MARKAKIS RETIRES AFTER 15 SEASONS AND 2,338 HITS
After a 15-year career that came up just short of the World Series, Nick Markakis has retired.
Markakis spent his first nine years with the Baltimore Orioles before moving to his hometown Atlanta Braves for his final six seasons.
The 37-year-old outfielder helped the Braves through a difficult rebuilding process that paid off with three straight NL East titles.
A free agent after last season, Markakis told The Athletic in a story published Friday that he was done playing after accumulating 2,388 hits, earning his lone AllStar selection in 2018 and closing out his career in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series.
Braves manager Brian Snitker called Markakis “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.”
Even though he no longer fit into the team’s plans, Snitker said Markakis’ presence was missed in the Braves clubhouse. The manager talked with him on Thursday about his retirement plans before he made them official.
“It’s a big hole in there without him,” Snitker said. “We all miss him. Just his stability and the calming influence he had on everybody. It was just a great career. I felt honored to manage him for the last few years of his career.”
Markakis joined the Orioles in 2006 and played at least 104 games every season until his last, finishing with a career average of .288. He initially
opted out of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, only to change his mind and return to the Braves in a part-time role.
He hit a walk-off homer in his first game back and nearly reached the World Series for the first time.
The Braves won two playoff series — their first postseason victories since 2001 — and took a 3-1 lead over the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. But Los Angeles rallied for three straight victories to advance to the World Series.
Coach hurt
Arizona first base coach Dave McKay suffered a broken rib and lacerated spleen after a fall in the dugout earlier this week.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said the 70year-old McKay was wearing a new pair of shoes on Tuesday, tripped on the bottom step of the dugout and fell against the bench during a game against the Giants. He quickly recovered and stayed at the park, but began to feel more pain on Wednesday morning and that’s when the extent of the injury was discovered.
“He’s fine, everything’s good,” Lovullo said on Friday.
“He’s just going to need to step away.”
Notable
Right-hander Trevor Cahill (Vista High) and the Pirates finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract, a deal that allows him to earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for innings.
• Indians manager Terry Francona announced that reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber will start the opener at Detroit on April 1. The Indians also traded utility infielder Mike Freeman
to the Reds for cash.
• Garrett Richards
struck out seven in four scoreless innings in Boston’s 8-2 victory over Tampa Bay. He allowed one hit and walked three. Michael Chavis hit his third home run and Christian Arroyo
also connected.
• White Sox ace Lucas Giolito struck out five in four shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk in a 3-2 loss to the Rangers. Top prospect had two hits.
USD catcher Shane McGuire’s plan coming into college was similar to that of most baseball players with professional aspirations: play three years of college ball, get drafted, sign and start down the pro path.
That plan went sideways a year ago this week when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and the college baseball season was abruptly canceled.
Of the three-year plan, McGuire said, “I thought that would be a good amount of time to raise myself up and become a higher prospect.”
McGuire was off to an impressive start — batting .469 (15for-32 in 12 games) — but he needed a full season to play his way into the top of the draft.
That opportunity never came, especially after the draft was whittled down to five rounds.
McGuire’s name was never called. He didn’t give much thought to signing as a free agent, either, when bonuses were capped at $20,000.
“There was no hesitation to return,” said McGuire, who also gets a year closer to a degree in communications. “I knew I was going to come back if I didn’t get what I thought I’m worth as a player.
“I love the team and I love what we have here, so it was an easy decision. I kind of know the road from watching my older brother.”
The reference was to Reese McGuire, a catcher drafted out of high school in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reese reached the majors three years ago with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“He was with me every step of the way,” Shane said. “He said don’t take it (a free agent offer last year) if it’s not what you want to do.
“I thought it was smart for myself and my future to come back for another year . ... I keep thanking myself over and over and over for coming back and not just signing and going to play.”
USD head coach Rich Hill was happy to welcome back McGuire.
Hill compliments McGuire for his intangibles, calling him the “ultimate baseball guy” and “the glue” on a Toreros team that was 12-4 when the shutdown came a year ago.
Most of the team returned for another go at it this season. The Toreros have picked up where they left off.
USD (8-3) opened a fourgame series against UC Riverside (2-2) with a 16-4 home win Friday afternoon that featured five-RBI performances by second baseman Thomas Luevano and third baseman Adam Lopez.
McGuire, a 6-foot junior from Kent, Wash., boosted his batting average to .342 with a pair of doubles against UCR. He leads the Toreros with 22 runs scored and is among the team leaders with four home runs and 13 RBIs.
The homer total represents more long balls than McGuire hit in his first three seasons combined.
“Word on the street is they wanted to see more power this year, so I’m trying to step my game up,” McGuire said.
Not that he has been swinging for the fences. Or even adjusting his launch angle.
“I think if you start swinging for home runs, it kind of ruins your approach at the plate,” said McGuire, explaining, “It’s another year of experience at the plate. Knowing where I can do damage. What’s the best situation for me to be in . ... You’re just trying to hit the ball hard.”
McGuire’s leadership is evident as a catcher handling the pitching staff — “Coach has entrusted me to take over a little more,” he says — as well as in the clubhouse.
These qualities have been communicated to scouts taking notes in the stands. Still, what they most want to see is what he does with a bat in his hands.
“He had something to prove ... to check off a lot of boxes that he, obviously, didn’t get to check
off last year,” said USD assistant coach Brock Ungricht, whose responsibilities include working with the Toreros hitters. “The thing that everybody was always interested in is, ‘Hey, is he ever going to hit for power?’ ”
So far, so good.
Elsewhere
San Diego State (7-3, 2-1 Mountain West) comes into this weekend’s home series against UNLV (5-1, 5-1 MW) with one of the nation’s most productive offenses. The Aztecs rank No. 1 in team batting average (.355) and scoring average (10.9) for teams that have played at least 10 games.
• UC San Diego starting pitcher Cameron Leonard limited Santa Clara to two hits over 51⁄3 shutout innings and struck out six, leading UCSD to a 3-1 win at Triton Ballpark. The victory ended a six-game losing streak for the Tritons (2-8).