Solon Economou

Cape's Tanionos presents Agganis Award to Orioles' Markakis

John Tanionos of East Sandwich recenty traveled to Baltimore to present the prestigious  2009 Harry Agganis Award to Baltimore Orioles star outfielder Nick Markakis.  Markakis has been called the face of the Orioles franchise and was honored with his very own shirt this season called, "Nick the Stick, Camden's Finest."

Tanionos, National Athletic Awards Chairman for the American Hellenic National Progressive Association (AHEPA) and past president of the Cape Cod AHEPA chapter, presented the plaque at Camden Yards.

Left: The Cape's John Tanionos presents the Agganis Award to Orioles slugger Nick Markakis. Right: Nick "The Stick" Markakis in action.

Agganis, one of the greatest athletes of his generation, is remembered as an All-American quarterback for Boston University and a slugging first baseman for the Red Sox, batting cleanup after baseball's greatest hitter, Ted Williams.  Agganis was also scheduled to sign on as quarterback with the Cleveland Browns or Baltimore Colts for the fall of 1955.  He was batting .313 for the Sox when he suddenly died of a pulmonary embolism while being treated for pneumonia.  The Harry Agganis Hellenic Athlete Award was established in his honor.

Tanionos himself, as a teenager, played in several Harry Agganis Basketball Tournaments and said,  "Never beyond my wildest dreams did I ever think I would one day present the Harry Agganis Hellenic Athlete Award to a professional athlete."

Markakis, now in his fourth year with the Orioles, has a career batting average of .299.  A right fielder, he has recently established the Right Side Foundation to help improve the lives of distressed children, whether they are abused, hungry, abandoned, grieving or lonely.