Nick's Knocks

[DrungoHazewood]

Very good comp is Hamilton - just noodling it - let's say they were the same age and playing "choose-up" in the schoolyard. Who would you take on your team - Hamilton or Nicky? A skinny rail who has blazing speed or a muscled ath a lete who can pitch, hit and field? I know who I would take.....

In my mind Hamilton is kind of like Bo Jackson. A extremely interesting player, but one who may never live up to the tools. More fun than good.

Prior to the season someone at BP did an article where they looked at Hamilton's basestealing and jumps and timing and determined that if he gets a decent jump the opposing battery has almost no slack in execution to throw him out. In theory he should almost never be caught stealing on a normal pitch and throw to second. But in reality his SB% isn't great (22-for-29) and guys like Dee Gordon and Eric Young have been far more productive.

[DrungoHazewood]

Very good comp is Hamilton - just noodling it - let's say they were the same age and playing "choose-up" in the schoolyard. Who would you take on your team - Hamilton or Nicky? A skinny rail who has blazing speed or a muscled ath a lete who can pitch, hit and field? I know who I would take.....

Oh, and on the playground I pick Hamilton. Just because it would be too much fun to watch him go up against a middle/high school pitcher and catcher and see him steal second and third on one pitch. And play LF/CF at the same time, freeing me up to play five infielders.

[bobmc]

In my mind Hamilton is kind of like Bo Jackson. A extremely interesting player, but one who may never live up to the tools. More fun than good.

Prior to the season someone at BP did an article where they looked at Hamilton's basestealing and jumps and timing and determined that if he gets a decent jump the opposing battery has almost no slack in execution to throw him out. In theory he should almost never be caught stealing on a normal pitch and throw to second. But in reality his SB% isn't great (22-for-29) and guys like Dee Gordon and Eric Young have been far more productive.

I just happened to tune in to one of those CS recently and a perfect throw did get him but the announcers mentioned the slow track after heavy rains. MLB had one of those "new-fangled" techie reviews of his jump and the catcher's release, etc. and even with the speed, jump, etc. he was dead meat. So many variables...TTTP, catcher's arm, tagability of the IF, umpire's judgment, replay, etc., etc.

[calmunderfire]

I just happened to tune in to one of those CS recently and a perfect throw did get him but the announcers mentioned the slow track after heavy rains. MLB had one of those "new-fangled" techie reviews of his jump and the catcher's release, etc. and even with the speed, jump, etc. he was dead meat. So many variables...TTTP, catcher's arm, tagability of the IF, umpire's judgment, replay, etc., etc.

Dee Gordon is the best baserunner in the MLB hands down IMO.

Also, I would take a guy like Markakis over Hamilton. Because bigger is better in baseball to a certain point. It's an anaerobic sport. Stamina, Vertical and Lateral Quickness are basically irrelevant in baseball. So what's the incentive for being lean? There is none, it's actually a detriment I think.

[bobmc]

Check out those arms

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Special Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/masnRoch">@masnRoch</a> for his article on Nick Markakis helping K Cancer for <a href="https://twitter.com/LUNGevity">@LUNGevity</a>. <a href="http://t.co/8ROOFbfvU0">http://t.co/8ROOFbfvU0</a> <a href="http://t.co/GDtWJ7H9cU">pic.twitter.com/GDtWJ7H9cU</a></p>— 108 Stitches (@108Stitches) <a href="

">June 5, 2014</a></blockquote>

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[DrungoHazewood]

...Lateral Quickness are basically irrelevant in baseball.

Do you only watch Derek Jeter?

[Redskins Rick]

Do you only watch Derek Jeter?

Only when I want to

[calmunderfire]

Do you only watch Derek Jeter?

Minus 2B, SS and 3B

[DrungoHazewood]

Minus 2B, SS and 3B

I think you may be confusing "irrelevant" with "can sometimes get by without much of, compared to elite track stars". I can't think of a position on the field that wouldn't be improved by replacing a player with an identical one, save for more lateral quickness.

[Frobby]

Check out those arms

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Special Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/masnRoch">@masnRoch</a> for his article on Nick Markakis helping K Cancer for <a href="https://twitter.com/LUNGevity">@LUNGevity</a>. <a href="http://t.co/8ROOFbfvU0">http://t.co/8ROOFbfvU0</a> <a href="http://t.co/GDtWJ7H9cU">pic.twitter.com/GDtWJ7H9cU</a></p>? 108 Stitches (@108Stitches) <a href="

">June 5, 2014</a></blockquote>

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I'm glad you posted this because Nick was wearing that t-shirt with the backwards K last night in his post-game interview and I was wondering what it was for. Very appropriate for a player for whom 35% of his strikeouts are called strike threes (major league average is 25%).

[alaniee]

Interesting coming from a guy who has a huge wad of tobbaco in his mouth when he plays.

[Yardball85]

Interesting coming from a guy who has a huge wad of tobbaco in his mouth when he plays.

As Roch noted in his blog about the shirts, Nick's mom is a breast cancer survivor.

[weams]

Interesting coming from a guy who has a huge wad of tobbaco in his mouth when he plays.

Monica, who never smoked, was always very angry that some folks felt she must have some responsibility for bringing on her own illness. She said that cancer was the enemy, and not the victims, whether they had been poisoned by the environment, genetically predisposed, or someone who was victim of an extremely addictive substance. I am certain she would not be unhappy with Nick's support.

[PA724_Oriole]

I'm glad you posted this because Nick was wearing that t-shirt with the backwards K last night in his post-game interview and I was wondering what it was for. Very appropriate for a player for whom 35% of his strikeouts are called strike threes (major league average is 25%).

I'd rather watch Nick strikeout looking than CD swinging these days.

[Frobby]

Nick had another Texas jet stream home run yesterday, and his slash line is now .306/.363/.420. On the 10-day road trip, he hit .372/.449/.605 with 4 doubles and 2 homers. Nice to see a little pop coming from Nick's bat.

Nick is a very smart hitter, and I swear that on both of his home runs he saw a pitch well up in the zone and thought that if he just served up a high fly ball, the wind currents in Texas would carry it out even if he didn't get all of it, and that's what happened. He actually tried to do it again in his next AB last night, but hit it a little too much towards CF.

Now let's see if Nick can get something going at home, where he's hit only .290/.317/.400 so far this season, compared to .317/.392/.434 on the road.

Nick is only 7 hits away from tying Brian Roberts on the Orioles' all time hit list, and 10 hits from tying Ken Singleton. Once he passes them, which could happen on this homestand, he'll be in 6th place all time, behind only Ripken, B. Robinson, Murray, Anderson and Powell.