- 8 hours ago
Ann Killion, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, joins Willard and Dibs to react to yesterday's strange Buster Posey press conference at Oracle Park.
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00:00This will bother some people, but I don't care.
00:04I don't want this to all sound self-congratulatory of the media.
00:10But I really appreciated what Ann Killian did yesterday.
00:15Really, really appreciated it.
00:16And she was not the only one.
00:18John Shea, there were others.
00:20But it's funny because we're talking about the San Francisco Giants
00:24and leadership problems.
00:27And Ann Killian, San Francisco Chronicle,
00:30who joins us now on the River Islands guest line,
00:32I thought took a real leadership position for the media yesterday
00:37in being the first one to sort of guide everybody to a conversation
00:41that we all thought they were going to have.
00:43And then suddenly the Giants were like, no, we're not having it.
00:47And Ann, I joked earlier,
00:48my favorite question of the whole press conference was your follow-up
00:51when Buster's like, we're not doing this.
00:54And you go, really?
00:55Because it was like, well, what are we all doing here?
00:58So anyway, good afternoon, Ann.
01:00How are you?
01:01I'm good, Mark.
01:02How are you?
01:03How are you, Dan?
01:04Good, Ann.
01:06So that was interesting yesterday, huh?
01:10Yeah, it was really interesting.
01:11I mean, we heard, I wrote a column about that very topic
01:16after, you know, the Devers stuff compounding this feel of this team
01:21being rudderless without a leader.
01:24And shortly after that, Colin posted on Monday afternoon,
01:28we got word that Buster was going to be available on Tuesday afternoon.
01:34So it seemed as though they made sure we knew about his availability.
01:40I mean, I'm not saying it was a direct response to that,
01:43but it was, it was, it seemed like, okay, you know, people are saying,
01:47where's Buster?
01:48We are going to make Buster available.
01:50And so, yeah, there was, you know, 37, I think, by my count,
01:54media members who came out there.
01:57And it was, it was just kind of dumbfounding.
02:03There has, this has been something that's been boiling over,
02:08really hurtful to a huge part of their fan base.
02:11People are writing these passionate letters.
02:13I've been copied in on so many.
02:15And they talk about, you know, their, their queer kids
02:18and how much joy they've been had going to Giants game.
02:23And just how, and even if it's not a, you know,
02:26they're not about the community that they are so proud of the team to be an
02:29ally.
02:30There's just people are pouring their heart and soul out in these letters
02:33and not getting any response in return.
02:34So I just figured, you know,
02:36this is going to be the team that I've known for at least ever since,
02:40you know, the Peter McGowan group bought the team has been pretty good at
02:44damage control and has, you know, tried to massage the message.
02:47So I figured that's what this was going to be about.
02:49And they said, you know, send out a release.
02:52Buster will be available.
02:54Absolutely no parameters around Buster Posey,
02:57president of baseball operations,
03:00biggest face and power broker in the organization.
03:04What we could ask him.
03:06And so it was, yeah, it was pretty stunning.
03:08Absolutely stunning.
03:09And Mark and I were on the air and we didn't hear it initially.
03:12We were following your tweets and everyone else's in real time.
03:15And I kept just saying to Mark, like,
03:17what was the point of even going out there?
03:20So now that you can reflect 24 hours later,
03:22what do you think was the thought to send Buster Posey out there and not
03:27address what everyone wanted to dress?
03:30You know,
03:30I really don't know,
03:31but you know what it kind of reminds me of and we're old enough that we
03:35all remember this moment.
03:36Do you remember the famous spring training Barry Bonds moment where he had to
03:44answer questions about the growing steroid scandal that had been growing in
03:48the off season?
03:49And he sat on a picnic table and he put his young son,
03:54Nikolai right in front of him,
03:55like a human shield.
03:57It kind of reminded me of that.
03:59Like they know Buster is beloved and they maybe thought if we trot Buster out
04:06there and he just deflects,
04:08it's going to be fine.
04:09We're all going to be okay because everyone loves Buster.
04:12Instead,
04:13I think it did tremendous damage to Buster's reputation,
04:16which,
04:16you know,
04:17hasn't been great as a head of baseball ops anyway.
04:21And it was just,
04:22it was,
04:23it was insulting quite frankly,
04:25because this is about baseball.
04:28This is a baseball team.
04:29The baseball team had a night.
04:31The baseball commissioner is involved.
04:34This is about baseball.
04:35So don't,
04:36don't,
04:36don't come at me with the,
04:38I'm only answering baseball questions.
04:39This is baseball.
04:41And if he couldn't answer it,
04:42I mean,
04:43I even asked him later,
04:43like,
04:44are we talking to the wrong person?
04:45Like,
04:46should Larry be here?
04:47And,
04:47and then that's when he like looked around at Chiz and just was like,
04:52and Chiz and said,
04:53you know,
04:54we're going to stop this.
04:55If,
04:56if yeah,
04:57it was not good.
04:59And Kelly in San Francisco Chronicle with us,
05:01whether to dibs 95,
05:02seven,
05:03the game.
05:03And I,
05:04I,
05:04there's so much here.
05:06But here's where my mind goes next,
05:09because I'm with you to me.
05:12These are all baseball questions,
05:13but I understand how the giants were trying to define baseball questions.
05:17But what I also found odd is when you guys got to those questions,
05:21he kept sort of responding with,
05:23I don't have an answer for that either.
05:25And,
05:25and so what was your thought process with regard to just the overall I'm going to make up a word
05:35here,
05:35almost the,
05:36the,
05:36the presidentiality of what you saw yesterday?
05:40day.
05:41Like was he,
05:42is he equipped for the job?
05:46Well,
05:47I've always thought so until yesterday.
05:49Um,
05:50and now I,
05:51I,
05:51I'm not sure.
05:52I mean,
05:52I've known Buster Posey since he was introduced in that very same dugout after he got drafted in 2008.
05:57And,
05:58you know,
05:59he came in there in 2010.
06:01I was around that team all the time.
06:04I,
06:05the,
06:06a professional mature beyond his years,
06:08cool in every situation.
06:10He was rattled.
06:11He was shaky.
06:13He was irritated.
06:14He was nervous.
06:15He looked like he was surprised.
06:18Like,
06:19I'm sorry if he's surprised,
06:21he's not reading the room.
06:23He came off as tone deaf.
06:24His statement about,
06:26you know,
06:26differing perspectives sound very both sidesy,
06:30you know,
06:31which I mean,
06:33I,
06:34it just,
06:35it was,
06:35it was,
06:36it probably did more damage to his reputation than this disastrous season.
06:41Um,
06:42and everything that's happened since he's been the president of baseball ops.
06:46I,
06:46I,
06:47I was really surprised because that was not the Buster Posey that I am,
06:50have been accustomed to seeing for,
06:53uh,
06:54getting close to two decades now.
06:56I mean,
06:56I,
06:56I was a little surprised.
06:58I don't think I'll be getting a Christmas card from him this year,
07:00by the way.
07:01I mean,
07:02really?
07:03Just because of your,
07:04your really,
07:05I thought that that was just a perfect response.
07:07And I was struck by what you just described where his head was down and he
07:11didn't look comfortable.
07:12And it's had me wondering,
07:14and how does he actually feel about this community and pride night in general?
07:19Have we ever seen anything from Buster,
07:22either pro pride night or anti in the past?
07:26Well,
07:27that's what I was trying to ask him.
07:28That was like my first question because that's,
07:30you know,
07:30I mean,
07:31he is,
07:31he loves this organization,
07:33right?
07:34I mean,
07:34he came back because he loves this organization.
07:36This organization has a,
07:39one of its fundamental building blocks in this community is it's,
07:46it's embracing of the LGBTQ community.
07:50I mean,
07:50it is,
07:51they courted it when they were building the stadium and every other
07:54demographic,
07:54like they went out of their way to make sure that everyone was on board.
07:59And,
08:00you know,
08:00you can be cynical about until there's a cure night that maybe that's why
08:03they started it because they wanted to make sure everyone was on board
08:06from building the new stadium,
08:07but,
08:07but they,
08:08you know,
08:08they stuck their neck out there and were the first pro sports team to do
08:12something like that.
08:13And ever since that night in 1994,
08:16that has been,
08:16there has been some embrace of the community by the team on a regular
08:23basis.
08:23And Buster was a member of the team and there have been,
08:27you know,
08:28pride nights and,
08:29you know,
08:30there wasn't a pride uniform until 2021.
08:32I went back and checked.
08:34He was on the team.
08:36He did not play that day.
08:37And so I don't know if he wore the cap or not.
08:40He did take about 40 games off that year.
08:43You know,
08:43it was his final year.
08:44So is it unusual for him to have taken a game off between,
08:49you know,
08:50a Friday and Sunday game,
08:51take a Saturday game off?
08:52No,
08:53probably not.
08:53So it could be a coincidence,
08:54but I don't know.
08:55I mean,
08:56we all know that he's a Christian.
08:57He goes to chapel.
08:58He's a very,
08:59you know,
08:59faith is a big part of his life,
09:01but he never,
09:02he never went out of his way to alienate the community as a player.
09:05If he had feelings about it,
09:07he kept them to himself and,
09:09you know,
09:10was a team player and part of the organization that supports the gay
09:14community.
09:15So I don't know how he feels about it.
09:18So,
09:19yeah,
09:20that was,
09:20that was one of the things I was trying to ask.
09:23It's just,
09:24there seems to be a,
09:25an incredible lack of thought,
09:29a lack of communication,
09:31a lack of understanding,
09:33like how this,
09:34how,
09:35how this has backfired,
09:36how hurtful this has been.
09:37It's how this has changed their image fundamentally for so many people.
09:42You know,
09:43they're now Magda's favorite baseball team.
09:45I mean,
09:46figure that.
09:47Wow.
09:47It's kind of,
09:48it's kind of crazy.
09:50And it seemed like for the most part,
09:53as,
09:54as Buster sat down in the dugout,
09:56there were two main things that people wanted to discuss.
10:00And the other being what had happened in Miami with Raphael Devers.
10:04Did you find it odd that he would hold this press conference and start out by
10:10saying,
10:11I haven't even talked to Raphael Devers?
10:14I did.
10:15Yeah,
10:15I did.
10:16I thought,
10:17I thought the whole thing was odd.
10:20Right.
10:20And,
10:21and,
10:21you know,
10:21yes,
10:22is the trade,
10:22is the trade deadline coming up?
10:24Is,
10:24is the draft coming up?
10:26Yes.
10:26All those things are coming up,
10:28but obviously that is not why 35 media members showed up to,
10:34to try and talk to the head of baseball operations,
10:37the face of the franchise on a Tuesday afternoon to begin a homestand.
10:41So,
10:42yeah,
10:42I mean,
10:43on,
10:43on both counts,
10:44he wasn't prepared.
10:45And then,
10:46you know,
10:47I,
10:47I didn't,
10:48wasn't in there when Devers talked,
10:50but,
10:50you know,
10:51a few minutes later,
10:52Devers,
10:53I mean,
10:55Buster's quote about,
10:56you have to be accountable,
10:58was rich,
10:59you know,
11:00and then a few minutes later,
11:01Devers was accountable and apologized.
11:03And then,
11:04you know,
11:04I,
11:05Mark,
11:05I appreciated your,
11:06your blown out of proportion comments earlier today.
11:12But,
11:14you know,
11:14and,
11:15and then,
11:15and then even,
11:16you know,
11:17again,
11:18about two hours after Buster spoke,
11:20Tony Vitello comes out and he's,
11:21you know,
11:21not the most articulate guy.
11:23He's been the one kind of left to dangle with this whole pride night issue
11:27that he's a newbie at,
11:29you know,
11:29he is not a part.
11:30I'm,
11:30I'm pretty sure university of Tennessee doesn't have pride nights.
11:33I could be wrong,
11:34but,
11:35but,
11:36but,
11:36but,
11:36you know,
11:37he even said a much more thoughtful and,
11:42and,
11:42and important statement on behalf of the organization about being inclusive.
11:49And that's,
11:50you know,
11:50really,
11:51that's all it took.
11:52Buster could have said,
11:53we cherish and value every one of our fans.
11:59And we have some things that we're working through right now that we can't talk about,
12:03but I just want all of our fans who,
12:06who have supported us all these years to know how much we value them.
12:09I mean,
12:10really,
12:11that's all it would have taken.
12:12Do we know?
12:13I'm sorry,
12:14Anne.
12:15Go ahead.
12:16I was just going to ask,
12:16do we know whose idea it was for Buster to go out there and do this in the first place?
12:21Was it Buster Posey?
12:23Do we have any idea on what the genesis is of him going out there?
12:30I don't know.
12:31I,
12:32again,
12:33I feel like communications within the organization are extremely lacking.
12:38I feel like they knew they had to put someone out there.
12:42Maybe Buster figured he could do it.
12:45And because he's Buster Posey,
12:46it was going to go fine.
12:48And he could,
12:49you know,
12:50blow us off because,
12:51you know,
12:51he's been used to dealing with the media,
12:54you know,
12:54a lot,
12:55but it didn't go fine.
12:57And,
12:58you know,
12:58I mean,
12:59there's,
12:59you know,
13:00a lot of thought that,
13:01that they're petrified by this DOJ threats against them,
13:07you know,
13:07that their DOJ is weaponizing,
13:09you know,
13:10this event and is going to go after them.
13:13And that could be true.
13:14But,
13:15you know,
13:15this is a team that's been used to a lot of legal issues in the past.
13:19And also you can massage that message.
13:21If you are worried about it,
13:23just say what,
13:24like,
13:24like,
13:25you know,
13:25be vague.
13:26Just say you can't,
13:27you can't talk about a lot of specifics right now,
13:30but you're working on repairing things or whatever it is,
13:33but you can be vague and still get a message to your fans that you care
13:37about them instead of just basically acting that like,
13:41this is no big deal.
13:42We're waiting for this to go away.
13:44And let's talk about who we're going to draft.
13:47And I wonder where you think this is all going.
13:51And because so many people are new on the job and obviously they don't want to keep changing jobs every
13:58single year.
13:59But I guess the question I'm asking is how bad is this and what does it mean for Buster and
14:05for Tony Vitello and beyond?
14:10I don't know.
14:11You know,
14:12I mean,
14:13ownership,
14:14obviously,
14:15do they care if the stadium is full like it was last night?
14:19I mean,
14:19do they care if they can sell a pride hat for,
14:22I looked online today,
14:23you can get one,
14:25you can still get the pride hat for 52.99 on their website.
14:30You know,
14:31I mean,
14:31I,
14:32that's,
14:32that's something that I have feel has been going on with this team for a while that it's been becoming
14:38more about,
14:39you know,
14:39I mean,
14:40with the development of a lot,
14:41a with the buying of the current theater,
14:44with the bringing in of Jared Kushner's brother as an investor,
14:47they seem like all they care about is making more money,
14:50more and more money,
14:51more and more money.
14:52And they don't seem to care that much about the product on the field.
14:55And right now they're sending a message that we really don't care.
14:58How our fans feel.
15:00And so I don't know where it's going.
15:03I don't have a real,
15:04you know,
15:05optimistic feeling about it,
15:06considering the product on the field,
15:10the mess off the field,
15:13the lack of leadership.
15:14I think it's going to take a while to,
15:17to fix this.
15:18And,
15:19and I don't,
15:19it's gotten a lot worse than it's,
15:22you know,
15:23this isn't just about a,
15:24a bad baseball team that,
15:26that can't figure out how to win games.
15:28It's,
15:28it seems like it's fundamentally about what their priorities are and what
15:35their leadership is and what their values are.
15:38And that's one of the things that fans have loved about this team,
15:42have appreciated about this team.
15:43So,
15:44yeah,
15:45I can't answer that question.
15:47I mean,
15:48it's tough.
15:48And from the outside,
15:49it looks rudderless and it looks like they have no identity.
15:51And I,
15:52I just can't help,
15:53but think back to when Larry bear was principally running things.
15:57What is his role now?
15:59Is he just a guy who sits in the second row and is just part of ownership?
16:04Well,
16:05I mean,
16:05you know,
16:06Larry's at events all the time.
16:08I mean,
16:08he's at press conferences all the time.
16:10He's still the CEO.
16:11And that's the thing.
16:12Like I'm shocked that,
16:13that they couldn't see that this was coming.
16:16And,
16:16and,
16:16you know,
16:18Larry is a spin master.
16:19He's always been a spin master.
16:20He can talk your ear off and try and persuade you that,
16:24you know,
16:25Barry bones never did steroids or what,
16:27you know,
16:27I mean,
16:27he can,
16:28you know,
16:28he's,
16:29he's,
16:29that's kind of been his role for the last 25,
16:3230 years.
16:33And so I'm surprised they didn't bring him out and say,
16:37as kind of the voice,
16:39bring them both out.
16:40You know,
16:41Larry kind of says the,
16:42the,
16:43you know,
16:44even if it's not a full apology,
16:46the kind of apology,
16:47the kind of,
16:48we love our fans and then turn it over to Buster to talk about baseball.
16:51But it wasn't orchestrated that way.
16:54And I,
16:55again,
16:55I,
16:55I'm a little surprised because this team has always been image conscience,
17:00always done damage control.
17:02And,
17:02and they're not doing it.
17:05And,
17:05you know,
17:06I,
17:06I know some PR people just about a half mile away are pretty good at their
17:10jobs.
17:11I feel like maybe they should just take a,
17:12take a walk down third street.
17:14And,
17:19and it is wonderful to have your perspective.
17:23Uh,
17:23thank you for your work yesterday.
17:24Thank you for making some time for us today.
17:26Back to the world cup for you.
17:29Yay.
17:29World cup.
17:30That's what I thought I'd be doing all month.
17:32Yeah.
17:32Yeah.
17:32Coming to Levi's.
17:34I know you're not allowed to call it Levi's,
17:35but next Wednesday,
17:36I imagine you'll be there.
17:38Oh,
17:38we call it Levi's.
17:39Cause we actually know where San Francisco is and it's not,
17:42it's not where Levi's is.
17:43That's a good point.
17:44That's not San Francisco stadium,
17:45but anyway.
17:46All right.
17:46Thank you,
17:47Ann.
17:48Okay.
17:48Thanks guys.
17:49See you later.
17:49Yep.
17:49See ya.
17:50And Kelly in San Francisco chronic.
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