Drake Bell » high reward. It was a good decision on my par

BALTIMORE - Nick Markakis endured the lean years with the Baltimore Orioles, suffering through one losing season after another during the worst stretch in franchise history.If that wasnt bad enough, when the Orioles finally turned things around in 2012, Markakis sat out the playoffs with a broken thumb.Now, nine years into his major league career, the 30-year-old right fielder is getting his first taste of post-season baseball. No one on Baltimores current roster has spent more time with the team than Markakis, whose loyalty to the Orioles has never wavered since they made him their first-round pick in the 2003 draft.Even after Baltimore went 70-92, 69-93 and 68-93 in his first three major league seasons, Markakis remained confident he would ultimately reach the playoffs with the Orioles.So he signed a six-year extension in 2009 during Baltimores miserable run of 14 straight losing seasons.In the past, judging by the development and the direction the team was going, I knew it was just a matter of time, Markakis said. Thats one reason I signed here, because I knew eventually it was going to happen. Good things come from a little hard work, patience and dedication. It was just a matter of plugging in players here and there, and weve got it now.Using deft moves by executive vice-president Dan Duquette and the guidance of manager Buck Showalter, the Orioles are in the AL Championship Series for the first time since 1997. When they open at home Friday night against Kansas City, there will be plenty of fans among the sellout crowd wearing No. 21 jerseys with MARKAKIS on the back.Markakis, the Orioles leadoff hitter, ranks among the top 10 in franchise history in games, at-bats, runs, hits, double, RBIs and walks. In his own understated way, hes made a name for himself on lists that include Hall of Fame stars Cal Ripken, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson.You look at the all-time leaders in hits in Baltimore history, that gets your attention, manager Buck Showalter said. Sometimes we dont completely grasp what weve watching here.Showalter remembers how disappointed Markakis was in 2012, when the Orioles finally shed their losing ways and earned a spot in the playoffs as a wild card. Markakis season ended on Sept. 9 when he was struck in the left thumb by a fastball from New York Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia.It still bothers me, Showalter said. That was a kick in the (rear). It reminded all of us how fleeting this is.For Markakis, watching the post-season from the bench didnt come close to the feeling of playing the game.Every kid wants to be part of something. When theyre doing something and youre not part of it, it makes you appreciate what youre missing, Markakis said. I understand that now. I had it taken away from in 2012, but here I am with a second chance.Hes making the most of it, too. Markakis had three RBIs and scored three runs in the Orioles three-game sweep of Detroit in the AL Division Series, the highlight a two-run homer in Game 2.I know hes excited about being in the playoffs and were all excited to have him, Baltimore shortstop J.J. Hardy said. Hes kind of one of the steady guys we have on this team. Hes out there every single day, giving 100 per cent playing through pain and all kinds of stuff.The only time in the last seven years that Markakis failed to play in at least 155 games was that lamentable 2012 season.As manager, thats one less thing you have to worry about, Showalter said. Hes such a self-starter a€” and so consistent.That contract Markakis signed in 2009 comes with a club option next season. He will receive $17.5 million in 2015, or the Orioles must pay a $2 million buyout.When he signed in 2009, it was with the notion that he would spend his entire career in Baltimore.High risk, high reward. It was a good decision on my part, Markakis said. I knew what this city was capable of doing and it paid off. Im enjoying this.He cant imagine what it would have been like to spurn the extension, become a free agent and sign with the highest bidder.Theres always an easy way out, Markakis said. You can sign with the team with the most money and best players and everything else, but I always believe in putting in your time and being loyal to the team that who gave you that opportunity.Thats what I abide by, thats how I was raised. I wouldnt have it any other way. Jonathan Drouin Jersey . Espanyol midfielder Sanchez intercepted Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizozs clearance and, having spotted a gap, risked using his less-favoured left foot to fire a beautifully precise long-range shot that bounced in from high up the near post in the 24th minute. Larry Robinson Jersey . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list. http://www.authenticcanadienspro.com/Tom...nadiens-jersey/. Cabrera is hitting .218 with three homers and 16 RBI in 80 games this season. The Padres recalled second baseman Brooks Conrad from Triple-A El Paso to replace Cabrera on the roster. Montreal Canadiens Jerseys .com) - Jimmie Johnson won Sundays AAA Texas 500 while championship contenders Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski as well as their teams were involved in a post-race fight on pit road after the two clashed in the closing laps at Texas Motor Speedway. Jean Beliveau Jersey . - Urijah (The California Kid) Faber finds himself in an unaccustomed position Saturday night at UFC 175 — on the preliminary card.Legendary American snowboarder Shaun White failed to win a medal in mens halfpipe at the Sochi Olympics on Tuesday. White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. The Russian-born athlete posted a score of 94.75 out of a possible 100 to leapfrog into first place on his second of two runs. Podladtchikov, who goes by the moniker "I-Pod" on the snowboarding circuit, landed the trick he invented to seal the win — a 1440-degree whirling jump he nicknamed the "Yolo" jump. White is two-time defending champion in the event and the most decorated snowboarder of all time. He struggled in his first run, landing on the edge of the halfpipe lip coming out of a double McTwist. He finished the run but scored just 35.00 points. The American fared much better with a score of 90.25 on his second attempt, but it wasnt enough to get on to the podium. "I am disappointed," White said after the finals were over. "I was looking forr four — I was hoping to do slopestyle, too, but it didnt pan out.dddddddddddd Tonight was just not my time." It was 15-year-old Japanese phenom Ayumu Hirano who was seen as the best bet to dethrone him, as the diminutive Japanese phenom has been nipping Whites heels all season. Hiranos run did not disappoint, posting a score of 93.50. But Podladtchikov, who seemed to get better as the day went on, posted an eye-popping jump to close out his second run in the finals and jump into the lead. Japanese snowboarder Taku Hiraoka took the bronze. Podladtchikovs win is vindication for him after finishing in fourth place, just outside the medals, four years ago in Vancouver. The event saw many competitors wipe out over the course of the day, as there have been many complaints that the Sochi course is too vertical. The vertical edge of the pipe is seven metres tall in Sochi, more than twice the height it has been in previous Olympic competitions. Many competitors have been hitting the deck on top of the course instead of landing their jumps cleanly. ' ' '