Padres News: Manny Machado Disappointed for Letting Fans Down This Year

This season has been incredibly frustrating for the San Diego Padres. They entered the year with a ton of excitement and hope to finally compete for a World Series, only to fall flat on their faces for most of the season.

San Diego has struggled to put together any sort of consistency this year, and it has led to them falling down in the standings. But recently, they have started to put things together a bit, and it has helped keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

While the odds are against them, they are still going to give it their all while they still can. But they know it has been a disappointing year, and one that they would love to do over again if they could.

Star third baseman Manny Machado spoke on the season, and about how the team has let the fans down all year.

“To me, that’s what hurts the most is: We’ve let some of these fans down,” said Machado. “... They’ve supported us all year. They’ve supported us through the thick and thin, and I know that they’re going to keep supporting us no matter what. And that’s why we have one of the best fan bases in baseball.”

Per MLB.com

The San Diego fans showed up throughout the year, while the Padres didn’t. The organization broke the attendance record at Petco Park for a season with a few games left on the schedule. The average attendance for their games landed third in the Major Leagues. If that didn’t show that fans were excited, nothing else would.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts joined the Padres last offseason, so he is finishing his first year with the team. He spoke about the fans, and has been impressed with their consistent appearance.

“Every night, you felt like it was packed,” Bogaerts said. “You look up on a Monday against the Royals or a Wednesday against Washington, and it’s still packed. … Some places during the week, it can be a little tough. Everyone’s working, and stuff like that. Here, the people show out. They come out and support us.”

Per MLB.com

The Padres may feel like they let the fans down, but they also have let themselves down. They know that they are better than what their record has shown, but all they can do now is hope for the best.

It remains to be seen if they can get back into postseason contention, but they surely will try to do so.