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Teixeira in pinstripes — what a sight
January 6th, 2009, 11:18 am · 21 Comments · posted by Earl Bloom, staff writer
Mark Teixeira donned pinstripes Tuesday during an introductory news conference celebrating his eight-year, $180 million signing with the New York Yankees.
Guess what? Teixeira always wanted to be a Yankee!
He can first be seen in that outfit at Angel Stadium on July 10 when the Yankees open a three-game set at Anaheim, although the Angels will face their former teammate in New York on April 30.
“Once it really hit me that I was going to be Yankee, it was pure joy,” Teixeira said of his reaction to agreeing to the Yankees’ offer last month. A huge Don Mattingly fan, he said as a kid he wore a Yankees hat to games in his Baltimore hometown.
The new Yankees first baseman appeared genuinely excited at the news conference, as well as engaging and humble — saying he still strives go improve, to get better, and that he hasn’t proven anything yet.
Teixeira, who will wear No. 25, not Mattingly’s 23, said the Yankees’ signings of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett were “huge” in his decision process, and that his wife, Leigh, said New York was the team she wanted him to choose.
So it was a pretty tough combination for the Angels, or anyone else, to beat. As ESPN’s Buster Olney noted, Teixeira had made up his mind about being a Yankee if the money was right BEFORE the infamous Texas meeting with Boston ownership, when John Henry said the Red Sox would no longer be a factor in the negotiations.
For some reason I couldn’t shake one thought while watching the news conference — that Mattingly, despite being estranged from the Yankees right now, and serving as the Dodgers hitting instructor for Joe Torre, will some day be Teixeira’s manager in pinstripes.
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I can’t wait for the first time he bats in July at the Big A
he’ll get what the others do, big fat BOOOOOO’s…..traitor
Geez, how much do we have to hear about this guys wife already? Between her and Boras, do you think Mark even had a say in where he was going to play? Have fun with the intrusive reporters and vulgar fans, sweetheart…
I am heartboken!!! :-(
Mark Teixeira was a LOS ANGELES ANGEL of anaheim, but now he will be a -NEW YORK YANKEE-
He woulda’ looked better in RED! I too am heartbroken!!! :((
The Yankees won’t be any better than last year……..let him go. We’ll still own the Yankees.
now i can root for him to have the worse season of his career. In spite of their bloated payroll, the NY Yankees still are unable to win it all. Overpaid and overrated!
How about that Sergio Mitre 50 game suspension!
can’t wait for him to come to angel stadium. i will go to that game just to boo him. casey was (still is) my favorite player so. dont like mark, never will like him.
the angels will be an average team with above average pitching for now. Who knows if Saunders and Santana will repeat there all star seasons of last year. I hate to be so pestimistic but its just outright dishearting when you take a look at our offense, Lets all hope that something happens soon. Lets hope for A.Gonzalez but thats very very doubtful even if we over pay for him in prospects that is. Besides that what do the angels do? what if vlad has some knne problems coming of surgery…Do we have rivera, hunter, and morales as our 345 hitters lol maybe napoli can slug 30 i keep hearing and figgy might be able to get his speed back. Way to many if’s for me. Its gonna be a very long season. i know you will all think im nuts but with this team as is i predict a fourth place finish and maybe 80 wins
“He woulda’ looked better in RED! I too am heartbroken!!! :((”
I’m not heartbroken. Just mad the Angels gave up Casey to get him. And he was pretty much worthless in the playoffs. He was brought over to get the Angels to the World Series and all he did in the playoffs was either walk or hit singles. Casey could have done that much.
Also, some people like to say Teixeira helped the Angels but I say Casey helped more. When he was on the Angels he saved plenty of games with his defense and even had lots of games where he had key hits that helped win the game. The Angels had an 11 game lead when they got Teixeira.
I’ve never been a fan of making the big deadline trade. I’d prefer to let the kids play and become a major part of the offense. One day maybe Brandon Wood will finally get his real chance.
“Teixeira, who will wear No. 25, not Mattingly’s 23, said the Yankees’ signings of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett were “huge” in his decision process, and that his wife, Leigh, said New York was the team she wanted him to choose.”
This just proves what I figured all along. His wife wears the britches in their house. I really doubt Teixeira cared about the Yankees signing Sabathia and Burnett though. It was all about the greenbacks.
What’s the big deal? It’s the fourth uniform he’s worn since the middle of 2007.
But I’m glad there are so many altruistic and non-materialistic people in the world that would turn down $20 or extra million. It gives me greater faith in mankind.
The Angels made Teixeira a great offer. When you get up to that kind of money should another $20 million matter? Maybe if he just came out and said I won’t stay on the west coast the Angels could have just kept Casey and not bothered. It looks like his wife made the decision about the east coast.
Besides, we’re fans so we have a right to get mad. It’s our money that pays for all of it. So I say let fans vent on this issue. No way we’re going to be happy about this one at all.
this gives morales a chance. the yankees will still loose. because their number 2 hitter is derek jeter. easiest out in baseball ha. my prediction this year .280 with 6 home runs. but tex will have a usual. in my opinion he will never win an mvp.
Brian, that trade was made to bolster the offense heading into the playoffs, and Teix played completely out of his mind the whole time he was here (on both sides of the ball). It was well known that he had a desire to play on the East Coast, and I’m sure the Angels were well aware of that fact. They took a chance because they thought he would put them over the hump. Despite no home runs (over a whopping FOUR games) he played exceptional ball in the playoffs. The teams played four tight games, and we lost 3. Someone has to lose, and Boston was just a little bit better than we were. Get over it.
I loved Casey, too, but it was becoming painfully obvious that he wasn’t going to end up being the offensive force that you want from a 1st basemen. Notice how lousy he was in Atlanta over the balance of the season? The team is confident that Morales can hit just as well or better than Casey, and his minor league track record proves it.
And to your last point: yes, $20 million is a significant amount of money, no matter how you slice it. If you were job hunting, and one company offered you 10-15% more than the other to do the same exact job, in a more desireable location, which would you choose? The guy never made any promises that he was going to resign here. He never even hinted at it. All he did was play his tail off and display constant professionalism. He chose to play on the East Coast, where he wanted to be all along. Where’s the beef?
Hey Corlos you said it all !! I agree 100 % word for word. Theres not an angle fan on this planet that didnt like the Tex/ Casey trade. We had to try. Were back to that if word. If we won a world sieres. Tex view of the west cost mite have changed. I still feel we sould make an offer to Manny, Just for those Red Sox / Yankees sieres. Man that would be fun !! Oh and his post season hitting is pretty good too !!
Well, at least it better that he signed with the Yankees whom the Angels have had great success with because as an Angel fan I rather see the Angels face the Yanks in the playoffs. And to the guy that predicted the 09 Angels to be an 80 win team, where the heck have you been the last couple of season. We were winners before Tex and will continue to be. Angels… the best in the West (AL and NL).
Anybody can vent about anything. I’m just amused at the arrogance of a thought process that demands Mark Teixeira take less money to play farther away from his home, just because you want him to.
“Brian, that trade was made to bolster the offense heading into the playoffs”
Not true at all. Teix wasn’t brought in to get to the playoffs. The Angels were a lock with an 11 game lead. Casey was good enough to get the Angels to the playoffs. Teix was brought in to get the Angels to the World Series. All those singles sure did that.
Can we PLEASE get over Teixeira. I am SOOOOO tired of reading about him. He’s gone to the East Coast and his beloved Yankees. BIG DEAL!!! The Angels will survive and thrive!