Nick Markakis takes out two-page ad in Baltimore Sun thanking Orioles and fans
Change is inevitable. Although for Nick Markakis, it didn’t seem likely in terms of where his baseball career was headed. Coming into the offseason, it was considered a foregone conclusion he would re-sign with the Baltimore Orioles, continuing a nine-year run that has seen him develop into a consistently productive major leaguer and one of the team’s most popular players.
Ultimately, the inevitable won out. After the Orioles seemed to sour on Markakis’ medical outlook — he could undergo surgery for a herniated disk in his neck — he moved on to the Atlanta Braves on a four-year deal.
With such a career and life-altering change often comes the need for closure. However, Markakis is by no means ready to say goodbye to the City of Baltimore or Orioles fans. Instead, on Wednesday, Markakis took out a two-page ad in the Baltimore Sun thanking the Orioles organization for the opportunity and Orioles for their support, while making it clear that Baltimore will remain home to his family.
The message begins:
By now most of you know that I am a man of few words. So putting my thoughts in writing is hard for me. But I owe the City of Baltimore, the Orioles’ organization and most especially, the Baltimore Orioles’ fans, a large Thank You.
For a man with few words, Markakis managed to say a lot. Not wanting to leave anyone out, he broke it down into sections, thanking owner Peter Angelos, manager Buck Showalter, his coaches, his teammates and Orioles fans with their own special messages.
To Angelos, Markakis wrote:
“I owe Peter Angelos and his family a Thank You for bringing me to this organization and City and for the friendship you have shown my family and me over the years.”
To Showalter, he wrote:
“I want to personally thank Buck for his relentless leadership. I truly believe that it is your love and respect for the game that has brought winning back to Baltimore. You are, and will continue to be, my mentor and friend.”
To the fans, he wrote:
“It’s because of this community that I have been able to grow into the player that I am. It’s because of your passion, dedication, and heart that make me proud to say that my career will always be rooted in the bricks of Eutaw Street. Having fans is a truly humbling experience. Knowing that people wear your jersey, identify with you and look up to you without knowing you has always been hard for me to grasp, but I’ve learned to accept and embrace it. I know that it’s easy for someone who doesn’t know me to make assumptions on my thoughts and actions. That’s the price of being a professional athlete and I accept it. I sincerely hope you understand how difficult this is for my family and me.”
“And it’s because of the great memories that you have given Christina, the boys and me that makes it easy for us to continue to call Baltimore our home.”
With gratitude,
Nick, Christina, Taylor, Tucker and Toby
Indeed, this wasn’t a goodbye. It was simply a well-deserved and well-delivered acknowledgement of a City and fanbase that has been nothing but supportive, while also serving as a reminder that opening one chapter in life doesn’t necessarily mean another must be closed.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
