Manny Machado apologizes for not running out ground ball - MLB

Orioles shortstop Manny Machado hit into a 4-6-3 in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Mariners. Machado didn’t run hard to first and was booed by Orioles fans at Camden Yards on his way back to the dugout, MASN’s Roch Kubatko reported.

Manager Buck Showalter wasn’t happy with Machado, saying, “He’s better than that,” per Kubatko. Showalter added, “It’s a really bad presentation and he knows that.”

Machado has apologized for not running out the ground ball, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports. Machado said, “At the end of the day, there’s no excuse for not running it out. I take full responsibility for not running. I should have run hard. It looks bad. It looks bad for people who follow me, people who look up to me, and I fully apologize for letting people down, but next time, I’ll run. There’s no excuse for that.”

MLB.com doesn’t have a clip of the double play, but I went back and watched it through MLB.tv. James Paxton threw a 3-1, 98 MPH fastball beat right into the ground, up the middle. Second baseman Dee Gordon was positioned perfectly. The ball was in his glove and Machado was barely out of the batter’s box. That was more a function of how hard Machado hit the ground ball — 103.5 MPH, per Statcast — than his lack of effort. That’s a dead-to-rights double play ball. Even if Machado ran hard, it’s only not a double play if shortstop Jean Segura makes an errant throw, which, yes, can happen.

The Orioles are also completely out of contention with a 23-55 record. They won’t play a meaningful game until late September if they’re acting as potential spoilers for a playoff-hungry team. Machado, meanwhile, is a free agent after the season and could be headed to a contender by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. What if Machado pulls a hamstring busting his butt up the line in an attempt to prevent a double play in a meaningless game for a team 29.5 games out of first place? How many millions of dollars might he lose? The Orioles should wonder how his trade value might be affected in such a case. A player will get injured running the bases more often than his extra effort will turn an out into a hit or two outs into one out.

If I’m Manny Machado, I’m not putting in any extra effort than is necessary while playing for the Orioles this season. And if I’m Orioles GM Dan Duquette, I’m right there with him, telling him not to go the extra mile. This is a pretty simple calculus, leading to the undeniable conclusion that it’s just not worth the extra effort. It rarely is.

As for the kids watching Machado who might copy his lack of effort, former NBA player Charles Barkley said it best: “I’m not a role model. I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.