masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles manager Buck Showalter has heard the criticism aimed at Manny Machado for failing to run hard out of the batter’s box. He’s aware of it and he’s addressing the situation.
Machado irked more fans last night after settling for a long single on a fly ball that hit near the top of the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. A night earlier, he settled for a double on a ball at Fenway Park that rattled around the triangle in center field and could have produced a triple.
As the subject…

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has heard the criticism aimed at Manny Machado for failing to run hard out of the batter’s box. He’s aware of it and he’s addressing the situation.

Machado irked more fans last night after settling for a long single on a fly ball that hit near the top of the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. A night earlier, he settled for a double on a ball at Fenway Park that rattled around the triangle in center field and could have produced a triple.

As the subject came up today during his pregame media session, Showalter said, “Assuming balls are going to be a double or home run or whatever? They’re right. He knows. They’re right.”

Manny-Machado-white-close.jpgMachado hasn’t earned a free pass from Showalter, but his consecutive games streak of 228 is taken into account.

“You know what’s the tough part of it? And this is no excuse. The guy has played 200-something games in a row. That usually buys a little cache with me, but not …” Showalter said.

“Manny always beats me to the punch. But it’s like I told him, it’s a CYA thing. The way you ever keep any of that from happening is just run. We speak to him about it and he’s usually kicking himself more than we are after it happens.

“Some people’s swings, and I’m not making excuses, but it’s just a certain way you get out of the box. That’s why a lot of guys who can really run hit into a lot of double plays. Rickey Henderson. I guess that does sound like an excuse. It’s something that you just can’t do. It will catch up to you and it has a couple times. But I do understand.”

Machado also has been guilty of running into a few outs at third base with Chris Davis on deck, but the biggest criticisms stem from his occasional failures to run hard up the first base line.

“There are some things that happen and you hate to see them repeated,” Showalter said. “That’s the problem I have with it, and believe me, it’s been addressed. I don’t want to see it happen with anybody. But I see the same thing people see. A lot of people don’t see what goes up the runway behind closed doors. But guys that play the game every day and play it hard, they build up certain things. But he’s better than that.”

Machado begins today’s game batting .311/.375/.599 with 26 doubles, 17 home runs and 42 RBIs in 66 games. He leads American League third basemen in All-Star voting.

The Orioles are preparing for Machado’s absence once he begins serving a suspension that currently stands at four games. He could drop the appeal rather than attend Tuesday’s hearing.