This, that and the other

The bond between outfielder Nick Markakis and hitting coach Terry Crowley really began to develop early in the 2006 season.

The former Orioles first-round draft pick was struggling as a rookie. Talk of sending him back to the minors grew louder. Few, if any, signs existed that he’d eventually receive votes for Rookie of the Year.

“The first month and a half I did not feel solidified. That’s when I started working with Crow,” Markakis said yesterday after the Orioles Hall of Fame luncheon.

“We basically started from the bottom. Get a good foundation, get the basics out of the way.”

Crowley had a knack for making a player feel relaxed, to keep the instruction and advice from becoming too complicated or cumbersome.

“The more information you throw at somebody, the tougher it is. Crow would make it as simple as possible. Be positive and make things as simple as possible,” Markakis said.

“It’s tough, it’s a grind. You’re seeing (pitchers) you’ve never seen in your career. You’re young, you’ve got a lot of things against you. … You learn through failure, you learn through not being successful.

“It was tough, it was just a battle. And then things started coming to light.”

In a flash that lit Camden Yards.

Markakis hit .182/.270/.288 in his first month but finished sixth in Rookie of the Year balloting, his candidacy fueled by a .339/.403/.400 line in June, .403/.441/.558 in July and .354/.400/.740 in August.

They became almost inseparable, which makes their dual inductions later today with longtime scout Dick Bowie so appropriate.

“When I started becoming successful, it’s not like I backed off the gas pedal,” Markakis said. “We were still in there (cage) on a daily basis, sometimes after games, just constantly working.”

Those sessions would unfold after Crowley became a roving minor league instructor. He’d return to Camden Yards at Markakis’ behest.

Crowley didn’t pay much attention to those early stats that almost got Markakis demoted. His opinion wouldn’t be framed by them.

“You never know, but I knew he was going to be a great player when I saw him in spring training,” Crowley said.

“He came to spring training, I said, ‘Hi, welcome,’ all the nice things, but then I kind of left him alone and I watched how he moved around on the various ballfields in Fort Lauderdale, and he stood out.”

They watched video of his at-bats and saw how plate umpires were expanding the zone.

“He never once says, ‘Coach, look at that, strike one, how can I hit that? Look at that,’” Crowley said. “That’s when I knew. I could see his talent every day in batting practice, every day with extra hitting. I could see it. But when I saw that aspect of his makeup, I knew I had a doggone star on my hands and I said, ‘Don’t mess this up. This is a great hitter.’

“I did have to encourage him a little bit, not to get thrown out of a game, but let the umpire know, ‘You know it’s not a strike.’ Don’t get thrown out, but say, ‘Let’s go, that’s not a strike.’ Let’s face it, Henderson gets a better strike zone now than when he first came up, because he’s got home runs and he can hit. That’s the way the game is played.”

Markakis retired after appearing in 37 games with the Braves in 2020. He left baseball as a career .288/.357/.423 hitter in 15 seasons. A quiet leader and one of the most respected players to step inside the clubhouse.

He isn’t likely to walk inside another one in a working capacity.

“What am I doing now?” he said, repeating a question. “I’m an Uber driver.”

Yeah, we all bit until he explained.

“Boys are playing baseball and football, so it’s full-circle, man, it’s non-stop. It’s one thing after the other,” he said.

The only coaching that he does is for his sons. And there’s also a farm to keep Markakis busy.

“I’m constantly doing stuff outside,” he said. “I’ve got donkeys, dogs.”

He’s also got a life-long friend in Crowley.

“That really made it real enjoyable to go in with Nicky,” Crowley said. “I feel like I was a part of his baseball life as he was a part of my baseball life.”

* The Orioles have received 34 home runs from the leadoff spot this season, which ranked first in the majors last night. The Dodgers had 30, the Phillies 28, the Mets 25 and the Diamondbacks 24.

Gunnar Henderson is the biggest contributor with 27, but Colton Cowser (five), Jordan Westburg (one) and Austin Slater (one) also homered from the one hole. Cowser delivered again last night. Slater was the most recent before that with his game-tying, two-run shot Wednesday at Citi Field.

The 34 home runs are the second-most for the Orioles behind the 45 hit in 1996, per STATS. Of course, Brady Anderson was the primary reason with 35, but Roberto Alomar had 10.

Anderson is back in town for tonight’s Hall of Fame ceremony.

* Before last night, 13 of Anthony Santander’s 30 hits since the break were home runs. His 43.3 percentage ranked second in the majors behind Ketel Marte’s 44.0 with Arizona (minimum 15 hits).

Santander led off the second inning with a single and hit a grand slam in the eighth. Seemed like a Santander kind of night.

During the first half, only 29.3 percent of Santander’s hits were home runs, when he clubbed 24 out of 82.

* Albert Suárez, who starts this afternoon, has tossed 17 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the longest stretch of his career, which was paused after 2017, when he went to Japan and Korea before returning to the majors this season.

The streak also is the longest in the majors this season. Michael Kopech and Raisel Iglesias are next with 15, followed by Nestor Cortes with 14.

* The Orioles have used 56 players this season, six short of the club record set in 2021. Name them. Answer below.

I’m kidding, but go ahead.

* Reliever Nick Vespi’s brother, Ben, also a left-hander, signed with the Orioles last month as an undrafted free agent. He’s working out in Sarasota.

Ben pitched at the University of Central Florida, where he posted a 4.11 ERA in 76 games. He struck out 222 batters in 221 1/3 innings.

“He’s extremely excited,” Nick said, before the Orioles optioned him for a fifth time. “It’s definitely been a goal and a dream of his to play professional baseball, and the Orioles gave him an opportunity and he’s excited and he’s ready to take it on.”

* That's all from me today. I'll return to the ballpark Sunday night.