Read original story here - written by Daily Item Writer Steve Krause
The first thing you have to get past, if you talk about the Markakis family lineage, is the short vs. the long "A."
Nick Markakis of the Baltimore Orioles pronounces it "Mar-KAY-kis." On the other hand, his second cousin, Alex, from Lynnfield, is "Mar-CAH-kis."
It can get confusing, especially when you're used to hearing the Orioles right fielder's name pronounced. But it doesn't faze his cousin at all.
"Not a bit," Alex Markakis says. "In fact, everyone at school pronounces it the way Nick does. I don't care."
Truth is, his cousin was always an inspiration to Alex Markakis, and is one of the reasons he plays baseball.
"Just watching him, I wanted to play baseball," he says. "I don't know if I could ever follow in his footsteps, but I know I want to end up having something to do with the game."
Markakis was a standout player at St. John's Prep. He graduated in 2010, and played alongside the likes of Mike Yastrzemski (Carl's grandson) and Pat Connaughton (who was drafted last month by the San Diego Padres). His initial choice was Division 1 Fairfield College in Connecticut. But things didn't work out, and by the middle of his freshman year, he became a Monk. As in St. Joseph's College of Maine Monks.
"Early on, I knew things looked like they weren't going to work out," Markakis said. "So I got back in contact with everyone I'd talked to. Coach (Will) Sanborn said I was always welcome up there, so I transferred. And it was the best move I ever made."
And as it turned out, Markakis and Joe Gruntkowsky of Peabody were two of the freshmen who made an immediate impact.
"Joe ... I thought for sure he was going to give me a ton of grief because Peabody beat us last year, and struck me out," Markakis joked. "But we've ended up being best friends."
Moving to St. Joseph's certainly agreed with Markakis, who started 22 of 32 games, and hit .310. And the Monks went deep in the New England Regional Tournament before bowing to Wheaton in the title game, 5-3.
"But," said Markakis, "I got to play on some of those fields down on the Cape, and it made me think of all the great players who have played on them. It was a great experience."
Having played fall ball for a Division 1 team last year, and then having gone down to Division 3 in the spring, Markakis feels the biggest difference in the two levels is the pitching.
"In D1, you have guys throwing well into the 90s, where you have guys in the mid-to-high 80s in three," he said. "That's the biggest difference."
This summer, Markakis is playing in the Central New England baseball league, which is a wood-bat league not unlike the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
And his goal -- he says -- is to be playing for the North Shore Navigators next year.
"I know Dario Pizzano real well," he said, referring to the former Saugus American player who is in his second season with the Navigators. "He's always telling what a fun team the Navs are, so next year's my goal ... to be playing for them."
Markakis tries to get to as many Orioles games as he can, to watch his cousin play. The family takes a once-a-year trip to New York when Baltimore's in town, and they'll all be at Fenway Park for today's game.
"When I see (Nick), he definitely helps me out," Markakis said. "So does my uncle, who played a lot of ball. They've been two great influences on me."
