Machado chose Dominican Republic at WBC to honor mother
Manny Machado may have been born and raised in Florida, but the Baltimore Orioles third baseman chose to represent the Dominican Republic at the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and he did so for one special woman: his mother.
Machado's mom, Rosa, is from the Caribbean nation, and the 24-year-old opted to honor her by playing for them instead of the United States.
"I think it's something that my family always wanted (to see)," Machado told MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. "My mom and my grandfather, who is resting in peace, he always wanted to see me play for the Dominican. That's where we come from. That's where my family was born. I think I am doing this for my mom and my family more than anything else. I know they want to see me wear that uniform and see me out there. So it's going to be fun for them and for me.
"I know I've given them a lot, and this is probably going to be the icing on the cake for them, to (see the country) where they were born and where they spent their lives on the uniform across the chest."
Machado will join an impressive group of players on the Dominican squad, which is one of the early favorites to win the event.
WBC roster for Dominican Republic
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Welington Castillo | C | Baltimore Orioles |
| Alberto Rosario | C | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Hanley Ramirez | 1B | Boston Red Sox |
| Robinson Cano | 2B | Seattle Mariners |
| Adrian Beltre | 3B | Texas Rangers |
| Manny Machado | 3B | Baltimore Orioles |
| Jonathan Villar | SS | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Jose Reyes | IF | New York Mets |
| Carlos Santana | IF | Cleveland Indians |
| Jose Bautista | OF | Toronto Blue Jays |
| Nelson Cruz | OF | Seattle Mariners |
| Starling Marte | OF | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Gregory Polanco | OF | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Mel Rojas Jr. | OF | Atlanta Braves |
| Johnny Cueto | SP | San Francisco Giants |
| Carlos Martinez | SP | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Edinson Volquez | SP | Miami Marlins |
| Wily Peralta* | SP | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Fernando Rodney | RP | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Samuel Deduno* | RP | Free agent |
| Dellin Betances | RP | New York Yankees |
| Santiago Casilla | RP | Oakland Athletics |
| Alex Colome | RP | Tampa Bay Rays |
| Jumbo Diaz | RP | Cincinnati Reds |
| Jeurys Familia | RP | New York Mets |
| Hector Neris | RP | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Hansel Robles | RP | New York Mets |
| Enny Romero | RP | Washington Nationals |
| Bartolo Colon* | SP | Atlanta Braves |
| Ivan Nova* | SP | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Alex Reyes* | SP | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Luis Severino* | SP | New York Yankees |
| Fernando Abad* | RP | Boston Red Sox |
| Edgar Garcia* | RP | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Bryan Rodriguez* | RP | San Diego Padres |
| Cesar Valdez* | RP | Free agent |
*Designated pitchers pool, not on active roster
Machado, a two-time Gold Glover whose finished among the top five in American League MVP voting the past two seasons, is just 1-for-10 in spring training thus far after hitting .294/.343/.533 with 37 home runs and 96 RBIs a season ago.
The Dominican Republic plays its first game of the classic Thursday, March 9, against Canada.