Nick Markakis was never the flashiest guy out there. He never showboated, he had no signature home run trot, he never got in the face of the umps. What he was, however, was quietly, consistently excellent. So much so that Orioles beat reporter Brittany Ghiroli would jokingly tweet “Ho hum” every time he got a hit. He played some of the best right field in the game, with an arm so powerful, even the speediest runners didn’t dare try to take the extra base off him. At the plate, his batting stroke was just like him—clean, efficient, elegant.
His teammates respected him for that, too. In April, when he got a game-winning single against the Royals, he was rewarded with the traditional cream pie—and a spoon to eat it with.
The fans took to him precisely because of his quiet, steely excellence. He was a throwback, a Cal Ripken type who let his great play do the talking. When the O’s clinched the AL East this season, a GIF of Markakis looking a bit dazed and disbelievingly happy went viral on the web. The GIF itself wasn’t that remarkable, but we loved it because it was Nick. We were happy for us, but we were even happier for him.
Nick Markakis at the moment it was announced that the @Orioles are AL East Champions pic.twitter.com/dWITVLkuqw
— Camden GIFs (@CamdenGIFs) September 17, 2014
There are no sure things in sports, but Nick Markakis sure seemed like one of them. We thought he’d always be there, patrolling right field, getting clutch hits, being an Oriole, making us proud. It’s almost impossible to imagine the Orioles without him. I guess we’ll have to find a way.
But, sports is a business and he got a better deal in his home state of Georgia (four years, $44 million). Braves fans, you’re going to love him. We sure as heck did.