Athletes - Nick Markakis

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	Athletes - Nick Markakis

Nicholas Markakis born November 17, 1983 in Glen Cove, New York) is an outfielder who currently plays for the Baltimore Orioles and went to Young Harris College. He was the Orioles' first-round draft pick, seventh player picked overall, in 2003 and was named to the Second Team in the 2005 Minor League All-Star Roster. Markakis was originally drafted in 2001 and 2002 by the Cincinatti Reds, but did not sign in either year.

At Young Harris College, Markakis played as both an outfielder and a pitcher, hitting for a .439 batting average with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs, while also gathering a 12-0 win-loss record as a pitcher with one save and a 1.68 earned run average in 15 games. Most Major League teams viewed Markakis as a pitching prospect, but the Orioles coveted his power. He spent his first year with the Aberdeen IronBirds, producing a strong batting average but little power in his swing. In 2004, Markakis played for the Greece Olympic baseball team, and spent the year with the Delmarva Shorebirds, where he raised his average and produced more power hitting. In 2005, Markakis started the year with the Frederick Keys and put together a solid first half of the baseball season. He won the Carolina/California League All-Star Game home run derby, and followed that up by being named MVP of the All-Star game after hitting two home runs in the game. Markakis was promoted a short time later to the Bowie Baysox, where he continued to hit well and earn a reputation as the Orioles' hottest prospect.

During the 2006 offseason, Markakis was widely regarded as the top fielding prospect in the Orioles' farm system. Several teams inquired about him in trades, but the Orioles rebuffed any proposal that included trading Markakis. With the team failing to sign a star outfielder, the Orioles decided instead to sign Jeff Conine for one year, hoping that Markakis is only a year away from playing the major leagues. Markakis began his first Spring Training with the Orioles in 2006, and immediatley established himself by reaching base 9 out of his first 10 plate appearances. Markakis is expected to begin the season at Ottawa Lynx, but could potentially earn a spot on the Orioles' major league roster with his performance this spring and faces a good chance to be called up in September when rosters are expanded.

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Athletes - Nick Markakis

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