Former San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso called out San Diego Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee on Friday over an article about Manny Machado.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, compared Acee to a Ted Lasso character who reports on AFC Richmond in the show. He added that Acee has “(zero) clue to be honest.”
https://twitter.com/YonderalonsoU/status/1702794600954331301
Acee’s reporting explored the leadership void and cultural issues in San Diego. The piece identified Manny Machado and his attitude as culprits in the behind-the-scenes issues facing the Padres.
“To ask a Padres player why no one could confront Machado on these matters is to be looked at as if you have six heads,” according to Acee’s article.
Machado is married to Alonso’s sister, Yainee, making Machado Alonso’s brother-in-law.
In a second post, Alonso went a step further. He wrote that “Manny is a big boy … this is me personally… Kevin Acee is a BUM.”
https://twitter.com/YonderalonsoU/status/1702795191793398196
Alonso played for San Diego from 2012-15 and joined MLB Network ahead of the 2021 season. Alonso reportedly played a role in recruiting Machado to San Diego after taking nicely to the city when he played there.
Acee has covered the Padres full-time for more than a decade.
Alonso, as a former player, clearly could have brought his past experience with Acee into his judgment of the reporting. But the fact that the reporting paints his brother-in-law in a negative light makes it hard to take the criticism at face value.
Alonso also liked a post calling Acee “horse****.”
Bum @sdutKevinAcee should have his press credentials stripped for going around the clubhouse to make a hit piece on the guy who was clearly a leader and carried the entire team on his back last year to an NLCS. I don’t usually @ people but this guy has been horseshit for years
— toside19 (@TOside19) September 15, 2023
Even as an MLB employee, Alonso is within his rights to criticize a beat reporter. “Bum” is hardly the worst name he could have called Acee.
The most curious thing about all of this is what Alonso meant comparing Acee to Trent Crimm.
Crimm befriends Lasso over the course of the show. His reporting evolves over the course of the show to be largely positive.
Alonso probably meant that comp to hit harder than it will.
