Nick Markakis

Nick Markakis is a professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of the MLB. The Cincinnati Reds originally drafted Markakis in 2001 out of high school, but he did not sign, instead he attended Young Harris College, where he played baseball for the Mountain Lions. The Reds drafted him again in 2002, but again he turned them down to return to Young Harris. In August 2003, Markakis played in the European National Championships where he won a silver medal with Team Greece. He also played in the 2004 Olympic Games with the Greek Olympic baseball team. The Baltimore Orioles selected Markakis as the seventh overall pick in the 2003 MLB Draft. Markakis spent his first year in the minors with the Aberdeen IronBirds and then the Delmarva Shorebirds. On April 3, 2006, Markakis made his major league debut against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Markakis signed a 6-year, $66.1 million extension with the Orioles on January 22, 2009. On December 3, 2014, Markakis signed a 4-year, $44 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. In 2011 and 2014, Markakis won the Gold Glove Award.