It’s not easy to fool a perennial All-Star player like Manny Machado. The Padres’ third baseman is one of the best defenders in baseball not only because he has a dynamite glove but because he rarely makes unforced errors. To get one past Machado, you must beat him head-on rather than lean on any “tricks.”
That’s a lesson the Rockies’ José Iglesias learned on Saturday afternoon in San Diego (-225). When Iglesias attempted to take third base on a weak grounder, Machado was waiting for him. Rather than take his medicine — because Machado wasn’t going to take himself out of prime position — Iglesias tried to channel his best impression of Derek Zoolander.
In broad Southern California daylight, a hilarious passive-aggressive battle of wills ensued:
