Manny Machado, San Diego Padres, Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals. (Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
Baseball fans just about lost it when Manny Machado decided to slide 20 feet away from the second base bag.
During the series finale between the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals, Padres third baseman Manny Machado decided a takeout slide of Cardinals second basemen Tommy Edman 20 feet away from the second base bag was in order.
San Diego won the game 5-3 to improve to 24-17 on the year, handing the NL Central-leading Cardinals their 18th loss of the season. While it was only one game of 162, baseball fans just about lost it on Twitter Sunday evening over Machado’s controversial slide. Though the maneuver was clearly intentional, the question of whether it was dirty or not is in question.
See for yourself if Machado’s takeout slide of Edman was dirty or not.
Manny Machado’s takeout slide of Tommy Edman causes Twitter to erupt
Naturally, Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers fans think Machado’s slide of Edman is the worst thing to happen to baseball since the Steroid Era.
As far as Padres fans, they are defending Machado’s slide like he is “Mr. Padre” Tony Gwynn himself.
Ultimately, this slide falls somewhere in between. Had it have been carried out closer to the second base bag, few would have any issue with it. Of course, there are baseball fans who would have ripped Machado to shreds for falling down like a sack of potatoes.
While Machado’s slide may be questioned, what he set out to execute was successfully executed.