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Nick Markakis: Can You Believe He’s Really Gone?

By Rocky Friedman

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The news broke yesterday that Nick Markakis, who before yesterday was currently the longest tenured player on the Baltimore Orioles, signed a four-year deal with the Atlanta Braves. This is heartbreaking news for Orioles fans, as they have lost a player that they have grown to love and adore so much.

This move will not only hurt the lineup, but it will hurt their leadership. Markakis has been with the Orioles organization since 2003, spending three years in the minors before being promoted to the big-league roster in 2006. Although it was thought that Markakis would be a power hitter batting in the middle of the lineup, the name of his game has been consistency.

Early in his career, it did indeed look like he would be a power-hitting outfielder. In 2007, his second year in the league, he hit 23 home runs and 112 RBIs. He then hit 20 home runs the following year as well. That however, would be the last time that he would record 20 home runs or more to this day.

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    • Those numbers don’t nearly tell the whole story, though.

    In only one season in his nine-year career has he participated in less than 147 games. He has never finished a season with an average lower than .270, and only three times has it been lower than .290. He has also struck out just 774 total times in his nine-year career, which averages to about 86 per year. To put into prospective how little that is, over 150 players recorded more than 86 strikeouts just last season.

    He has also been the anchor of this talented Orioles outfield, earning two Gold Gloves, while displaying arguably the best arm for any outfielder in baseball. Defense is something that goes under the radar, and that is why many give Markakis the title of being the best player in the league never to make an appearance in the All Star game.

    To this day I still have no idea why he hasn’t, but really, who cares? He has helped the Orioles turn themselves into a winning club over the past three years; so he is, and always will be, an All Star in Baltimore.

    I think I speak for all Orioles fans when I say this: Goodbye Nick, and we’re going to miss you dearly!

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