Manny Machado was insulted by the Chicago White Sox offer this week of a mere $175 million for seven years of his hard work not running out ground balls. This leaves me scratching my head and thinking about Pete Rose again.
I defended Pete Rose yesterday, and I’m sure my blog angered some and irritated others. Search the web, and it’s hard to find many people outside of Cincinnati that are Rose apologists. But no one could ever call Rose soft, or lazy.
Rose’s nickname when he played baseball was Charlie Hustle. Whitey Ford reportedly gave him that name after Rose drew a walk in a spring training game, sprinted down to first and rounded it just in case the catcher wasn’t paying attention.
Let’s contrast that with Johnny Hustle, whoever that is. Maybe Machado was referring to Charlie Hustle when he gave his interview following criticism that he didn’t run out a ground ball during the second game of last year’s World Series.
“Obviously, I’m not going to change,” Machado said. “I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle’ and run down the line and slide into first base. That’s just not my personality. That’s not my cup of tea. That’s not who I am.”
No, that’s not who you are, Manny. You are a spoiled, entitled Millennial who was told from an early age that you were God’s gift to baseball and the world. You’re not that different from other Millennials I know except that you can hit a baseball.
You won’t hustle down to first, but you’ll come in, spikes flying, in a slide to injure the second baseman. If a pitcher brushes you back, you’ll throw a bat at him. But you just don’t understand why teams aren’t lining up to offer you $400 million contracts.
Memo to Machado and all of the Millennials that need to grow up. The business world doesn’t need you – even if you have some skills – if you maintain your entitlement mentality. The world doesn’t owe you a think, and you will always reap what you sow.
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