Celebrating Nick Markakis

[Frobby]

Nick Markakis will be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame today, and I’m thrilled about it. He’s easily one of my top ten favorite all time Orioles.  Not one of the ten best, just one of the ten I liked the most.   

A big part of it has to do with the timing of Nick’s arrival.  He was our one successful first round pick in a desert of first rounders: Beau Hale (2000), Mike Smith (2001), Adam Loewen (2002), Wade Townsend (2004) Brandon Snyder (2005) and Billy Rowell (2006) were our top picks in the three years before and the three after Nick.  Is  it any wonder that I sometimes thought of Nick as The Boy Who Lived?

Unlike all these players, Nick progressed very smoothly through the minors, stayed healthy, and showed no major weaknesses.   

The other thing about the timing of Nick’s arrival is that it came immediately on the heels of the horrific 2005 season where the Orioles had gotten off to a hot start, began to stumble, experienced the Raffygate scandal and then utterly collapsed in humiliating fashion.  The team desperately needed a breath of fresh air and a new player to excite the fans, and Nick was the guy who did it.  

For his first three years, Nick had the look of a budding superstar, but that never really materialized.  Instead, what we got was a player who was steady as a rock, who showed up to play every day, who virtually never gave away an at bat, who nearly never made a physical or mental mistake in the field, and who never, ever called attention to himself.  And you know what?  That was more than enough for me.  It was a privilege to watch him in an Orioles uniform for nine years.  

Nick will give his induction speech before the crowd today.  It probably won’t be long, or clever, or that interesting.  You know what?  I don’t care one whit.  He was a great Oriole and he holds a very special place in my heart.  
 

Edited August 24 by Frobby

[Too Tall]

Before Gunnar - my wife has one other Oriole jersey - a Nick Markakis jersey. She has good taste. 

[Orioles West]

In my near six decades of fandom, I only have 5-6 Oriole jerseys, and my road gray Markakis is one of those full blown expensive “authentic” ones, and I’ve about worn it out over time.

Definitely one of those lunch bucket, hard hat, hard working players I always respected and I still wish the O’s would have overpaid to keep him for those final years.

I’m glad he gets a spot in the O’s Hall of Fame.

[OriolesMagic83]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Nick Markakis will be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame today, and I’m thrilled about it. He’s easily one of my top ten favorite all time Orioles.  Not one of the ten best, just one of the ten I liked the most.   

A big part of it has to do with the timing of Nick’s arrival.  He was our one successful first round pick in a desert of first rounders: Beau Hale (2000), Mike Smith (2001), Adam Loewen (2002), Wade Townsend (2004) Brandon Snyder (2005) and Billy Rowell (2006) were our top picks in the three years before and the three after Nick.  Is  it any wonder that I sometimes thought of Nick as The Boy Who Lived?

Unlike all these players, Nick progressed very smoothly through the minors, stayed healthy, and showed no major weaknesses.   

The other thing about the timing of Nick’s arrival is that it came immediately on the heels of the horrific 2005 season where the Orioles had gotten off to a hot start, began to stumble, experienced the Raffygate scandal and then utterly collapsed in humiliating fashion.  The team desperately needed a breath of fresh air and a new player to excite the fans, and Nick was the guy who did it.  

For his first three years, Nick had the look of a budding superstar, but that never really materialized.  Instead, what we got was a player who was steady as a rock, who showed up to play every day, who virtually never gave away an at bat, who nearly never made a physical or mental mistake in the field, and who never, ever called attention to himself.  And you know what?  That was more than enough for me.  It was a privilege to watch him in an Orioles uniform for nine years.  

Nick will give his induction speech before the crowd today.  It probably won’t be long, or clever, or that interesting.  You know what?  I don’t care one whit.  He was a great Oriole and he holds a very special place in my heart.  
 

To those who think that Elias job was easy, he had all those high first round picks, look how many early first round picks the 2000's Orioles squandered.  Congrats to Markakis the first fruits of what was to be the 2012-2016 O's Renaissance.

[oriole]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

 

Nick will give his induction speech before the crowd today.  It probably won’t be long, or clever, or that interesting. 
 

Frobby, what did Nick do to you to deserve such shade?! He’s a man of few words, his induction speech should be a slight smile and nod of the head. 
 

Really though, he’s one of the ones that got away. He should’ve been a career Oriole…maybe not a perennial all star but a solid player that any team would be lucky to have.

[Sports Guy]

Top 5 favorite Oriole of all time for me. 
 

He could have been an even better player too.

[Mooreisbetter27]

4 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Top 5 favorite Oriole of all time for me. 
 

He could have been an even better player too.

Same and agree 100%. Thought he was gonna be a superstar but still loved him when he didn’t quite turn out to be that. Was pretty disappointed when he went to Atlanta. Glad he was able to carve out more years over there though. 

[Frobby]

My impression is that his teammates and the fans in Atlanta felt the same way as his Orioles teammates and fans did.  

[Gurgi]

Probably would of been a lifelong Oriole if we had a different ownership.  Angelos had a habit of trying to get the "hometown" discount.  

However when Markakis went to Atlanta his power died.  So maybe it was wise to not resign him?  Wonder what the stat guys say about his worth after going to Atlanta.?

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Kakes is probably still my favorite Oriole since Cal. 

Congrats, Nicky!

[Roy Firestone]

I was at Opening Day in Tampa about 14 years ago... when Nick made the game saving and game winning catch in right field.It remains on of my favorite memories of Oriole teams in the last 20 years. What a play. Nick saved the day.

Edited August 24 by Roy Firestone

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Roy Firestone said:

I was at Opening Day in Tampa about 14 years ago... when Nick made the game saving and game winning catch in right field.It remains on of my favorite memories of Oriole teams in the last 20 years. What a play. Nick saved the day.

That was  fantastic catch.  What a way to start the season.  It was 2011, and Kevin Gregg was on the mound.  Nick saved the save.  

[Frobby]

I think the first catch on this highlight reel is the Tampa catch.  

 

[Frobby]

I was very glad to see Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Jim Johnson and Chris Davis all in attendance for Nick’s induction.  Nice show of respect for their old teammate.  

[maybenxtyr]

On 8/24/2024 at 1:03 PM, oriole said:

Frobby, what did Nick do to you to deserve such shade?! He’s a man of few words, his induction speech should be a slight smile and nod of the head. 
 

Really though, he’s one of the ones that got away. He should’ve been a career Oriole…maybe not a perennial all star but a solid player that any team would be lucky to have.

"You know "