On August 19, the New York Yankees announced that they plan to honor Mark Teixeira in a pregame ceremony prior to their regular season finale on Sunday, October 2, against the Baltimore Orioles.
Teixeira announced in early August that this season would be his last:
“It’s time for me to do something else,” Teixeira said to the Daily News. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m thinking about next year or my future, because this is it. This is it for me.”
Yankees to Honor Mark Teixeira on October 2
Teixeira, 36, joined the the Yankees in 2009 as a free agent, and played an integral part in helping New York win their first World Series title since 2000, when the Yankees defeated the New York Mets in the first Subway Series in New York since the 1950’s. Teammates Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui, who was named the series MVP, played vital roles in capturing the organization’s 27th World Championship. Rodriguez silenced all the critics who ever said he wasn’t clutch by batting .365 with six home runs and 18 RBI (tied a MLB record).
During the Yankees run towards the World Series in 2009, Teixeira led the American League with 122 RBI and was tied for the league lead in home runs with 39. The veteran slugger would finish second in the MVP voting that season.
The Texas Rangers drafted Teixeira with the fifth overall pick in 2001 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech. After spending the first two years of his professional career in the Rangers minor league system, Teixeira finally made his MLB debut in 2003 on Opening Day. He is a recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy, which is awarded to the best collegiate player of the year, which he won while attending Georgia Tech. It was of little surprise, therefore, that he belted 26 home runs as a rookie in 2003.
Then, in 2005, the three-time All-Star set career-highs in home runs (43) and runs batted in (144). Not only were Teixeira 144 RBI’s a career-high, it was a single-season record for a switch-hitter.
In 2007, the Rangers traded the five-time Gold Glove winner to the Atlanta Braves for Elvis Andrus and Matt Harrison. In Teixeira’s four plus seasons with Texas, he had a ridiculous .901 OPS, 128 OPS+, and 153 home runs.
The three-time Silver Slugger barely lasted a year in Atlanta before he was traded again, this time to the then-Anaheim Angeles. Teixeira finally became a free agent following the 2008 season, and quickly signed an eight-year contract with the New York Yankees for $180,000,000 million. Teixeira’s contract included a bonus for $5,000,000 million. Even though Teixeira’s retirement means an end of an era, the Yankees organization will be extremely grateful to have his contract come off their books. Teixeira’s base salary of $22,500,000 per season cost the Yankees a cap hit of $23,125,000 million.
Over Mark Teixeira’s 14-year MLB career with the Rangers, Braves, Angels, and Yankees, the slugger hit 406 home runs with 1,291 RBI and a career .268 batting average. Half of Teixeira’s home runs (203) have come while wearing the Pinstripes, along with 615 of his 1,291 RBI.
Teixeira earned three of his five Gold Glove Awards as a member of the Yankees, playing some of the best defense at first base since the great Don Mattingly.
Mark Teixeira wasn’t the only Yankees player to announce their retirement. Alex Rodriguez actually retired mid-season after injuries and age finally caught up to him. Even though Teixeira is just 36 years old, injuries have certainly taken their toll on him. Since 2010, Teixeira has struggled to stay in the lineup. In Game 4 of the ALCS in 2010, Teixeira tore his right hamstring and missed the rest of the series. In 2012, he missed 30 games with a calf strain, and in 2013 Teixeira began the season on the disabled list with a wrist injury. He would end up tearing his ECU sheath, and missed the entire season.
Next year, the New York Yankees roster will be filled with new, young faces. There’s a lot to look forward to for Yankees fans, with the arrival of the catching phenom Gary Sanchez, who’s a superstar in the making. Then there’s the 6’7 power hitter Aaron Judge, as well as the forgotten future first baseman, Greg Bird.
The Teixeira era may be coming to an end, but a new era is about to unfold.
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