Celebrating Nick Markakis

[maybenxtyr]

I remember a friend and I having some heated debates to pass boredom while driving late at night about Nick. I always felt he could have been so much better but looking back he was just right.  A heck of a good RF'er and a big loss the year CC hit him.

 

Congratulations to him on an excellent career. 

[BRobinsonfan]

On 8/24/2024 at 11:38 AM, 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.  
 

Well said @Frobby  He was solid.  He played hard.  He was a steady presence in the outfield and a doubles machine for much of his career, and he gave us plenty to be proud of as O's fans.  I always thought he was under-appreciated by too many fans. 

Edited August 27 by BRobinsonfan

[sportsfan8703]

21 10 Eutaw St was a fun promotion. 

History may remember Markakis more fondly with his overall stats. A dude that likely didn’t take PEDs and didn’t hang on to compile numbers. Gotta respect both. 

[foxfield]

Yeah Markakis is a well deserved Oriole HOF’er. He was a rock and it will always sting that he missed the playoffs because of CC. 

[OldNewGuy]

1 hour ago, sportsfan8703 said:

21 10 Eutaw St was a fun promotion. 

History may remember Markakis more fondly with his overall stats. A dude that likely didn’t take PEDs and didn’t hang on to compile numbers. Gotta respect both. 

Yeah,    definitely 

[Jim'sKid26]

On 8/24/2024 at 11:44 AM, Too Tall said:

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

In Oriole's jerseys?

[TommyPickles]

As a 34 year old lifelong O's fan, Nick Markakis was the man.

He and Jones are my two favorite Orioles of all time.

[Too Tall]

1 hour ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

In Oriole's jerseys?

ABSOLUTLY