Third baseman Manny Machado is the captain of the San Diego Padres, and there is no doubt about it. 

Manny Machado went through several difficult moments on the baseball diamond as a young player.

You cannot deny that fact.

His competitive spirit got the best of him on several occasions. With every pitch televised, there is no hiding from his actions. Labeled as a “dirty player” early in his career, Machado is working hard to end that stigma. The sad reality is that in the world we currently live in, once you are labeled, it is nearly impossible to reverse that stamp put on your shoulders by others.

For Manny Machado, some will always view him in a negative light.

Last winter, in the playoffs, the national media furthered the labeling of Manny Machado. Ken Rosenthal reported that Machado maliciously threw a ball toward the Dodgers’ dugout in L.A. during the NLDS. Multiple video angles contradict any sort of action from Machado (other than throwing the ball in after half-inning warm-ups), but the damage had been done. Despite being behind, the Dodgers used the report as fuel to ignite a series rally against the Padres.

The rest is history.

Manny Machado knows you cannot control others. People will have their opinions. That’s fine.

For Machado, it is about being true to himself and continuing to play the game of baseball at a high level. He is on the road to a hall-of-fame career, and the Padres are lucky to have him in the hot corner. Machado will always be a player you love as long as he is on your team. With that identity comes an edge to your game. He has it. That is how he motivates himself and continues to play at an all-star level year after year.

A few weekends ago, Manny Machado flew several of his teammates to a San Diego FC game at Snapdragon Stadium.

In a remarkable team-bonding event, somewhere around 8-12, Padres players went with Machado to the game. Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Adrian Morejon, Michael King, Jackson Merrill, Jason Heyward, and Joe Musgrove were all in attendance to witness a 1-1 draw. Social media was all over the Padres as the MLS and several news outlets took videos and photos of the players in their customized San Diego FC jerseys.

It was a great night for San Diego.

Manny Machado created memories with his teammates that they will remember forever. They had fun. They were fans. The Padres experienced what it was like to support a professional sports team. They met Chucky Lozano and took photos with him. It is rare for a professional athlete to be humbled in that manner. It does tremendous things for their character.

Planning this trip and bringing the group together is something a captain does.

Machado was immature. But because the game of baseball mirrors life, he was given an opportunity to grow from these instances.

The star third baseman will never be considered the face of baseball. But if you ask players around the league whom they respect the most- Manny Machado would get a lot of votes. He is a ballplayer in every sense of the word.

The Padres head into the 2025 season with high ambitions. A World Series title is the ultimate goal. If a parade is to happen one day in San Diego celebrating a World Series win, you can be sure that Manny Machado is vital to that success. He is the head Padre in town.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.