Having had an impressive 15-year career that came up only short of the World Series, Nick Markakis is finally moving to retirement.
The 37-year-old outfielder began his baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles spending nine years with the team before moving back to his hometown to join Atlanta Braves for the final six seasons in his prolific career, which had odds covering it from bestaustraliancasinosites online casino in the past.
Markakis was instrumental for the Braves as he helped them surf through their tough rebuilding stages which eventually paid off with the team winning the National League East titles for three consecutive seasons.
Becoming a free agent last campaign, the outfielder confirmed to The Athletic in an article published on Friday that he was done playing Baseball after registering 2,388 hits, being alone pick for the All-Star selection in 2018 and ending his career in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.
Speaking about Markakis, Braves manager Brian Snitker called the outfielder "the consummate pro in everything he did."
"We got a game away from the World Series," Snitker said. "I would have loved to do that for him. He was what the Atlanta Braves are all about."
Despite being deemed surplus to requirements in the Brave's team, Snitker claimed that the 37-year-old outfielder was missed in their clubhouse. The manager also claimed that he talked to Markakis regarding his retirement plans before the outfielder made it official.
"It's a big hole in there without him," Snitker added. "We all miss him. Just his stability and the calming influence he had on everybody. It was just a great career. ... I felt honoured to manage him for the last few years of his career."
In 2006, Markakis signed for the Orioles playing almost 104 games in every season till his last. He parted ways with the team after registering a career average of .288. He was previously reported to have opted out of the 2020 season, due to the pandemic crisis, but he ended up changing his mind to return to the Braves team for a part-time role.
He came close to reaching the World Series for the first time when he scored a walk-off homer in his first game back.
The Atlanta Braves won two playoff series and claimed a 3-1 lead over the Dodger in the National League Championship Series. But the Los Angeles team ended up with three straight wins to proceed to the World Series, where they overcame the Tampa Bay Rays.
In his time with the Baltimore Orioles, Markakis scored double-figure home every year, which included his career-high of 23 back in 2007.
While the Atlanta Braves were undergoing a rebuilding process, Markakis signed for the team as a free agent back in 2015. Following three straight 90-loss campaigns, the Braves were able to secure the National League East title in 2018, with Markakis playing a pivotal role in the team.
In 2018, the 37-year-old outfielder featured in all 162 games for the Braves, batting .297 along with 14 homers and 93 RBIs, which led to him being selected for the All-Star game for the first time with blackjack online backing him at the time.
Despite playing a limited role in his final two years with the Atlanta Braves, Markakis remained a productive player in the team while maintaining a leading figure in the team. Markakis was congratulated by the two teams he played for during his baseball career.