PHILADELPHIA – Braves right fielder Nick Markakis never played on a 100-loss team in Baltimore, but the Orioles lost at least 90 games and finished at least 27 games out of first place in each of the first six of his nine seasons with the O’s.
In his first season with the Braves, they are flirting with a 100-loss season, having dropped 20 of 22 games to fall to 55-84 before Wednesday night’s series finale at Philadelphia. The rebuilding Braves, having traded away most uninjured veterans who weren’t signed long-term, had a staggering 13-42 record since their 42-42 start.
Markakis knew when he signed a four-year, $44 million contract last winter that the Braves might struggle in the initial year of an overhaul aimed at competing for titles after they move into a new ballpark in 2017. But knowing that doesn’t make it easy to lose on an almost daily basis, even if you’re having some individual success.
“Yeah, it’s not easy. It’s tough,” said Markakis, batting .317 with a .369 OBP and .425 slugging percentage in his past 45 games. “We’re competitive people. Guys want to win. At the same time, you understand what’s going on, what’s happening. You’ve just got to go with the flow right now, trust with what’s going on. Still go out there and do your job every day. Regardless of the circumstances we’ve still got a job to do, that’s to go out and win ballgames.”
The Braves have a lot of young pitchers who’ve struggled mightily in the past month or two, and also some young position players whose statistics have declined dramatically as the season wore on. Second baseman Jace Peterson, for example, had such a promising first half, but in his past 66 games before Wednesday he hit .197 (50-for-254) with a .261 OBP and .283 slugging percentage, with 19 RBIs and 66 strikeouts.
“It’s a learning process,” Markakis said. “It’s about being consistent. We have a lot of young guys who need to learn that. That’s one of the big things I learned when I was coming up through the system, how to handle yourself and try to be consistent day-in and day-out.”
Markakis was asked if he thought the young players would be better for this experience in the long run.
“Yeah. Everybody has their struggles,” he said. “I hit a buck-83 (.183) the first month and a half in the big leagues. It’s about getting out there, getting experience, making adjustments. This is a tough game. There’s a lot of cameras, a lot of (scouting) video these days, and guys are constantly making adjustments. It’s your job to do the same thing.”
A quick check of the statistical record showed that Markakis hit .184 (14-for-76) with a .262 OBP and .303 slugging percentage in his first 26 games as a 22-year-old rookie in 2006. Then he hit .344/.400/.535 in his next 93 games.
There’s no blueprint to follow for every young hitter or pitcher. It takes longer for some than others, and some might never get it. Markakis, who’s about as stoic and serious a ballplayer as you’ll ever run into, said it’s important to try to keep things in perspective even during the worst of times.
“You know, it’s frustrating. But being able to play baseball – it’s a game, and it’s a fun game,” he said. “The competitive part comes out in you; that’s the frustrating part about losing. But at the same time, you understand what’s going on and you’ve just got to go out there and do your thing.”
