels as a recruiting guy'.

💡Recruiting

Recruiting in this context refers to the process of seeking out and persuading athletes to join a sports team or program. It is a critical concept in the video as it underlines the strategic aspect of building a successful team. The speaker discusses the importance of not wasting time on recruits who are only interested in financial gain, as illustrated by 'anybody that's thinking about visiting our place that we're recruiting...don't waste our time.'

💡Success

Success is a central theme of the video, with the speaker providing a nuanced definition and personal perspective on what it means. Success is not just about winning but also about personal growth, teamwork, and effort. The speaker challenges the traditional definition by stating 'success is a degree or measure of achievement,' and further explains it through the lens of personal and team contributions.

💡Noah Webster

Noah Webster is mentioned as the author of a dictionary, which the speaker uses to define 'success.' This reference serves to emphasize the importance of having a clear and personal definition of success. The speaker quotes Webster's Dictionary to highlight that success is subjective and can vary from person to person, as seen in 'Noah Webster Webster's Dictionary it says success is a degree, or measure of achievement.'

💡Teammate

The concept of being a teammate is integral to the video's message about the importance of camaraderie and collective effort in achieving success. The speaker identifies himself as a teammate to the players, indicating that success is shared and that each individual's contribution is valued. This is evident when the speaker says 'for me success is part group when our group has success I consider myself a teammate to these guys.'

💡Decisions

Decisions are a key part of the speaker's narrative, illustrating the challenges and responsibilities that come with leadership. The speaker reflects on his own decision-making process, admitting to making more wrong decisions than right ones, which adds a layer of humility and realism to the theme of success. The example given is 'if you were to put all my decisions in a bucket for the weekend I had more wrong decisions than correct decisions.'

💡Omaha

Omaha is mentioned as a symbol of success in the context of college baseball, referring to the College World Series held there. The speaker uses Omaha to discuss the idea that success is not solely defined by reaching the pinnacle of one's sport but also by the journey and experiences along the way. The speaker's attitude towards Omaha is complex, as he states 'Omaha is real fun to go to if you don't play that well, it ain't that fun but I don't really give a damn to be honest with you.'

💡Warrior

The term 'warrior' is used to describe the spirit and attitude of the players, particularly one named Rumsey, who exemplifies resilience and commitment despite injuries. The speaker uses 'warrior' to convey the idea that true success in sports is about the character and determination of the athletes, not just their performance on the field. This is highlighted when the speaker says 'that guy is an absolute success and when he's older he'll be able to look everybody in the eye and say I was a warrior.'

Highlights

Congratulations to fans for their enthusiastic support and to players for their hard work.

High respect for Evansville's program and team.

Coach Carol's extensive experience in recruiting and staying in numerous hotels.

Emphasis on defining success for oneself and the importance of teamwork.

Success is a degree or measure of achievement according to Webster's Dictionary.

The speaker's personal definition of success as being a good teammate.

Reflection on the importance of being excited and having fun in one's work environment.

The speaker's perspective on Omaha as a fun event regardless of performance.

The notion that success is not solely defined by winning or being number one.

Praise for Jared Dicky's transformation and success as an individual.

Emphasizing the value of being a warrior and a success, regardless of playing in Omaha.

The speaker's personal success being defined by the way he wants to do things.

The importance of appreciating father figures or coaches in one's life.

Recommendation of Cabo Abiza or Tulum as enjoyable destinations.

The speaker's openness to answering questions at the end of the speech.

Transcripts

uh congrats to our fans uh for sure I

mean cheering pickoffs uh and definitely

the loudest that it's ever been in here

um congrats to our players they've

obviously worked hard like anybody

that's left uh at this stage in the

season and obviously huge congrats to

Evansville didn't really know how to say

it or show it or even here uh to

describe how much respect we have for

their program and and really this this

team in particular um so leave it at

that and then um you know speaking of

their program coach Carol has stayed in

an awful lot of hotels as a recruiting

guy and I have two so you guys made the

mistake of giving me the mic so I'll

I'll add to my opening statement really

picking up where we left off yesterday

uh where somebody asked me a question

that bothered one of my players so I'll

have his back but again if you got to

cut me off cut me off but um I've stayed

in an awful lot of hotels to to be in

this position alone and running around

and watching games games and um we we've

done it I think from the ground up here

and while I'm at it anybody that's

thinking about visiting our place that

we're recruiting and you think this is a

place you can come and have your hand

out and see how much money we can give

you don't waste our time and and don't

waste your time either but the question

was posed basically about our season and

if we lose tonight it's all for not and

Blake Burke wasn't too happy about it

Blake Burks got a lot invested in this

particular program if I was Blake back

in that day I was a little too wild I

would have said B you wasn't with me

shooting in a gym or something similar

uh to that but he kept his composure

clearly you've seen me in action I don't

have great composure so I'll speak on it

for a sec because um it started out as

we were number one for most of the

season that's an incorrect statement

it's not a fact I don't know who was

number one preseason because I don't

look at it it's a very difficult sport

to predict what's going to happen nobody

predicted Evansville to be here uh but

they were and then also we were not

number one majority of the season as a

matter of fact when we first took over

uh I was astonished Kentucky was winning

our league which you guys write up it's

one of the most if not the most

competitive league and they were number

one in the division but somehow we were

number one on Riders polls so uh but we

weren't for most of the Season we had to

work to get to that point no question

but then again the word success to me is

very important in this room we make

these guys write down what success is

for them and teach them that they need

to Define what a successful at bat is or

what a uccessful outing is whatever Noah

uh it's Noah Webster Webster's

Dictionary it says success is a degree

or measure of achievement or if you read

it in another deal online degree or

measure of succeeding so those two words

right there and I definitely ain't the

smartest fellow degree and measure means

you get a pick you get a pick what

success is which is pretty awesome so

Noah probably doesn't know how to define

it with these guys where you got to

sweat you got to be in the weight room

together you got to trust trust the guy

if you give up a ground ball can make

the play for you or if you give up a run

the other guy uh will go to work for you

he wasn't that but he was a thinker and

the big thing Noah was he loved his

country BigTime Patriot which is kind of

a lost startart around here so I don't

know the guy but I got a lot of respect

for him and I like the way he wrote that

whole deal up as far as degree or

measure for me I get a pick I was around

my dad a lot he can't tell me what to do

um I don't consider myself I work for

people here but I'm My Own Boss when I

come here and for me success is Part

Group when our group has success I

consider myself a teammate to these guys

it means I had a level success but then

there's also the part where I got a job

to do and I got to make decisions and if

you were to put all my decisions in a

bucket for the weekend I had more wrong

decisions than correct decisions for

instance Dalton Bargo probably should

have pinch hit yesterday he showed me

that with some attitude and some success

today and I'm not so sure he doesn't do

it yesterday too if we pinch hit him

against Harris because he wants to go

home and he's going home but you know

what bars succcess for me is being a

good teammate and Cal Stark is my guy

that's my guy for a lot of reasons no

doubt so success for me is what I get to

judge if you're talking about success

for this team the one thing I stated

after last season because I'm in a

bathroom crying with just a lot of

emotions after we're able to beat

Clemson last year was to show up at work

every day and get out of my car excited

and to have fun and to be around people

that want to be here and being an

environment that you're excited to get

to every day 100% success Omaha is real

fun to go to if you don't play that well

it ain't that fun but I don't really

give a damn to be honest with you as a

matter of fact we kind of can pick up

where Evansville left off we're not

supposed to win because the number one

never wins so house money so I'm going

to consider this even more of a success

this year but definitely because of that

group in particular being the way they

are and then I think 2022 was brought up

I we could have won 30 games in 20 20 22

Jared Dicky who had a phenomenal post on

social media today transformed his

entire body after quitting baseball is a

part of one of the best teams and was a

success as an individual among many

other great things that happened about

hey you didn't like the team so what

they got you talking about college

baseball I can tell you that to me that

team was a success and the one thing I

definitely want to say about Evansville

Mr Rumsey Tai I believe I apologize if I

got your first name wrong

last out of the game not rubbing it in

not pointing fingers all right be told

you never got to play in Omaha you know

what Rumsey can get on a plane and go to

Omaha anytime he wants all right that's

easy to do you know what's not easy to

do to run face first into a wall full

blast get stitches injure your shoulder

and then on top of that to play in

today's game I've seen that guy that guy

made me nervous I've seen a bunch of

catches that guy made when we watch

video he made me nervous so Omaha or not

who gives a damn that guy is an absolute

success and when he's older he'll be

able to look everybody in the eye and

say when I played I don't know what the

hell is batting averages I was a warrior

Warrior period and a part of one of the

best Evansville teams ever and no one

will ever be able to take that away from

him and every time he sees one of his

teammates or goes back to that facility

at Evansville they'll say hell yeah

there's that guy right there so for for

me it's a tangent but that's what

success is defined by me I get to do it

the way I want to do it you guys get to

do it the way that you want to do it so

at the end of the day success for me is

Omaha will be where Father's Day is for

me but you know what if you're choosing

if you got a father figure in your life

and they've done something to contribute

for you doesn't even have to be your dad

could be a coach maybe for you guys you

should appreciate them and you're going

to have a successful day too no matter

where you are it's not in Omaha I would

recommend Cabo abiza or Tulum I'll be

there at some point Thank you any

question