Memo to Those Attending ALDS Game 1: Let's Give Nick a Standing O in His First Playoff AB

[throwingthings]

I always thought that Erik Bedard might be on the spectrum. The media would complain that he would answer their questions with a simple "yes/no" instead of full answers, which sounds an awful lot like the behavior of someone with Asperger's. As one myself, I've probably pissed a few people off in my day by doing that.

Exactly. I've always hated the consensus that Bedard was a bad egg because he didn't want to deal with terrible media. The guy was shy and uncomfortable with the spotlight--how dare he be a great pitcher?

As for Tony, Markakis doesn't owe you anything. Stop acting like a child because you didn't get the interview today so you could write down the platitudes that he would surely spit. He's a ballplayer--watch him on the field. Literally nothing else matters. Watch them play, like it or not. He's not killing puppies. He's winning a lot of ballgames for you.

[Snutchy]

Exactly. I've always hated the consensus that Bedard was a bad egg because he didn't want to deal with terrible media. The guy was shy and uncomfortable with the spotlight--how dare he be a great pitcher?

As for Tony, Markakis doesn't owe you anything. Stop acting like a child because you didn't get the interview today so you could write down the platitudes that he would surely spit. He's a ballplayer--watch him on the field. Literally nothing else matters. Watch them play, like it or not. He's not killing puppies. He's winning a lot of ballgames for you.

Tony can speak for and defend himself, I wont do that, but knock it off with the name calling. He has his right to his opinion, just like you do.

[Frobby]

I feel bad for Frobby. This was supposed to be a feel good thread.

I'm sorry for my role in it but I just don't get it at all.

I'm not going to get personal about it. Everyone knows Nick has been my favorite player for years, and if that makes me a "fanboy," so be it. I'll just say this: Nick is a lunch pail player. He's given 100% while he's been here. If he is a little reticent with the media, well, shrug. He talks on the post game show plenty, and he's polite enough when answering questions, even if he's not exactly a great quote. I think the article contrasting Jones and Markakis yesterday captured Nick's quiet personality well. But he's not exactly Erik Bedard when dealing with the media, not even close. Contrast with that the amount of charity work that he and his wife have done in the community, the many times he has said how he'd like to stay in Baltimore his whole career, and I can easily let him slide for not being anxious to spend a lot of time with the media.

As to those who say they'd save a standing O for someone like Jones, fine, that's your right. Nick is the longest tenured Oriole and, unlike Jones, missed the 2012 playoffs when he broke his thumb. It's his first shot in nine years. Frankly, thats my reason for giving him a standing O. It's not like he's the best player on the team, just a quiet, hard working, loyal player who in my opinion deserves his due. So I'm going to stand, I hope others will join me, and if some folks don't want to for whatever reason, that's their right as fans.

[mcpd]

Tony can speak for and defend himself, I wont do that, but knock it off with the name calling. He has his right to his opinion, just like you do.

So it was alright for him to call dan a fanboy but it's not alright for someone to call him a child. I didn't see you say anything to him about name calling. Do we have a little selective board moderating here. Interesting.

[Snutchy]

So it was alright for him to call dan a fanboy but it's not alright for someone to call him a child. I didn't see you say anything to him about name calling. Do we have a little selective board moderating here. Interesting.

I wasn't moderating. If I were moderating I would have given him a warning or an infraction, which I did not do. Actually, I did moderate Dan when I edited his post and removed an inappropriate word from it. And, for the record, I did not give him a warning or an infraction for either. I'm not being an internet tough guy, but I get the feeling that you think I am.

There are board rules, which you decided to break to call me out on. Feel free to PM me the next time you don't like something that I do.

[Snutchy]

For the record, I agree with the OP. IMO, if anyone deserves it, Nick does. I'm really happy for the guy.

[waroriole]

Because he is a veteran player who has worn the orioles uniform with class for a long time. And a lot of us think it is cool that he

gets to play in his first playoff game, especially since Sabathia deliberately tried to knock him down and injured him and he missed

the playoffs two years ago

Seriously. How is that something people don't understand? Oh well, haters gonna hate.

[BMann]

Eddie Murray got standing ovations all the time- and I don't think anyone would be giving him any fan friendly awards.

Look, I'm a Nick fan - he's the only current Oriole whose jersey I own! - even though I gave him a bit of a hard time earlier in this thread for not being the most "fan-friendly" player out there. But regardless, the Eddie Murrary comparisons are way off base. Eddie finished in the Top 6 in AL MVP voting every year from 1980-85, led us to 2 World Series appearances, and was a bona fide hall-of-famer. He got standing ovations because he was one of the Top 50 hitters of all time! Markakis... is not. He's a good player, and by all accounts an upstanding citizen (which should not be overlooked these days!), but slightly-above-average players like Nick could do themselves a favor by working at fan relations a bit harder, maybe. Eddie didn't have to - his bat did all the talking for him, and did it really well.

As I wrote 7 pages earlier, let Nick light it up this post-season, lead us to a championship, and I'll give him a pass for never speaking to the media again! Deal?

[Tx Oriole]

C'mon, folks, let's do this! Nine long years Nick has waited for this opportunity to play some postseason baseball. I'm going to stand and cheer when he comes to the plate, and I urge everyone else who is going to do the same.

That would be good thing to do. But why not do that for every player? This team

may go to the World Series. This team deserves a lot of cheers.

[ledzepp8]

Wow all of this complaining because Nick didn't come into the locker room yesterday when reporters were there. There could have been any number of reasons he didn't come in. For someone to blast him for it is the definition of taking it personally. What a silly thread derailment. Give him a standing ovation or don't give him one.

[InsideCoroner]

Maybe I would think differently if I were in the media, but since I'm not, personally I always kind of liked and admired the guys who shunned the press. I never needed to read the quotes from those guys after they came up big (or came up short). You rarely get genuine, honest answers anyway ("I just didn't have my good stuff today. Maybe I shouldn't have been doing shots of tequila until 4 with those nursing students last night."). As a fan, all I asked what that the players gave their all on the field. Nick got "CC'd" out of the 2012 playoffs, and I think it's a great idea by Frobby.

[DrungoHazewood]

I'm not going to get personal about it. Everyone knows Nick has been my favorite player for years, and if that makes me a "fanboy," so be it. I'll just say this: Nick is a lunch pail player. He's given 100% while he's been here. If he is a little reticent with the media, well, shrug. He talks on the post game show plenty, and he's polite enough when answering questions, even if he's not exactly a great quote. I think the article contrasting Jones and Markakis yesterday captured Nick's quiet personality well. But he's not exactly Erik Bedard when dealing with the media, not even close. Contrast with that the amount of charity work that he and his wife have done in the community, the many times he has said how he'd like to stay in Baltimore his whole career, and I can easily let him slide for not being anxious to spend a lot of time with the media.

As to those who say they'd save a standing O for someone like Jones, fine, that's your right. Nick is the longest tenured Oriole and, unlike Jones, missed the 2012 playoffs when he broke his thumb. It's his first shot in nine years. Frankly, thats my reason for giving him a standing O. It's not like he's the best player on the team, just a quiet, hard working, loyal player who in my opinion deserves his due. So I'm going to stand, I hope others will join me, and if some folks don't want to for whatever reason, that's their right as fans.

I will most certainly stand and cheer for Nick tonight. He deserves it. I know Tony has a different perspective as a member of the working media, but fans don't and probably shouldn't have that view. I never have much of an issue with anyone who's a little sarcastic or snarky or disinterested or whatever towards the press.

Nick is probably like me, when he sees someone he kind of knows in WalMart, he'll walk down another aisle because he just doesn't feel like having some superficial conversation with some guy he sees once every six months. I have a co-worker who'll strike up 20 minute conversations about absolutely nothing with people he's never met before. That's just not everyone. And yes, I know talking to the media is part of the job description of a MLB player, but that doesn't rewire their brains. They are who they are.

[MurphDogg]

I plan on standing and clapping the whole game, I hope that is ok with everybody.

[glenn__davis]

I plan on standing and clapping the whole game, I hope that is ok with everybody.

Down in front!

[DrungoHazewood]

I plan on standing and clapping the whole game, I hope that is ok with everybody.

They really should copy that other sport where they kick the balls around and have sections reserved for the die hards who want to do that, and have a little warning somewhere that says "if you buy a ticket here your view of the field may be impacted by everyone standing and cheering and waiving signs and signing and stuff the entire game."