Manny Machado has firmly established himself as the villain in this year's playoffs thanks to not one, not two, but three separate incidents — each one more egregious than the other — that push the boundaries of sportsmanship.
After a pair of questionable slides into second base in Game 3 of the National Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Machado seemed to intentionally kick the leg of first baseman Jesus Aguilar while reaching first base in Game 4.
Perhaps if Machado admitted he was at fault, things might have blown over. But that didn't happen.
"If that’s dirty, that’s dirty. I don’t know, call it what you want,” Machado said.
For his antics, Machado joins a select group of MLB players who've taken the idea of "playing the game hard" a little too far.
Our Hall of Shame candidates (since 2000):
Manny Machado
Surprise! He was already in for his run-in with the Oakland A's in 2014 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Machado didn't like the way A's third baseman Josh Donaldson tagged him in the first game of a three-game series, so he waited until the series finale to enact his "revenge."
Machado swung and missed at a pitch and the bat mysteriously slipped out of his hands and helicoptered down the third-base line. The A's had already taken Donaldson out of the game by that point, but the benches cleared anyway.
Chase Utley
In the 2015 NLDS, Utley slid hard and late into second to try to break up a double play. However, his primary target wasn't the base, but New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.
Tejada suffered a broken leg in the collision and Utley was suspended for Games 3 and 4. Under the spotlight of the playoffs, the incident led to a rule change that required baserunners to slide directly into the base and not initiate contact with the fielder. It's been dubbed the "Chase Utley rule." (It's also the rule Machado violated in Game 3 of this year's NLDS.)
Rougned Odor
In May 2016, the Texas Rangers second baseman took offense to a hard slide by Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista. But there were still lingering tensions between the two teams from the ALDS the year before — when Bautista memorably flipped his bat after what turned out to be a game-winning home run.
When the two players collided at second base, Odor took a swing and connected with Bautista's jaw, knocking off his helmet and sunglasses. Odor received an eight-game suspension.
Jonathan Papelbon
Speaking of throwing punches, Papelbon never really fit in with the Washington Nationals when they acquired him at the 2015 trade deadline. He sealed his fate, however, when he openly criticized teammate Bryce Harper for not running out a routine fly ball.
The two started yelling at each other and had to be separated after Papelbon briefly had Harper in a chokehold. He was suspended for the final four games of the season.
A.J. Pierzynski
The now-retired catcher was one of those players fans liked having on their team, but hated when he was playing against them. He was noted for sliding hard with his spikes high and for frequently running inside the first-base line to increase the chances of being hit by a throw.
Pierzynski's most infamous play likely was in Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS when he swung and missed at what would have been the final out in the ninth inning. As Los Angeles Angels catcher Josh Paul rolled the ball back to the mound and the Angels headed toward their dugout, Pierzynski raced to first base, claiming the ball had hit the dirt. Without the benefit of instant replay, he was awarded first base, leading to Joe Crede's game-winning double.
Alex Rodriguez
Though he's been able to gain a bit of redemption in his post-retirement career as a broadcaster, A-Rod had a history of questionable antics on the field — many of them extremely petty in comparison to the others on this list.
Rodriguez drew the ire of A's pitcher Dallas Braden when he cut across the pitcher's mound on his way back to the dugout after making an out. Braden called him out on the breach of protocol: "Get off my mound!"
As a baserunner, A-Rod was once accused of yelling at a fielder who was about to catch a routine infield fly. However, his signature stunt came in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, when he slapped the glove of Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo as he was being tagged out on the way to first base. He was called out for interference as Boston went on to win the game and rally from a 3-0 deficit to win the series.
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