NEW YORK _ Unfortunately, many of them had to do with the Yankees, his spurned attempt at signing with them over the winter, and if there any mixed emotions about not getting to call the Stadium home.
Manny wasn't having that.
And since this isn't Machado's first go-round in these parts, after sharing the AL East for seven years as an Oriole, he had a pretty good idea where our conversation would be headed. So being a smart guy, in addition to an uber-talented shortstop, Machado tried to stop that line of inquiry before we even got the first words out.
No Yankee-related questions. Or the interview was over.
Playing by those ground rules didn't leave much else for us, as a New York-based media outlet that spent years imagining him in pinstripes. But there were a few interesting highlights from his Bronx visit, and at the top of that short list was Machado getting booed every time he got near the batter's box during the Yankees' 5-2 victory.
The Memorial Day sellout crowd of 46,254 cranked up the volume _ as only the big house in the Bronx can _ and Machado played right into their hands, until his leadoff double in the ninth inning. Facing four different pitchers, Machado struck out, popped up to second and bounced into a double play in his first three at-bats.
Afterward, when asked about the booing, Machado shrugged it off. Was he surprised by the vitriol hurled at him?
"You're in New York," Machado said. "I get booed everywhere I go. Great players get booed, so. It happens."
What followed was a back-and-forth that probably went longer than necessary, but amusing nonetheless, which is why we'll include a quickie rundown (Manny's remarks are in quotations.)
But was this more booing than usual?
"I just answered that question."
So where would you rate these?
"How can you compare?"
By decibel level?
"A boo's a boo."
That's when Machado finally steered everyone in different direction with the capper: "Well, we took the L...There's nothing worse than that, so."
We do find it ironic, however, that Machado was booed by many of the same people that were clamoring to sign him as a free agent. His only crime being that he never even got an offer from the Yankees, so there was nothing for him to reject. Machado only got as far as a December meeting with the Yankees' front office, at the Stadium, followed by dinner in Manhattan.
Machado wanted to play for the Yankees. They just didn't want him, despite just losing their All-Star shortstop Didi Gregorius to Tommy John surgery and their trust in Rookie of the Year runner-up Miguel Andujar to handle third base. Shortly after Opening Day, it was easier to second-guess Brian Cashman's thinking on Machado when Miguel Andjuar suffered a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that eventually required season-ending surgery. But by the time Andujar went under the knife, Gio Urshela's star already was on the rise.
And speaking of Urshela, if we're talking about the void Machado could have filled at third base, it's remarkable that he's performed at a similar level to the four-time All-Star through the first two months of the season. But don't take this out context. The fact that Urshela is hitting .328 with an .834 OPS, two homers and 20 RBIs through 43 games, as opposed to Machado batting .267 with a .788 OPS, nine homers and 26 RBIs through 53 games, is a relatively small sample-size presented just for entertainment purposes.
Urshela has been a dream discovery for the Yankees, at the bargain price of $555,000. Obviously, he's not in the same universe as Machado, but we doubt Cashman regrets his decision to pass. And five years from now, when Machado can opt out of his 10-year contract, maybe he winds up back in the Bronx anyway. Stranger things have happened.
But Monday, Machado was a Padre, and we'll assume he's OK with it. For the record, Manny even hustled from the box when his 111-mph bullet one-hopped the leftfield wall, narrowly beating the throw into second. On the field, Machado handled himself fine in New York. His clubhouse charm could use some polishing, however.
When a reporter finally asked him if he thought Yankee Stadium was going to be his home, Machado got annoyed. "Is that a baseball question," Machado said. "Or did you get here late?"
And with that, the conversation did end, almost 3 { minutes after it began. Machado said he had a bus to catch.
