August 13, 2012|By Eduardo A. Encina, The Baltimore Sun
"If I knew before what I know now, it would be a lot different," Betemit said. "Sometimes you try too much, you're going to go through those times, you try to show everybody you can play here. The same thing you did down there, bring it up here because when you try to do more than that, that's when the problems come.
"I think it will be much better for him because he's going to play every day, so if he goes 0-for-4, he knows he's going to play the next day and the next day. Baseball is like that."
Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, a fellow top-five pick from South Florida, said he believed Machado would be able to make the adjustment quickly.
"I think Manny's the type of kid that those guys in there will start to love him as a teammate and really take him under his wing," Hosmer said. "And I think once he kind of notices that and he's going to dinner with these guys and hanging out with these guys, he'll feel like he belongs there. And before you know it, he'll have a couple years under his belt and he'll be leading that team. Once he gets that level of comfort, and he's been with them in a couple big league games in spring, so he's not just completely blind to them. So I think before you know it, he'll be comfortable in there."
Machado said he got some advice from Orioles outfielder Adam Jones following his first hit Thursday that he won't forget.
"He told me, 'Now that you've got that over with, now it's time to play ball. Now it's time to come up here and do what you're told to do and what you were brought up here to do,'" Machado said.
He'll try to do exactly that — try to help the Orioles win now — while taking all the advice from those around him.
"I wouldn't say it feels normal yet," Machado said. "I feel comfortable here and the guys have taken me in and given me a lot of advice. I appreciate all the guys, how they come out here and try to make me feel comfortable in the clubhouse and out on the field."
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