Yankees On The Mark Saying Goodbye To Teixeira
The announcement came in early August. Mark Teixeira held a press conference informing the fans and media of his retirement following the close of the 2016 season. Since that time he has maintained that he is at peace with his decision. The 36-year-old was ready to exit the game that he dedicated 12 seasons to.
Teixeira’s baseball life began with instruction from his father in the backyard of his Maryland home. He learned how to be a switch-hitter and snag any ball that was hit in his direction. Fast forward 30-plus years and his journey was completed at Yankee Stadium facing the Baltimore Orioles.
In the top of the second inning, Teixeira was able to snag what would have been a double down the line by Orioles catcher Matt Wieters. The play was reminiscent of many he has made over his 5-time gold glove career. In the bottom half of the second, Teixeira was on deck as the inning started. Following a pop-up by Brian McCann, as Teixeira approached the plate for his first at-bat of the game, Wieters stood back on the grass to allow Teixeira to bask in the moment.
After a tribute video, Teixeira was removed in the top of the seventh inning. He was able to tip his cap to his teammates and the fans in attendance, thanking them for the support given over the years. Teixeira finished the game 0-for-3 in the 5–2 loss to the Orioles.
“Everyone knows how content I am,” Teixeira said on YES. “I’ve got a lot of things going on in my life that I’ll enjoy post-career and I’ve had a great career. No regrets”
In a pregame ceremony, Teixeira was joined by his family and Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, his wife, Christina, and general partner/vice chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal. They presented Teixeira with a framed №25 jersey. Brett Gardner and CC Sabathia presented their teammate with a base signed by the 2016 roster.
From season lagging injuries to a World Series championship, the 3-time All-star has seen the ups and downs of being a professional athlete.
“I’m gonna miss the crowd when good things happened,” Teixeira said on YES. “When I hit a big home run, when the team gets a big win, 50,000 people screaming for you is pretty unique. That was pretty special.”
Teixeira’s career started with Texas Rangers back on 2004. He spent three seasons before being traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2007. The following season in 2008 he was traded midseason to the Los Angels of Anaheim.
He got his first experience of the postseason as a member of the Angels, going .467 with seven hits and a RBI before being eliminated by the Red Sox in the ALDS. He declared free agency at the end of the 2008 season. In early 2009 he was announced as the starting first baseman for the New York Yankees.
2009 proved to be the pinnacle of his Yankee tenure. Aside from the World Series run, Teixeira lead the league in both home runs (39) and RBI’s (122).
“[The 2009 season] was a whirlwind, it really was,” Teixeira said. “To move into a new place, a new stadium and all the things that happened that year, I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time. I was like, ‘Oh, the Yankees win the World Series all the time. We’ll probably win three or four more.’”
He spent eight seasons in pinstripes and only made the one championship run.
The decision to call it quits came following a stint on the DL back in the beginning of July. He had hit his 400th career homer and had a decision with his father about his exit strategy.
“Since I came off the DL after I hurt my knee, I’ve enjoyed that part of the season,” Teixeira said. “The first couple of months were brutal, but kind of knowing in the back of my mind that I was leaning toward retirement, I just kind of took every day that I was playing as a blessing and tried to take advantage of that day. I couldn’t play every single day and got some time off, and that helped. So I’ve enjoyed the last few months.”
Teixeira is the only player in Major League history with at least five Gold Glove Awards at first base, 400 doubles, and 400 home runs. He is the fifth switch-hitter in history to hit 400 or more home runs, joining Mickey Mantle (536), Eddie Murray (504), Chipper Jones (468) and former teammate Carlos Beltran (421).
When posed with the question about the legacy he will be leaving behind Teixeira said,
“On the field, I just want to be known as a switch-hitter with power that played good defense and played the game the right way.”
