Mark Teixeira Archives

What????

August 5, 2016

From the NY Post just now….

Mark Teixeira to retire
Mark Teixeira will retire at the end of the 2016 season, according to an ESPN report.

The Yankees scheduled an afternoon press conference Friday for their longtime first baseman to make the announcement.

Teixeira, 36, has accumulated 404 home runs and 1,281 RBIs in his career, though he is hitting just .198 this season with a lowly .287 on-base percentage and .340 slugging percentage.

Teixeira was set to become a free agent after this season, following the conclusion of an eight-year, $180 million contract he signed with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season.

Following the Yankees’ series win against the Giants today, speculation is rampant that a deal for Aroldis Chapman is about to close. According to many sportswriters, the top teams in contention for his services include the Indians, Cubs, Rangers and Nationals. All I can say is that it’s been fun watching Chapman throw gas at batters and get swings and misses. As long as he remains a good guy and doesn’t get into any further trouble outside of baseball, he’ll make a great closer for anybody who needs one. Luckily, we’ve got Betances and Miller, so Chapman, while entertaining to watch, is dispensable – provided we get really good prospects in return. That’s the point. Whoever goes before the August 1 trade deadline better bring us top quality players, whether for this season or the future.

What will be interesting is whether Beltran, Teixeira and others are dealt too. The Yankees are clearly on a roll after their series against the Orioles and Giants. Will they continue to win? Or was this streak a fluke? We shall see.

Avoiding the Broom

July 17, 2016

In tonight’s finale, the Yanks saved face and didn’t get swept by the Red Sox. That’s something. There were timely hits and good pitching, and it all resulted in a win.

Still, I had the sense – and the ESPN announcers were relentless on the subject – that tonight was somewhat of a last hurrah for this year’s team. Rumors are swirling that Beltran, Chapman and Teixeira will be gone by August 1 since they’re all free agents-in-waiting. The contending teams need fortification for their stretch runs and Chapman, in particular, will be in high demand.

The question will be what will Cashman demand in return? Young prospects? Players that can make a difference at the major league level now? Pitchers? Position players?

The next few weeks should be interesting. Not in the way I wish it were – who doesn’t long to be a contender – but with an eye toward rebuilding this team, it will be fun to look forward instead of bemoaning what’s been.

Chad Green?

July 4, 2016

Yes, Chad Green. The rookie was our savior in the finale yesterday against the Padres. Yes, the Padres, the lowly Padres, who beat the Yankees in a couple of heartbreakers in Games 1 and 2. Why we don’t beat the teams we’re supposed to beat beats me, but at least we salvaged the last game with the help of Betances and Chapman and – surprisingly – two homers by Teixeira, including homer #400. Maybe the California weather agrees with him. I’ve come to stop counting on him for his power or even for his presence in the lineup, but he certainly delivered both yesterday.

Miller and the AWOL offense were the problems in Game 2, and Evo was just awful in Game 1 – again. What happened to that guy? Earlier in the season, it looked as if he was going to be a solid, even great, starter for us. Now? He loses. That’s what he does. He gives up runs, particularly homers, and put the Yankees hitters in a hole from which they usually can’t come back.

And so the season of mediocrity continues in Chicago for a July 4th matinee. We’re almost at the All-Star break. Are the Yankees buyers or sellers? Or, in the case of A-Rod, releasers? We’ll know soon enough.

Drowning

June 26, 2016

Despite winning the first two games against the lowly Twins at the Stadium this weekend, the Yankees are slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean, thanks to a piss-poor showing today. What an ugly loss. Wasn’t Evo supposed to be getting good? Like really good? He hasn’t been good for awhile now, and our offense – well – it’s not even worth talking about.

What the Yankees have is a very effective one-two-three in the bullpen and that’s about it.

So here it is: my suggestion to Cashman. Unload A-Rod and Teixeira. Somehow. Just give them to another team. Have a garage sale. And while you’re at it, throw Chase Headley into the pile of merchandise. Brian McCann too. Unload the salaries or eat the salaries or whatever you have to do to clean house and be able to start fresh with new starting pitchers and maybe even a power hitter or two that’s under the age of 30.

In the meantime, the season is fading away and so is my interest in the Yankees. It’s hard to root for a team that loses to the Twins in such a wimpy fashion.

On a brighter note, Wimbledon starts tomorrow so I’ll be turning my attention to tennis where the best players rise to the top and compete like champions. Right now, the Yankees are as far from champions as you can get.

(I know. This post was harsh. Forgive me.)

The Bats Were Made of Foam Again

May 26, 2016

What a shame to waste a good start by CC this afternoon to close out the series with the Blue Jays and lose the game and the series. Winning was nice while it lasted.

I feel good about the pitching for the most part, but the hitting has been so streaky. And what are we to make of Teixeira? His neck spasms came back and made me wonder if they ever went away in the first place. Is he hurt? Is that why he’s been so bad this season? Or is he just past his prime and showing it? A power-hitting first baseman is what the Yankees paid for when they acquired him, but that’s not what they’ve been getting so far. He needs to turn it around or I’ll really wish Greg Bird hadn’t gone down with an injury of his own.

The Yanks will spend the weekend at the lovely Trop, and maybe the Florida heat and humidity will loosen them up. If not, it looks like they’ll end May in pretty much the same ditch they’ve been in. Maybe A-Rod coming off the DL will spark something. Who knows. I have a busy weekend, so I probably won’t catch the games except in passing. I do wish everyone a very happy and safe Memorial Day!

A Sweep – For Our Side!

May 23, 2016

It’s been a long time since I posted the laughing lady, but it seemed appropriate after the Yankees finished off the A’s with a four-game sweep. I wish we could play at the Oakland Coliseum everyday.

Just about everybody contributed to the four wins, even Teixeira, who finally looked like he wasn’t toast. Ditto: CC. But the resurgence of Beltran, the old war horse, has been a sight to behold. He was meant to be a DH at his age and has thrived in the role. I don’t understand Girardi’s thinking when he insists to the media that he’ll slot A-Rod in as DH when he’s off the DL because “A-Rod is our DH, period.” Whatever happened to going with the hot hand?

Ellsbury, too, is proving that when healthy he can be an effective player. He can go on a tear and be a real catalyst for us. And then there’s McCann. When he’s hitting homers and doubles and driving in runs, he’s dangerous.

I was glad to see Pineda have a good game yesterday. I feared for him in the first inning. I worried he’d get shelled. He didn’t. He hung in and pitched better than he has all season. Was it a fluke or a sign of things to come? We’ll have to wait and see.

And, of course, our bullpen is just crazy good.

It goes without saying that I really like when the Yankees win consistently, not just every now and then, and this weekend in Oakland made me a laughing lady.

The Yankees Offense Was Crazy Good

August 2, 2015

It almost seemed automatic that the Yankees would keep having Janers. We’ve seen 21 runs and 13 runs and another 12 runs today. My anger (see last post) certainly wasn’t directed at this team’s offense, which has been better than I could have imagined. I mean Tex. Seriously. The guy will far exceed 30 homers this year. And Didi, who couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag when the season started, has become one of our most reliable hitters. It’s been a pleasure to watch both of them.

My problem continues to be with the pitching. While Evo and Nova were great, Saturday’s experiment in throwing one of the kids into the rotation was a bust. I’m sure Mitchell slayed everybody down on the farm, but in Chicago he showed he wasn’t ready for prime time. The much-heralded rookie Sevarino pitches Wednesday against the Red Sox; I hope he fares better. I still think we need a veteran arm to stabilize things if we’re going to keep that nice comfy lead in the division, never mind compete in the fall.

But right now I applaud the Yankees for coming out ahead during the long, arduous road trip. Welcome home, boys.

I’m Amazed What a Great Year Tex Is Having

July 19, 2015

He just keeps coming through with the big hits/homers, doesn’t he? No matter which team we’re playing or which pitcher he’s facing, he’s right in the middle of the action, either giving the Yankees some insurance or actually winning the ballgame. I assumed he’d continue to decline with age and injury, but he sure has proven me wrong. He’s looking like the 2009 version, the guy who hit for power and played a terrific first base and helped the Yanks win a championship.

Against the Mariners this weekend, there weren’t a lot of runs, but in two out of the three games the runs came when it counted and the pitching was terrific. Today CC actually out-dueled King Felix, speaking of looking like the 2009 version. I was happy for him even though he didn’t get the decision. Tanaka, too, seemed to have improved over his last start. Only Pineda was a bit wobbly and allowed Cano to have a little fun at the Stadium.

Right now the team is firing on all cylinders, and keeping the rest of the division at bay. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the O’s come to town on Tuesday for that series. They always scare me.

Watching Tex These Days Is a Kick

July 9, 2015

$Tex bomb$

In last night’s game against the A’s, he hit a couple of homers, made some great plays at first and generally looked like the exciting player we remember from his first year with the Yankees. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: his gluten free diet might really be his magic potion. Whatever he’s doing, I hope he keeps it up because he’s not only winning ballgames for the team but making it a pleasure to watch the games.

Gardner had a big game today in the series finale. I’m glad he’s going to the All-Star game even if it’s as Alex Gordon’s sub. He deserves to be there.

CC was better in this series. Tanaka was really good in this series. Those were pluses. Less “plus” was Chase Headley and his tight whatever body part it is, necessitating a kid playing third. On the other hand, I was heartened by the return of both Ellsbury and Miller (showing some rust but still). Having them both back is like acquiring two big free agents to help out during the second half.

I’m all over the map when it comes to this team. There are times when I think they can’t possibly get to the playoffs and there are other times, like right now, when I think they’re a lock. It all comes down to the starting pitching. I still don’t trust Evo to deliver consistently and CC and his knee are worrisome, and then there’s Tanaka, who makes me hold my breath every time he’s on the mound. One more starter (Cole Hamels, Cole Hamels, Cole Hamels – if I say it three times maybe it’ll come true) would sure work for me.

Another This…Against the Angels Yet

June 7, 2015

Boy, do I remember dreading whenever we’d play the Angels. They used to do bad things to the Yankees. We’d spazz out on defense. We’d pitch badly. We’d be limp with the bats.

No more.

This weekend’s series was a beat-down of the once formidable “Halos.” I didn’t watch every inning of every game, but I caught enough of each one to see that the Yanks were punishing their starters. Yes, they almost gave away that one game, scarily, and Betances didn’t look very Betances-ish. And while Didi continued to make errors (or maybe one error), he also made some great plays at shortstop.

But the big news is and continues to be the resurgence of power hitters A-Rod, Tex and McCann. (Having Gardner and others pop them out of the Stadium is nice too.) It’s gotten to the point where not only are all the broadcasters talking about Tex’s gluten free diet but also picking the Yankees to win what’s turning out to be a mediocre division.

It’s only June. Early June. So a lot can and will happen between now and September. But I had to laugh at myself as I listened to the Fox guys last night rhapsodizing over this team. I nodded my head as if I hadn’t been a doubter, am still a doubter, and said, “Well, maybe they’re better than I thought.”

Tanaka Is……

May 14, 2014

Let’s face it. Masahiro Tanaka is Superman. He can do just about anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could leap tall buildings in a single bound. Not only is he undefeated but he threw a complete game shutout tonight against the Mets, giving the bullpen a rest, giving the Yankees an end to their slide, giving everybody a lift. And he got a hit! I bow down to him.

Great to see Brian Roberts wield a hot bat again. It’s how I remember him when he was an Oriole. And another homer from Tex? Maybe tired legs agree with him. I’m not going to let the injury news about CC, Beltran, etc. bother me. I’m relishing this victory.

Highs and Lows So Far

April 5, 2014

The weekend’s not over, but I had to weigh in after Friday and Saturday’s games.

The highs? Clearly Tanaka and Pineda. When Melky (grrr, Melky) hit that hot shot off Tanaka right away I had one thought: Igawa redux. But I absolutely loved his demeanor on the mound. He said afterwards that he was nervous, but even so he was able to settle down and pitch really well. I love the kid already. As for Pineda, what a lovely surprise. He hadn’t been on the mound in a long time and yet he was great. I only wish he’d stayed in the game. On the offensive side, I’m happy with what I’m seeing from Ellsbury. He’s giving us hits as well as speed. Not the strongest arm I’ve ever seen in the outfield, but I’ll take the rest of him.

Now the lows. Obviously, I begin with Teixeira. Sheesh. Seriously, Mark? We get you back for five minutes and you’re gone again? We’ll know more about the hamstring strain after his MRI, but we don’t have an adequate replacement. I miss Eric Chavez at times like this and he wasn’t even a first baseman. I hope Cashman’s working the phones, because Kelly Johnson and Dean Anna aren’t making my heart sing. I’d also like some offense from the rest of the lineup. Hello, Beltran. Hello, Soriano. Hello, McCann. You guys are supposed to be our heavy hitters so do your thing. I like the speed this team has but I like home runs even more.

It’s early, but having two starters like Tanaka and Pineda is very, very positive.

Joba Joba Joba

June 26, 2013

Raise your hand if you thought he’d hold the Rangers in check and let the Yankees come back in this one. It just seemed inevitable that he’d cough up the runs the Yanks had managed to score to make it a ballgame. Apparently, he acknowledged afterwards, “I suck right now.” Indeed.

Strange game. That collision between Pettitte and Nix was weird and I was worried that Andy was hurt.

Ichiro gave me hope that there was a comeback in the works, but it wasn’t to be. The bottom of the ninth was a one-two-three bummer.

In the background, of course, was the news about Tex. Again, raise your hand if you thought he wouldn’t end up having surgery. His injury was too Bautista-like and we know what happened in that case. We’re lucky we have Overbay, very lucky.

As for the continuing A-Rod saga, as I predicted, Cashman apologized for his language and disputed an ESPN report that the Yankees are somehow delaying Alex’s return to the team. What a mess. But the media is more interested in the story than the players, who really just want to win games.

I’m flying east tomorrow and won’t be posting over the weekend, but feel free to leave a comment if the spirit moves. I’ll respond when I can and will resume the blog next week. See you from the other time zone!

Tex Is Texting Again

June 4, 2013

Two homers in two days. I like it. Is Teixeira back for good? Sure looks like it.

The other nice bounceback in tonight’s win over the Indians was Phelps. After that last outing, I was worried that he might not be able to put his awfulness behind him, but that’s exactly what he did. We need him, so a big Whew.

I did hope the Yankees would score in the late innings to give the relievers some breathing room, but they seem to have run out of gas offensively, especially Cano, who was up in an important spot and couldn’t deliver. I wonder if he was distracted by the Biogenesis stuff, but more on that in a sec.

I couldn’t believe what jinxes Michael Kay and Al Leiter were. They were going on and on about how great Joba looked and then – bam – three-run homer. Maybe they should button it next time.

OK. Biogenesis. The ESPN report. A-Rod. Cervelli. Etc. Yes, it’s explosive stuff. And yes, even Cano was ensnared in the whole business for awhile today until sources told the Yankees he was off the hook. And yes, the suspensions would be the most punitive in sports. But here’s the thing: A-Rod denies involvement with the clinic so the whole case could come down to a he-said/he-said situation pitting him against Bosch. Which sounds all too familiar (Clemens/McNamee). Ugliness for baseball all around.

Historic Anemia

May 30, 2013

It’s one thing to lose a few games in a row over the course of the season. It’s quite another to be the loser in a four-game sweep by the Mets for the first time ever. The indignity.

As I wrote in the last post, it seems our merry band of castoffs have been playing over their heads and they’ve petered out offensively. Wells and Ichiro, while good defenders, have reverted back to the players they were before they put on the pinstripes, and nobody else has picked up the slack. Not consistently.

It’s a shame too, because aside from Phelps last night, the pitching has been great. But what good is pitching if you can’t score and that’s what ails this team right now.

Can Tex and Youk make a difference? They’re coming off injuries and rust. I wouldn’t count on them to be our saviors. Not yet. But their presence in the lineup could be a confidence boost for the others.

We’ll see. I wish I could write something cheery, but I miss Jeter and Granderson and Cervelli. I even miss the A-Rod who didn’t go to anti-aging clinics. I miss winning. It hasn’t been that long since the Yanks posted a “W,” but it sure feels that way right now.

Nagging

March 21, 2013

Have you ever noticed how it’s always women who nag? I never hear about nagging men, so does that mean they never do it?

But I digress. The “nagging” I’m interested in right now applies to injuries, specifically injuries to the Yankees.

Tex’s wrist is a potential nagging injury that, even after he’s “healed,” will plague him throughout the season.

A-Rod’s hip is a potential nagging injury that, even after….Well, who knows about him.

Which brings me to Jeter, of course. The ankle. It was healed, now it isn’t. Depending on which expert or beat writer you listen to, his setback is normal – just some swelling and stiffness that comes with use after a layoff – or it’s an unsettling sign that The Captain will be hobbled for awhile.

At the risk of being a jinx, Mo seems to have recovered completely from his knee injury and surgery. He’s pitching as well as ever and setting batters down in order. Is he superhuman or do some injuries heal better than others or both?

It’s been reported that Jeter will start the season on the DL and that Nunez will be at short – for the foreseeable future. I’ve been a nag about E. Scissorhands – I admit it – but supposedly he’s worked hard to fix his defensive shortcomings and Girardi sees improvement. I’m rooting for him, I really am. What choice do I have?

On a happier note, the season’s almost here, people. For real!