Must be Markakis' year

The Orioles Buzz recently drew your attention to Nick Markakis' name in the running for the 2009 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award. The right fielder is also a favorite in the Most Valuable Oriole debate. And don't forget that Nick was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award. It really must be his year. But in case you haven't heard, voting for the Roberto Clemente Award is officially open, so make sure you cast your vote for the O's Nick Markakis before October 4. Click here to read about the candidates and to cast your vote. Among the efforts that earned Markakis a nomination, you'll notice the following: -Establishment of The Right Side Foundation: A non-profit that aims to improve the lives of distressed children throughout the state of Maryland. -Organization and execution of Fun for 21: A Right Side Foundation program that treats 21 children from an established Maryland charity to an experience ranging from lunch at the ESPN Zone to a VIP visit to the Acquarium. -The Right Side Foundation's 5K Run and 1-Mile Family Fun Walk in Baltimore's Patterson Park -Regular sharing of his suite at Camden Yards with a Maryalnd-based youth group. -Participation in baseball programs and demonstrations at city schools. -An annual $75,000 donation to the Orioles Charitable Foundation. -Service as team spokesman for the MLB campaign, 'Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" program. -Representative for the Home Run Challenge for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. -Contributions to OriolesREACH Ticket and Game Day Experience Program. The list is even longer than I realized when I started out summarizing his contributions. Help reward Nick (and his wife Christina) for their obvious efforts in the communities in and around Baltimore by voting for Nick for the Roberto Clemente Award here.