Braves, O’s OF Markakis retires after 15 seasons

Outfielder Nick Markakis is retiring after a 15-year career.

A three-time Gold Glove winner, Markakis holds the record for most consecutive games without an error for an outfielder at 398. He was as steady at the plate as he was in the outfield, finishing with 2,388 career hits and a slash line of .288/.357/.423. Markakis played in no fewer than 104 games every year of his career except for 2020’s pandemic-shortened season.

“I tell myself all the time, whether it is now or if I was fortunate enough to get that opportunity to be a Hall of Famer — to get that many hits — that 3,000 hits or 2,400 hits, it’s not going to define the player that I was,” Markakis told The Athletic. “I think I played the right way and that’s all that really matters to me.”

The 37-year-old was drafted seventh overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2003 draft and spent the first nine years of his career with the Orioles. A Georgia native, Markakis signed with the Atlanta Braves prior to the 2015 season. His lone All-Star season came while with the Braves in 2018 at the age of 34.

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