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Whether baseball front-offices care about Manny Machado's comments about not being "Johnny Hustle", one of the biggest fish in this winter's free-play pool has been trying to clarify remarks which made it possible to define this point.
For those who may not remember, Machado, who would be interested in the White Sox, hit the headlines during the playoffs, after criticizing Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. after being blamed for not having escaped the ball on the ground, it has so aggravated the optics. that it will never be "Johnny Hustle" and that jostling "is not my cup of tea." It was a scene that came straight out of a PR man's nightmare, but that's not all that Machado did wrong during the playoffs. He also provoked minimal controversy by interfering with a pair of doubles and dragging his foot on the leg of Milwaukee Brewers' first baseman, Jesus Aguilar.
All these antics combined to make Machado some sort of playoff villain, although he also demonstrated incredible talent with the bat and the glove that made him one of the best baseball players.
But while time heals so-called all injuries, comments from "Johnny Hustle" persisted in the off season, with former players – AJ Pierzynski is one of them – joining the ranks of those who are unhappy with an apparent non-stalker. From where perhaps the need for Machado to clarify things, what he did during an interview with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
"When I was asked this question, I was definitely on the defensive, and I was wrong to answer as I did, because in retrospect, it does not allow me to understand what I meant, "said Machado in an interview. "For me, I was trying to say that I'm not the type of eye washer.There is a difference between fake hustle for show and be someone who strives to win I've always been the one who does everything he can to win for his team.
"But I know how I said it and how it happened, and it's something I take responsibility for." I'm eager to talk to every general manager and to every owner we meet about it, or any other question that they have. "
Once again, it is unclear how Machado's words and actions had an impact on the thinking of CEOs and wickets. Teams are known to value field production in relation to the attitudes perceived by players in the past. Only the owner of the New York Yankees, Hal Steinbrenner, whose team seems to be one of the most likely landing places for Machado, had something to say about Machado's comments, particularly "that will not sell where we play baseball. "
But for the White Sox, in particular, it created an interesting situation. Twitter vocal fans have long coveted Machado as the big investor in the White Sox's rebuilding efforts, but the tone has changed significantly during the playoffs, with fans preferring by far the South Siders' shop to be bought elsewhere. (and the rumor linking them to Bryce Harper probably helped). And then the manager Rick Renteria, who, although he would certainly appreciate the addition of a talent like Machado to his lineup, has often made the decision, during the 2018 season, to put his players on the bench to avoid shifting ground balls, pop-ups and alignments. How would Machado insert in this culture, which the White Sox rent at every opportunity and commit enough to give Renteria an extension of contract?
Of course, it is important to remember that these poorly formulated comments about the hustle and bustle are not the only flaw in Machado's otherwise sensational career. He had several incidents on the field that resulted in the launch of helmets and bats, and he had an infamous slip in the second baseman of the Boston Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia. His quarrel with the Red Sox – who just defeated him last month and his Los Angeles Dodgers at the World Series – even took place with former White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, throwing well outside of the strike zone.
It makes perfect sense that a man seeking one of the richest contracts in baseball history tries to go public relations offensive, and it is also likely that these original comments do not tell the story. the whole story of Machado's approach to the subject. The results, of course, speak for themselves, and the four All-Star selections, the top three places in the top 10 and the two gold gloves all preceded his career year in 2018: a slash of .297 / .367 / .538 with 37 home runs and 107 RBIs, all career highs.
But be it at the counters or the fans, Machado thinks to have clarifications to make. Maybe it will not be "Johnny Hustle" so soon, but he is ready to prove that he is far from the opposite.
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