Rosenthal: The “Sinister Sling” and the crowds by Manny Machado

Yes, I said it straight on national television.

During Fox Sports’ broadcast of Game 2 of the Division Series on Sunday night, I talked about an emotional meeting Manny Machado led in the San Diego Padres dugout. The group followed a tumultuous seventh inning in which fans at Dodger Stadium threw baseballs and beer cans onto the field.

“Manny Machado has taken a lot of criticism in his career,” I said. “Because you’re too relaxed. For occasional dirty play. For being the kind of player you don’t want to rely on. Well, what we saw tonight in this dugout, at this meeting, was the most visible and powerful act of leadership of his career. He’s 32 now. Obviously a different guy.”

Oh, if only I knew what we learned after the game and at Monday’s practice at Petco Park. That Machado threw a ball toward the Dodgers dugout. That it hit the net in front of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. That the throw was powerful enough for the carom to execute it towards home plate.

Two things can be true. Machado actually showed leadership qualities in the dugout, putting his arm around catcher Kyle Higashioka and imploring his teammates to stay focused. But his punk reaction to Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty hitting Fernando Tatis Jr. with a 91.7 mph sinking strike, well, that was Manny being Manny. Again.

Manny Machado speaks to the umpires during the sixth inning of the controversial second game of the NLDS between the Padres and Dodgers on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Flaherty almost certainly didn’t intentionally hit Tatis leading off the sixth inning, not with the Dodgers trailing 3-1. Nevertheless, after the game, Machado almost voluntarily admitted that his act was retaliation. When he learned the Dodgers thought he threw the ball hard, he said The athlete“Did Flaherty throw the ball hard at our guy?”

Perhaps only Machado could explain how the two acts fit together. But as angry as the Dodgers were and are, they don’t even believe that Machado actually tried to hit Roberts. While Roberts called the third baseman’s actions “disturbing and disrespectful,” several Dodgers people said they thought Machado was trying to send a message to their team and not cause injury.

Still, Machado’s stunt was inappropriate and not particularly clever. Third base umpire Tripp Gibson approached Machado shortly after his sinister sling. If Gibson had thrown Machado out, it would have been an overreaction. But if the benches had been cleared, Machado would almost certainly have been ejected for his role as an instigator. Thrown out of a postseason game with his team leading by three runs but trailing in the series.

The Dodgers have submitted video to Major League Baseball for review, but no one should hold their breath waiting for disciplinary action. Machado’s throw hit no one, giving him plausible deniability. Perhaps the bigger question is whether the Dodgers will get revenge against Machado in Game 3 on Tuesday night. At the Padres’ home park. Where fans upset over the indefensible behavior of some of their fellow Dodgers on Sunday night are sure to be in an uproar. Good luck with that.

One thing seems clear right now: The Padres aren’t just a great team. They’re also on the Dodgers’ minds. Teams often take on the personality of their leaders. As the leader of the Padres, Machado is willing to engage in behavior that some would consider unseemly, and he makes no apologies for it. The best way for the Dodgers to deal with him is to hit him. And that will be easier said than done.

Machado is far from the Padres’ only nuisance. Fernando Tatis Jr. is a smiling, dancing peacock. Jurickson Profar is the boy who pulls the fire alarm at school and then asks, “Who, me?”

Still, this is a far more cohesive group than last season, a fully functioning unit and not just a mere collection of stars. And Machado, as hard as it may be for some to believe, has shown that he has evolved from the player he once was.

This is a player who caused a bench-clearing incident in 2014 when he objected to a hard tag from Josh Donaldson. This is a player who stormed the mound in 2016 and dealt blows to Yordano Ventura of the Royals. This is a player who in 2017 caused the injury that ended Dustin Pedroia’s career with a hard slip that some considered dirty.

And let’s not forget Machado’s heel turn with the Dodgers in the 2018 National League Championship Series, when he questionably slid into Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia twice in Game 3 and caught first baseman Jesús Aguilar executing a grounder in Game 4. He also caused controversy during this series, when he explained to me in an interview on FS1 that he had failed to take out a grounder, telling me: “Of course I’m not going to change, I’m not the type of player who “Johnny Hustle” and running down the line and slide to first base… that’s just not my personality, that’s not my thing, that’s not who I am.”

I wrote a column for The athlete the evening before the interview, including Machado’s extensive comments in which he took responsibility for his inconsistent efforts and promised to improve. When he became a free agent in the offseason, none of his gimmicks hurt him. The Padres signed him to a 10-year, $300 million contract. In February 2023, they gave him an 11-year, $350 million extension, replacing the final six seasons of his previous contract.

In my “Johnny Hustle” interview column, I concluded of Machado: “If he wants the noise to stop, he needs to give people less reason to question him.” If he wants real appreciation for his greatness, he should he only attracts attention through his performance.”

Six years later, those words still ring true. Machado is more mature in some ways. Padres right-hander Yu Darvish singles out Machado and Joe Musgrove for their special support while he missed nearly two months this season due to a personal matter. Even on Sunday night, Machado barely reacted as Flaherty cursed him after beating him twice in the sixth round and later praised Flaherty for winning the fight. Old Machado might have attacked the hill.

All of this represents progress, even if the initial bar was low. The team meeting in the dugout was further proof that Machado is the emotional center of the team. But “The Sinister Sling” showed once again that Machado is still only too happy to play the villain.

It was Manny being Manny. Again.

(Top photo from Manny Machado gives his speech in the dugout on Sunday: Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)