Padres superstar Manny Machado and wife Yainee's surprise visit to local elementary school lights up little faces
The San Diego Padres' Holiday Giving tour presented a lasting moment for third graders at Porter Elementary School on Tuesday as the MLB franchise handed out 120 bikes as a reward for an essay competition.
The MLB franchise partnered with the 'Bikes for Kids Foundation' and the team’s 'Going to Bat for San Diego' foundation to bring delight to the third graders during the holiday season.
However, their delight ascended to the next level when they got a surprise visit from Padres superstar Manny Machado. The star third baseman was accompanied by his wife Yainee Alonso. The children were awestruck after the six-time All-Star visited them unannounced to gift the bikes.
Apart from Machado, Padres CEO Erik Greupner, Padres Foundation President Tom Seidler and broadcaster Mark Grant were on hand to deliver the bikes to the 120 third graders.
"More than 120 third-grade students received free bikes during an assembly at Porter Elementary School Tuesday morning. Their face when Manny Machado showed up was priceless."
The Holiday Giving tour began Nov. 20, with the yearly exercise aiming to spread joy in the community with gifts and festivities.
Manny Machado will aim for rousing return in 2024 after Padres' disastrous season
The two-time Gold Glove winner cut a frustrated figure during the team's disastrous season as he was unable to live up to his reputation despite a decent tally of 30 homers and 91 RBIs.
Machado also endured an elbow injury during the season, which hampered his output considerably. He underwent a right elbow extensor tendon repair surgery in October and is expected to miss at least the first half of the 2024 MLB season.
The star third baseman remains a key figure for the Padres with Juan Soto's departure seeming imminent at the moment. San Diego will be relying heavily on the offensive output of Machado if Soto does leave the franchise during the offseason.