CARLSBAD, Calif. — Gary Kendall was there, in Aberdeen, Md., when Manny Machado played the third game of his pro career on Aug. 30, 2010. Two years later, Kendall managed Machado as a 19-year-old in double-A. Few people in baseball know Machado longer than the Baltimore Orioles minor-league manager.
Kendall always regarded Machado as “an intense player” who wants to win at all costs. He believes that helps to explain Machado’s controversial takeout slide into Boston’s Dustin Pedroia in 2016 and even the two instances in the postseason last month when he was accused of spiking a first baseman.