"Peter Seidler understood it was Manny Machado's team" - MLB All-Star bares late owner's thoughts on how de-facto leader took San Diego to new heights

After a lengthy stint with the Baltimore Orioles and a controversial season with the LA Dodgers, Manny Machado has established himself as the de facto leader of the San Diego Padres.

The star baseman arrived in San Diego in 2019 and has since instilled a gritty, feisty mindset in the members of the ballclub. In an interview with David Samson on the "Nothing Personal podcast," former MLB All-Star Eric Hosmer shared his thoughts on his time in Southern California.

"Peter Seidler understood it was Manny Machado's team," Hosmer said (20:02-20:11).

After a productive stint with the Royals that earned him an All-Star nod, Hosmer joined the Padres in 2018. He noted that late Padres owner Peter Seidler had a deep respect for Machado and recognized that, since Machado’s signing, he had taken on the role of the club’s de facto captain.

"The bond that Manny (Machado) and Peter (Seidler) had was special. It was one of the reasons why the team went all-in about winning and a great collaboration to get the team to where they were." (20:12-20:27)

Eric Hosmer praises Manny Machado's drive to succeed

Former All-Star Eric Hosmer sang Manny Machado's praises, citing that the third-base star not only delivered on the field but also brought intangible qualities to the team.

"Manny has done a phenomenal job. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s arrival pushed Machado even further. The latter already has a Hall of Fame career. He's had a tremendous impact not only on Tatis but on all guys in the club as well." (19:25-20:00)

In Machado's six seasons with the Padres, he has posted a solid .275/.341/.490 line with an OPS of .831. The multiple-time All-Star has also hit 167 home runs, driven in 536 RBIs and scored 469 runs.

As merit to his impressive career with the Padres, Machado has been named an All-Star twice, selected to two All-MLB First Teams, one All-MLB Second Team and has earned two Silver Slugger Awards.

Machado has also finished in the top three of MVP voting twice during his time in San Diego. The first came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when he finished third, and the second came in 2022, when he was the runner-up to Paul Goldschmidt, then of the St. Louis Cardinals.