Thanks for Contributing, Nick

[mikezpen]

Nick Markakis has been pathetic w/RISP this season despite two walk-off game winning hits I saw him get at Orioles Park. But I don't know if it's a permanant thing. Maybe he needs to mature as a hitter. Don't forget that he didn't spend much time in minor leagues, and he was rushed up here.I'm sure he's still learning to be a Major League hitter.

But his decline mite also be more indication of the corrosive influence by Orioles coaching throughout their organization. It isn't just mediocre, it is wildly detrimental.I dread the thought of Weiters coming here, coming in as Weiters and coming out Paul Bako.Look at Rowell, Look at Snyder, look how Reimold has struggled, look at the batting averages and OBPs up and down this organization.They're pathetic.

If MacPhail does nothing else this off-season but preside over the firing of most of this organization's hitting coaches starting w/Crowley, and replacing them with competant teachers, he will have accomplished a lot.

[Fan4Life]

First of all, i agree that Nick has been slightly disappointing however, since the season is only half over, i am not too worried.

To label him a COLOSSAL disappointment is a joke and i also think to expect him to have a 900 OPS is a bit much.

I thought he would be in the 820-850 range.

He is slumping right now. It is obvious he isn't comfortable at the plate.

However, his FB% is way up from last year...He is hitting far less grounders, which has led to better power numbers.

I certainly feel he will still end up in the 820-850 range.

His OPS with RISP isn't good at all but he still normally gets a run home(via a sac fly or ground out). He is also not hitting lefties all that well yet.

These are things that need to be improved and he will improve them.

He is a hot 2 week stretch away from having his OPS over 800 and everyone feeling great about him.

Nothing to worry about at all.

Slightly huh? That must be purely from a statistical point of view. I'm not sure what is VORP is, or WIN Shares etc, I can tell you from watching every game this season he is directly or indirectly responsible for 5-8 losses (there are assumptions here) due to his inablilty to get the job done, almost at all, when needed. Now, I'm not going to jump off the boat like the poster and suggest did we overrate him etc. However, if nothing else he is experiencing some degree of the sophmore let down thus far. Hopefully he can determine what the issue is and correct it. He is far from being a feared hitter on our team.

[Tony-OH]

The problem here is the current team and expectation. Markakis getting thrusted into a number three hole puts a lot of expectation on a young hitter, especially one without a pedigree of totally dominating minor league competition.

If this team had a true number four hitter, Tejada could have hit third with Markakis batting second, or possibly even further down the lineup.

The honeymoon of a young exciting player has worn off on many fans as Nick has struggled to hit the ball hard very often this year. However, the thing I still like is the fact he has a lot of good at bats where he fouls off a lot of quality pitches to stay alive.

I truly believe Markakis is better then he's been this year so far, but if we can temper our expectations I think he'll be able to fullfill his true potential.

[sector7g]

Put me in the camp of people believing Nick is destined for much better things than he's showd this year.

However, there are no guarantees, the league has clearly worked him out to some extent and now he has to adjust in turn or he won't get anywhere near our lofty expectations. It's difficult to predict if he will be able to do it or not but he's mastered every level he's played at so far.

If it takes him another year to master this level, I'm happy with that.

Also, even without setting the world on fire this year his numbers against righties are still v v good.

[Frobby]

Getting back to what motivated this thread, I was very disappointed that Nick couldn't find a way to get a runner home with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out in the 8th inning yesterday. This has been a pretty consistent problem for him this year. For a guy who has good at bats and a good eye, he seems to have trouble with situational hitting.

Hopefully it's all just part of the learning process. I do feel the O's put a lot of pressure on Nick by batting him 3rd and playing him virtually every day. Right now he's in a cold spell and may need more than one day off in a month.

[DrungoHazewood]

Slightly huh? That must be purely from a statistical point of view. I'm not sure what is VORP is, or WIN Shares etc, I can tell you from watching every game this season he is directly or indirectly responsible for 5-8 losses (there are assumptions here) due to his inablilty to get the job done, almost at all, when needed. Now, I'm not going to jump off the boat like the poster and suggest did we overrate him etc. However, if nothing else he is experiencing some degree of the sophmore let down thus far. Hopefully he can determine what the issue is and correct it. He is far from being a feared hitter on our team.

People here are suffering from a case of realizing that their messiah is just a good young ballplayer. Directly responsible for 5-8 losses? If he wasn't on the team and the O's management had filled his position in their wonderful, cheap, better-than-terrible way the O's just might have another 5-8 losses on top of what they have now.

Sure, he's not playing as well as hoped. But he's still one of the better players on the team, he's still very young, and he's not playing badly. In real life players don't always get 10% better every year until they hit 28 then decline. Everyone is different, everyone adjusts at different rates. Markakis will probably be fine, and will probably become at least an All Star-caliber player.

Let's try to not project the team's and management's failings onto one of the brighter lights in the organization.

[Fan4Life]

People here are suffering from a case of realizing that their messiah is just a good young ballplayer. Directly responsible for 5-8 losses? If he wasn't on the team and the O's management had filled his position in their wonderful, cheap, better-than-terrible way the O's just might have another 5-8 losses on top of what they have now.

Sure, he's not playing as well as hoped. But he's still one of the better players on the team, he's still very young, and he's not playing badly. In real life players don't always get 10% better every year until they hit 28 then decline. Everyone is different, everyone adjusts at different rates. Markakis will probably be fine, and will probably become at least an All Star-caliber player.

Let's try to not project the team's and management's failings onto one of the brighter lights in the organization.

Lets not construe my criticism of his performance (or lack there of) into an overall critique of his skills, his promise, or that he'll reach a high level of success. But to say he has been a "slight" disappointment is a considerable understatement. Agreed you can replace him with any trashbag as we have in the past and feel great about what we have, however, he is looked to as a critical component of this team, and he needs to convert on opportunities to succeed once in awhile.... all the great talk about what he can be, or will be, or should be, doesn't move the runner over, or score the guy from 3rd with one out. At some point you have to produce. And most of his production THUS FAR hasn't been at the moments in the game when it has been most needed. And aside from Roberts, and one or two games from Huff or Mora, you could replace Nicks name in this conversation with anyone on our team.

[Sports Guy]

Nick's WARP3 is 7...Yes, that means he is 7 wins above replacement. To say he has been responsible for 5-8 losses is a complete joke.

BTW, his VORP is better than Bay and McCann, to name a few.

Yes, he has been a slight disappointment in my eyes and i am not going to b!tch that he didn't get the job done against one of the best pitchers in baseball yesterday.

[Jagwar]

Markakis is one of the few quality ball players on the team. Why not go pick on the real disappointments.....like Huff, Gibbons and Tejada.

Absolutely. Even with this "slump", he is still only behind Roberts, Millar, Mora and Tejada in OPS for regulars.

[Dr. FLK]

Absolutely. Even with this "slump", he is still only behind Roberts, Millar, Mora and Tejada in OPS for regulars.

True. But, saying "he's better than most of the losers on the team" isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. I don't think people here are saying he isn't good, won't become good, or isn't one of our best players. People just think he's not up to the high expectations they had for him. Which, I tend to agree with.

But, it's only his 2nd season. He's not where I hoped he would be, but he ain't too shabby either. And, he really doesn't have much an offense around him either. I'm a little disappointed with his first half, but I think he'll be fine.

[Fan4Life]

Nick's WARP3 is 7...Yes, that means he is 7 wins above replacement. To say he has been responsible for 5-8 losses is a complete joke.

BTW, his VORP is better than Bay and McCann, to name a few.

Yes, he has been a slight disappointment in my eyes and i am not going to b!tch that he didn't get the job done against one of the best pitchers in baseball yesterday.

As I said, you can quote stats if you want to, I stand by my statement.

[howie14]

Ok, Nick isn't Lynn or Rice (sorry for showing my age), ready to come up and carry a team on his back as a first or second year player. He's still a work in progress and one I still believe has a high upside.

It's amazing how a difference in expectations can change how someone is viewed.

Down the road, the Nats have a young star they are banking a lot on. He has been far less effective this year than last (.714 OPS) and I have yet to hear any fan down there giving up on Ryan Zimmerman.

[Sports Guy]

As I said, you can quote stats if you want to, I stand by my statement.

Yea, why let facts get in the way, right?

[Mad Mark]

If you want to find a (potentially) big reason for Markakis' "sophomore slump" (if that's what he's going through), look no farther than the Orioles 25-man roster.

There you'll see Markakis, Patterson, Payton, Gibbons and Bynum listed as outfielders. Patterson and Gibbons couldn't hit water if tied together and thrown out of a boat this year, Bynum is apparently radioactive, and we've all agreed that Payton is a 4th outfielder...which leads to the fact that Nick Markakis has not had a single day off this season! (Yes, he did not start on May 10 and June 30, but did appear as a defensive replacement in both of those games.) MLB game log for Markakis

Now I understand that Cal Ripken is god and everything, but can we just all get over this iron man crap? This is a physically and mentally demanding game, they're not allowed to take greenies any more, and people need a day off now and again!

I'd be willing to bet there's nothing wrong with Nick Markakis that a day off every other week wouldn't cure.

[Fan4Life]

Ok, Nick isn't Lynn or Rice (sorry for showing my age), ready to come up and carry a team on his back as a first or second year player. He's still a work in progress and one I still believe has a high upside.

It's amazing how a difference in expectations can change how someone is viewed.

Down the road, the Nats have a young star they are banking a lot on. He has been far less effective this year than last (.714 OPS) and I have yet to hear any fan down there giving up on Ryan Zimmerman.

Nobody is saying Nick isn't a talented young player who in time will likely be great... what at least I am saying, is that this team could have 5-8 more games in the win column if only Nick could have converted a moderate amount of his chances into success. Now as I said, this has some assumptions that by no means are a given, one being that the bullpen could have kept the lead that he produced....

I am only saying that while his numbers may look ok - good, he has been a disappointment this first half of the season.