USA TODAY International Edition
Machado proud to play in WBC for Dominicans
Orioles superstar says choice was for his family
SARASOTA, FLA. Manny Machado never wavered in his decision. This wasn’t about one team or another. This was about family.
The Baltimore Orioles threetime All- Star, born in Miami to Dominican parents, committed to play for the Dominican Republic in the 2017 World Baseball Classic nearly a year ago. He reaffirmed his pledge to team general manager Moises Alou in July and finally wore the uniform of his ancestral homeland Tuesday in a 5- 4 exhibition loss to the Orioles.
Though it was only a practice game — the Dominicans begin defense of their 2013 WBC title Thursday in Miami — it was an emotional occasion for Machado, who got a hug and a kiss from his father, Manuel, when they met at Ed Smith Stadium.
Facing the only pro club he’s known made the day more surreal. “I wanted to do it for my family, not for myself,” Machado said of his choice to suit up for the Dominican Republic instead of the USA, which he represented in the 2009 Pan American Junior Championships. “Any opportunity like this, I get teared up.
“I saw my dad in the stands. I hadn’t seen him in a while, and he looked at me and said, ‘ Man, I got chills just watching you wear those colors and representing something that’s really big for us.’ At the end of the day, it’s all about your family. Whenever you can make them excited and give them a smile ... it goes above and beyond.”
Machado, a top- five finisher in the AL MVP race each of the last two seasons, figures to be an important contributor to the Dominican squad at third base and/ or shortstop, but he’s not an essential player. The club is loaded, with the likes of Jean Segura, Jose Reyes and Jonathan Villar available to play short. Gold Glove third baseman Adrian Beltre will join the ranks Thursday after nursing an injury.
But Alou said Machado, who went 0- for- 2 Tuesday and started at third base, remained steadfast in his desire to play, with no need of cajoling. He had given his word to his mother, Rosa Nunez, who raised him as a single parent.
“She’s ecstatic and excited that I chose to represent us,” said Machado, 24.
Despite his low- key personality, Machado has fit right in with the boisterous, outgoing Dominican squad, which went unbeaten in the 2013 WBC behind its socalled “Plantain Power.” Machado gets kidded about his perfect English- language skills but he also speaks Spanish fluently, and with a Dominican accent to boot.
Seattle Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz, his teammate in 2014 with the Orioles, recalls sharing his experiences playing in the WBC during several conversations they had on the subject, which only whetted Machado’s appetite. “He identifies himself as Dominican and always has, so it wasn’t surprising to me that he would decide to represent our country,” Cruz said. “It’s a welcome decision, because we’re proud to have a player with his talent.”
Machado has long been compared with his childhood idol, Alex Rodriguez, another Miami-raised shortstop with Dominican roots who wound up moving to third base. They even have jersey numbers in common, starting with No. 3 ( Machado wore it in high school and the minors) before switching to 13.
Their paths diverge when it comes to the WBC. Rodriguez waffled in picking his team for the initial tournament in 2006, first choosing the Dominicans and eventually changing his mind and playing for the USA. Before the 2009 WBC, A- Rod announced his intention to play for the Dominicans, but a hip injury kept him from participating.
Other players with multiple options have found it’s not that easy to settle on one. Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado was heavily recruited by Puerto Rico, where his mother’s family hails from, and acknowledged she was disappointed when he decided to play for the USA instead.
“It was really difficult,” Arenado said of the decision. “I wanted to represent the country I was born in. Also, I didn’t feel great … taking playing time from guys who were born in Puerto Rico.”
As newcomers to the tournament, Arenado and Machado will be exposed for the first time to the national fervor the WBC engenders. The Dominican Republic faces the USA in a highly anticipated game Saturday at soldout Marlins Park, a few miles from where Machado grew up.
“It’s going to be incredible,” Machado said. “I don’t even know what to say about it. Playing at home, wearing this uniform, it’s going to be really special.”