Manny Machado Celebrated a Reds Rookie's Home Run Against the Padres

Baseball is a small world. Relationships within the industry have the capacity to break across generations, even team affiliations.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Sal Stewart and his Padres counterpart, Manny Machado, are both from Miami. Stewart, a 21-year-old rookie, was introduced to Machado through another Miami native, former Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso.

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That was eight years ago. Machado has been mentoring Stewart ever since. In fact, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Stewart is rooming with Machado this week with the Reds visiting the Padres.

Understanding that relationship is key to understanding why Stewart gestured toward the Padres' dugout after hitting a home run Tuesday at Petco Park in the Reds' 4-2 win.

"I just did the Shedeur (Sanders celebration gesture) with the watch," Stewart said, via the U-T's Kevin Acee. "I was just messing with (Machado). He found it funny, for sure.”

Machado had previously gifted Stewart a watch, according to Acee.

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The home run, in his seventh major league game, was only the second of Stewart's career. He's batting just .200 entering Wednesday's series finale, but two of his four hits have cleared the fence.

"Hell yeah, that’s my protégé. I’ve been training with him for like eight years," Machado told MLB.com in spring training. "He’s the best hitter in the Minor Leagues, absolutely. I haven’t seen all of them obviously. And I know him personally. But I know swings."

“I will never forget the privilege it is to work with him," Stewart told Mark Sheldon. "I consider him one of my best friends, like an older brother to me. He’ll give me the tough love that I need, and he’ll tell me when I’m right and he’ll tell me when I’m wrong. He’s my everything in my life.”

Machado, 33, is in his 14th major league season and his seventh with the Padres. He's hit 365 home runs in his career, giving Stewart a lot of catching up to do to match his mentor.

It made for a special moment for one night at least, even if it hurt the Padres' chances of winning an important game. The Reds (73-72) are three games behind the New York Mets (76-69) and six games behind the Padres (79-66) in the National League Wild Card race. The Padres are two games out of first place in the National League West after the Dodgers' victory Tuesday.

"I know Michael (King, the Padres' pitcher who gave up the home run) didn’t love it too much,” Machado said, via Acee. “But that was cool.”

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