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Why I like Nick Markakis - BB


BoltonBob

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How does Nick feel playing with Brob?

If you remember, in the Mitchell Report Bigbie implicated Roberts. There was a fair amount of sentiment that the evidence against Roberts was flimsy and he may well have gotten the shaft. Roberts probably could have plausibly denied and moved on but he stepped up an admitted it.

Now, for the hard part. Anyone that looks at Brian especially now vs when he was coming back from injuries last year can see he is noticeably jacked. I know the guy is famous for staying in shape, but you can't help but wonder.

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Guest rochester
I don't really agree about Nick's arm. It's still very strong and deadly accurate. I realize his assists are down from a few years ago, but I rarely see him fail to make a strong, accurate throw, so for me this is a case of runners being smarter about when to test him.

Nick is noticeably slower, and I think that may just be a case of wear and tear.

Power is a bit of a mystery, as he showed decent power in 2012 when he wasn't on the DL.

I really appreciate Nick's straightforward comments about PED's.

Frobby - I am not one to try and assume one's posts but knowing the history, IMO, calmunderfire may have been wondering if PEDs are the reason for the drop off in production. Juts my 2cents and apologize if incorrect but I digress...

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If you remember, in the Mitchell Report Bigbie implicated Roberts. There was a fair amount of sentiment that the evidence against Roberts was flimsy and he may well have gotten the shaft. Roberts probably could have plausibly denied and moved on but he stepped up an admitted it.

Now, for the hard part. Anyone that looks at Brian especially now vs when he was coming back from injuries last year can see he is noticeably jacked. I know the guy is famous for staying in shape, but you can't help but wonder.

I see your point, but i really don't wonder at all. BRob like you said could have gotten away with it most likely, but did the right thing and fessed up to it, unlike the guys today are even doing. BRob admitted that when he came back last year that he wasn't fully recovered from his concussion symptoms, which in turn would make sense to why he wasn't fully back in shape. This offseason was the first time he said he actually felt normal again. He got back to his regular workout routine and wam bam he is jacked, just like he always was before the injuries.

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No ifs, ands or buts about it, Markakis told The Baltimore Sun. These guys are big boys; they can make decisions. If I go out there and rob a convenience store, I know the consequences that are coming with it. We are all adults here.

These guys that are doing performance-enhancing drugs are taking away from a lot of other people that are doing it the right way. They are taking opportunities away and they are basically stealing, Markakis said. Stealing money away from owners because they are basically purchasing damaged products. It's not a good situation all the way around. And all of us that have done it the right way, we are going to suffer and have to answer questions about this for a while now. I think that puts us in bad situations that we don't deserve to be in.

I agree the penalties should be stiffer, a lot stiffer!

edit, I clicked on it from Yahoo, didn't realize it was actually from CSN.

We all understand that it's wrong, and against the rules, and all of that. But people rob conveinence stores all the time. For hundreds or even thousands of years everyone has known that robbing stores is wrong, and if you get caught you're going to be punished and your life is going to suck.

But you know what, there are enough people who don't grasp that or whose life already sucks so much that almost no amount of punishment is going to dissuade them. There are always going to be people who are hungry or angry or depressed or whatever and go out and rob the 7-11. Just as there will always be people for whom PEDs just might be the difference between making $2k a month for six months a year in AA and a six-year career making $500k per as a utility player in the bigs. And that could be the difference between your family back in the DR eating or not.

So do what you can to control it, but as long as the difference between being pretty good and Major League good is $millions you're not going to stop it.

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Frobby - I am not one to try and assume one's posts but knowing the history, IMO, calmunderfire may have been wondering if PEDs are the reason for the drop off in production. Juts my 2cents and apologize if incorrect but I digress...

It occurred to me that this is what he might be implying. It seems doubtful to me that a former user would be as vocal as Markakis was in this article. It's not like Nick goes out of his way to be quoted in the press most of the time.

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It occurred to me that this is what he might be implying. It seems doubtful to me that a former user would be as vocal as Markakis was in this article. It's not like Nick goes out of his way to be quoted in the press most of the time.

I don't think Nick used, but I believe the proper response to this could be something along the lines of Ex. Palmeiro, Rafael.

As for Nick as a player... I get frustrated at times at the way his pop has nearly disappeared completely, but he's a solid all-around player and an important part of the club. Is he the same guy he was when they gave him the big contract? No. But that happens.

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@Dmy53: Hey Antonio Bastardo, remember when we competed for a job in 2011. Thx alot. #ahole

https://twitter.com/dmy53/status/364433339458920449

http://sports-kings.com/former-baseball-player-goes-off-on-twitter-following-suspensions/

Dan Meyer obviously felt like he was personally affected by others using PED's.

Those with lifetime 5.50 ERA's shouldn't cast stones... Sounds a lot more like a guy trying to cast himself into the situation unnecessarily because, well... he flamed out and doesn't have anything else going on.

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I wonder how Nick's relationship is with BRob

BRob used PED's to garner a large contract, and then gave zero value for that contract.

No, BRob's use of PED's came out in 2007. He signed his contract in the spring of 2009. Here's Brian's statement about his use of steroids in 2003:

"I would like to address the allegations that were made against me in the Mitchell Report. I will begin by saying that I have worked very hard to develop a good reputation both on and off the field. I have always taken pride in being a man of integrity and values. I know that by being a professional athlete, I am held to a very high standard. I never have and never will take that for granted. However, I am also human and I have made mistakes.

"In 2003, when I took one shot of steroids, I immediately realized that this was not what I stood for or anything that I wanted to continue doing. I never used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing drugs prior to or since that single incident. I can honestly say before God, myself, my family and all of my fans that steroids or any performance-enhancing drugs have never had any effect on what I have worked so hard to accomplish in the game of baseball. I am very sorry and I deeply regret ever making that terrible decision. My only hope and prayer is that the Orioles, my family, friends and fans that have supported me so faithfully will forgive me."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-te.sp.roberts18dec18,0,769248.story#ixzz2bC9pIy9b

Many athletes have lied about their "one time" use of steroids, so it's impossible to tell if BRob was telling the truth; you can choose to believe him, or disbelieve him. But, the evidence was known before BRob signed his current contract, and the injuries he has suffered since then don't seem to be in any way related to use of steroids.

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If you remember, in the Mitchell Report Bigbie implicated Roberts. There was a fair amount of sentiment that the evidence against Roberts was flimsy and he may well have gotten the shaft. Roberts probably could have plausibly denied and moved on but he stepped up an admitted it.

Now, for the hard part. Anyone that looks at Brian especially now vs when he was coming back from injuries last year can see he is noticeably jacked. I know the + Reply to ThreadPage 2 of 2First12 Results 16 to 29 of 29

Thread: Not an Orioles thread perhaps, but my take on the Arod shame tomorrow...

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Yesterday 10:59 PM #16 O-The-Memories

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Originally Posted by RZNJ

ARod has gotten caught in the same lie multiple times, and then continues to use PED's. I think there's a difference.

I did the same thing, just with a substance that wasn't performance enhancing in any way. Could it be that A-Rod is addicted to the results of PED use regarding how his physical image looks to the world? Vain people can care much more about physical appearance than what's being projected from the inside.

If A-Rod would take responsibility I think he would be forgiven by the majority of true baseball fans. Then hopefully he'll find out why he felt the need to keep lying.

So yes, it's different, but people are inherently flawed.

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Yesterday 11:01 PM #17 RZNJ

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Originally Posted by CA-ORIOLE

They were using the threat of the lifetime ban as the mechanism to make him cut the deal. What they will actually pursue if ARod fights is another question. If the pursued ban is as simple as steroid use, I agree with you and would have a hard time seeing how they could justify anything more than a 50 game suspension, unless they have some sort of logic about breaking them down into separate incidents. That strategy sounds like a loser (for MLB) to me.

He did not cut a deal so it ooks like a pretty empty threat if they don't follow through with it, AND reports are that they are not.

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Yesterday 11:03 PM #18 RZNJ

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Originally Posted by O-The-Memories

I did the same thing, just with a substance that wasn't performance enhancing in any way. Could it be that A-Rod is addicted to the results of PED use regarding how his physical image looks to the world? Vain people can care much more about physical appearance than what's being projected from the inside.

If A-Rod would take responsibility I think he would be forgiven by the majority of true baseball fans. Then hopefully he'll find out why he felt the need to keep lying.

So yes, it's different, but people are inherently flawed.

At this point, I wouldn't believe a word ARod said about anything.

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Yesterday 11:07 PM #19 O-The-Memories

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Originally Posted by RZNJ

At this point, I wouldn't believe a word ARod said about anything.

So if the guy makes a heartfelt confession of everything he has done, and retires from the game, letting the Yankees off the hook for the salary, gives all of his money to charity, and becomes a monk, would that change anything?

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Yesterday 11:07 PM #20 CA-ORIOLE

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Originally Posted by RZNJ

Looks like a pretty empty threat if they don't follow through with it, AND reports are that they are not.

We'll see soon enough I guess, but there's nothing to say they couldn't pursue something more than a 50 game suspension and less than a lifetime ban using the general clause. If ARod has called them (though it appears MLB was the one that shut down talks), it's just a matter of MLB weighing what they think will stick or not.

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Yesterday 11:11 PM #21 RZNJ

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Originally Posted by O-The-Memories

So if the guy makes a heartfelt confession of everything he has done, and retires from the game, letting the Yankees off the hook for the salary, gives all of his money to charity, and becomes a monk, would that change anything?

Yeah, ask me again when all of that happens.

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Yesterday 11:12 PM #22 TonySoprano

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Yesterday 11:49 PM #23 allquixotic

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Originally Posted by O-The-Memories

So if the guy makes a heartfelt confession of everything he has done, and retires from the game, letting the Yankees off the hook for the salary, gives all of his money to charity, and becomes a monk, would that change anything?

He won't do that. He'll appeal until his options are exhausted, then quietly take a 50 game ban, and come back and continue juicing. He might even hit for power with the juice helping him out.

There are many difference between a typical lie and A-Roid's case.

A-Roid is supposed to be a role model to a generation of athletes. He's a public figure. You and I are not. At best we're role models to any of our offspring, but not millions of people.

A-Roid is making enough money in 10 years to pay for the life earnings of several hundred middle class families, or many thousands of poor people. If society is going to devote such a colossal amount of resources to a single person, doesn't it make sense to make sure that this person is someone who represents the virtuous ideals of our society? Last I checked, lying isn't one of those, and can get you into extremely serious trouble if you lie to a judge (purjury). Obviously the founding fathers hated lying a LOT to have written that into the judicial system.

What we're doing by giving him this money is to say to our citizens, "if you lie and cheat, as long as you get away with it, you will be rewarded". This is a worrisome moral bankruptcy that I cannot fathom how anyone would support. Unless you are so cynical and so far gone as to think that everyone always lies and cheats anyway so there's no value in trying to be virtuous. And if that is how you feel, you may as well give up watching sports, because there is no meaning to competitive activities if one side has an unfair advantage over another; the sport ceases to be a sport and is instead more like Reality TV.

I would be thrilled if he donated his earnings and became a monk, but I doubt anything close to that will happen.

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Today 12:10 AM #24 crissfan172

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Let him play. The only thing he'll embarrass is himself.

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Today 12:21 AM #25 Roy Firestone

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Baseball's strategy though embarrassing short term is to LET Arod play and appeal.This will show to ANY arbitrator or court that it isnt some kind

of vendetta or a desire to get out of a contract, only the transgression.They feel they have an airtight case and once Arod exhausts the process

they will rule in MLBs favor.Still, strategy or not, it will be a humiliating day for the game, and Arod will actually(if its possible) look WORSE to the

fan than before. He may make Pete Rose look "classy".

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Today 01:05 AM #26 notyourbuddy

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Did I just see Danny Valencia's name in the Biogenisis suspension list?

Is that news or is everyone already aware of that?

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Today 01:14 AM #27 playbaltimorecom

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Originally Posted by notyourbuddy

Did I just see Danny Valencia's name in the Biogenisis suspension list?

Is that news or is everyone already aware of that?

Speculation about Valencia, but where do you see his actual name reported?

If we lose Valencia, oh well. Probably why he got called up today randomly.

http://forum.orioleshangout.com/foru...time-ban/page4

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Today 02:00 AM #28 notyourbuddy

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MLB Network just put up a list with his name on it like an hour ago when talking about A'Rod and Biogenesis suspensions coming Monday.

Guess it was possible they were just using an outdated list that included earlier speculation and they didn't know any better.

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Today 05:42 AM #29 russ snyder

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Originally Posted by Roy Firestone

Baseball's strategy though embarrassing short term is to LET Arod play and appeal.This will show to ANY arbitrator or court that it isnt some kind

of vendetta or a desire to get out of a contract, only the transgression.They feel they have an airtight case and once Arod exhausts the process

they will rule in MLBs favor.Still, strategy or not, it will be a humiliating day for the game, and Arod will actually(if its possible) look WORSE to the

fan than before. He may make Pete Rose look "classy".

I don't think that it's a strategy on MLB's part to let ARod play through the appeal process. It's his right to play while the process plays out. I really don't think that getting the Yankees off the hook for this contact is a major part of MLB's negotiations with ARod. I'd bet that they'd rather he'd take the deal like Braun did and have him serve the suspension.

I'm not surprised that ARod is making this move. It's obviously all about him and he's playing the role of the victim right now. Personally, I think that Arod playing through his appeal is much more humiliating to him than the game of baseball. MLB has no choice but to let the process play out.

The only way that he's make Pete Rose look classy is if he signed up for a reality show to film him fighting the impending suspension.

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guy is famous for staying in shape, but you can't help but wonder.

Yes you can. I don't assume someone is guilty just because they look like

Mr. Atlas. Is not right assume guilt by appearance. IMO

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Question here.... many on here have said that Mclouth will most likely not be re-signed - I guess the thinking is he will command 7-8Mil this offseason. When comparing Nate and Nick side by side, there are some differences but both have very similar numbers in BA/OBP doubles, HR's..... Nate has many more steals, Nick has more RBI(although he is hitting third most of the year while Nate hits first)- Nick has the better defense. Would any other team trade for Markakis at his salary? What I am getting at, is if you have to keep either Nick or Nate, Nate is much cheaper. Is it possible to trade Nick and keep Mclouth? That money we would save, could go to upcoming contracts that are going to be pretty large. This team still does not have a true TOR starter(maybe Tillman?). IF the Orioles are going to be competitive with a $100 mil budget or slightly less, saving roughly $8mil would be huge.

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