Markakis speaks about leaving the Orioles

[Frobby]

http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82294586/

Very wide ranging interview with Dan Connolly here. Not all Orioles-related, but enough of it is that I believe it belongs in this forum. Mods feel free to move it if you disagree.

Among other things, Nick says the talks with the Orioles just seemed to stall out and he's sure it was all about his neck.

[wildcard]

Yikes. Remove the disc and fuse it. Sounds like Nolan Reimold part 2.

[Frobby]

Yikes. Remove the disc and fuse it. Sounds like Nolan Reimold part 2.

Except it doesn't, based on projected recovery time here. Nolan was never on a timetable like that.

[TonySoprano]

Some excerpts

“I’m sure that [the neck MRI] had everything to do with it,” Markakis said of the stalled negotiations with the Orioles. “I’ve been doing this for a long time now, and I know when my body feels right and when it feels wrong and what I need to do. We’ve been talking to the doctors and there are no symptoms that I have now.

"I just felt confident that I would be able to get back in time. Whether or not that is the whole deal with why they didn’t [sign me] or not, who knows? But the doctors in Atlanta are confident enough in it that [the Braves] gave me $44 million and are confident enough knowing that I’ll be able to get back on the field. And, for me, that’s all that really matters. I will be out there playing again, and I’ll be able to do it with no worries.”

The three men who flew up from Atlanta were Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, assistant general manager John Coppolella and Markakis’ former Orioles manager, Dave Trembley, the Braves’ new director of player development. It was a personal touch that impressed Markakis and his family.

“Trembley had a big part in it, but so did the other couple guys that came. They made me feel welcomed, they made me feel wanted,” he said. “I don’t know if it was from the business aspect or what, but I believed them. I chose to believe them and believe in what they are doing and what they say. It made me comfortable as a player going to a new team and they made me feel comfortable from the family aspect.”

[webbrick2010]

These big decisions seem to always be made on some emotional level. They wanted me more or they made me feel more needed, etc...

Unfortunately for Nick if he gets off to a bad start the Atlanta fans and media won't cut him the slack he would have gotten in Baltimore.

Nine years of relationships in the O's organization trumped by a weekend visit by the Braves top executives. Really?

Or maybe it was just the 4th year and money?

[tntoriole]

These big decisions seem to always be made on some emotional level. They wanted me more or they made me feel more needed, etc...

Unfortunately for Nick if he gets off to a bad start the Atlanta fans and media won't cut him the slack he would have gotten in Baltimore.

Nine years of relationships in the O's organization trumped by a weekend visit by the Braves top executives. Really?

Or maybe it was just the 4th year and money?

4th year and money. But there is a competitive dynamic for professional athletes (and for most people) that leads them to view negotiations as just another competition that they do their very best to try to win. And they are honed competitors- it is what led their union to become so fierce....namely, that the players at the time viewed themselves as in a competition with owners. If they feel that they are being slighted by a team in the nature of the offer, then that often makes up their mind.

[webbrick2010]

4th year and money. But there is a competitive dynamic for professional athletes (and for most people) that leads them to view negotiations as just another competition that they do their very best to try to win. And they are honed competitors- it is what led their union to become so fierce....namely, that the players at the time viewed themselves as in a competition with owners. If they feel that they are being slighted by a team in the nature of the offer, then that often makes up their mind.

Yep, totally agree. They are human they make decisions based largely on short term emotions... but I wonder if Markakis to Atlanta, or Sandoval to Boston are the best long term decisions for those players. I think their desire to win is very short sighted and they lose in the long term. Markakis will never be a fan favorite in Atlanta and he will never be welcomed back by many fans in Baltimore. Grass is greener syndrome. Also I think the union has too large an influence forcing the players always to take the biggest pot of money despite all the other long term intangibles.

[mdbdotcom]

Yep, totally agree. They are human they make decisions based largely on short term emotions... but I wonder if Markakis to Atlanta, or Sandoval to Boston are the best long term decisions for those players. I think their desire to win is very short sighted and they lose in the long term. Markakis will never be a fan favorite in Atlanta and he will never be welcomed back by many fans in Baltimore. Grass is greener syndrome. Also I think the union has too large an influence forcing the players always to take the biggest pot of money despite all the other long term intangibles.

How do you think Markakis felt about all the negative things written about him here? There is no way that he wasn't shown those posts that described him as mediocre or just better than mediocre.

[Babypowder]

How do you think Markakis felt about all the negative things written about him here? There is no way that he wasn't shown those posts that described him as mediocre or just better than mediocre.

I saw a lot of people calling him average. I know if I read some people with no authority to make decisions about me describing me as average at my job it would probably destroy me.

The fact is he really is average. It's not some crazy insulting thing to say. I wouldn't even call it a negative thing to say.

[OriolesMagic83]

How do you think Markakis felt about all the negative things written about him here? There is no way that he wasn't shown those posts that described him as mediocre or just better than mediocre.

I'm sure he cried all the way to the bank. I don't know Markakis, but I doubt he really cares what people write about him on a fan messageboard. It would have been nice if he had taken a little less to be an Oriole for life, but I think the Braves will regret the last couple of years of that contract.

[mdbdotcom]

I saw a lot of people calling him average. I know if I read some people with no authority to make decisions about me describing me as average at my job it would probably destroy me.

The fact is he really is average. It's not some crazy insulting thing to say. I wouldn't even call it a negative thing to say.

I was responding to wbrick2010's remarks, as he seemed to have some kind of crystal ball knowledge about why Markakis made the wrong decision.

I'm not questioning whether or not he is an average player. It doesn't bother me that he is gone,

[Tony-OH]

http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82294586/

Very wide ranging interview with Dan Connolly here. Not all Orioles-related, but enough of it is that I believe it belongs in this forum. Mods feel free to move it if you disagree.

Among other things, Nick says the talks with the Orioles just seemed to stall out and he's sure it was all about his neck.

Do you have Markakis on your google feed? lol

[Nevermore]

These big decisions seem to always be made on some emotional level. They wanted me more or they made me feel more needed, etc...

Unfortunately for Nick if he gets off to a bad start the Atlanta fans and media won't cut him the slack he would have gotten in Baltimore.

Nine years of relationships in the O's organization trumped by a weekend visit by the Braves top executives. Really?

Or maybe it was just the 4th year and money?

I think that it was mainly the fact that Os management pulled back on their proposed 4 year deal, scaling it back to 3 years. Nick said that the negotiations were "stalled", no talks were happening when the Braves reached out. Perhaps the pulling back and stalling were ways for Os management to let Nick go on his way, without actually saying so.

[24fps]

How do you think Markakis felt about all the negative things written about him here? There is no way that he wasn't shown those posts that described him as mediocre or just better than mediocre.

Showed by whom? The Braves? I imagine that players who read fan forums usually have a good laugh at how clueless we all are about the daily reality of playing professional baseball.

[Roll Tide]

These big decisions seem to always be made on some emotional level. They wanted me more or they made me feel more needed, etc...

Unfortunately for Nick if he gets off to a bad start the Atlanta fans and media won't cut him the slack he would have gotten in Baltimore.

Nine years of relationships in the O's organization trumped by a weekend visit by the Braves top executives. Really?

Or maybe it was just the 4th year and money?

Sounded tome that the difference was the 4 million? and the Revenge of the Trembley!