Mark Teixeira Was Born a Yankee
I’m more and more glad each day that he didn’t sign here:
Teixeira said that one of the reasons he signed with the Yankees was because of their willingness to spend money, including the additions of starting pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett earlier this offseason.
“It was huge. I’ve always wanted to be with an organization that doesn’t shy away from the big-money players, the free agents and doing whatever it takes to win,” Teixeira said when asked if the signings of Sabathia and Burnett played a role in him signing with the Yankees.
Anyone who doesn’t believe that’s a dig at the O’s and Nationals?
Then, finally:
“A lot of teams were a little more vocal, while (Yankees’ GM Brian) Cashman was little quieter about it,” Teixeira said. “We’ve had dialogue consistently for two months. It was a no-brainer for me.”
I feel bad for that kid’s parents.
Oh com’on. If he had signed here, we’d all be praising him endlessly. If yesterday he suddenly pulled a Furcal and signed with the Orioles, we’d all be going ballistic.
I fucking hate the Yankees.
Don’t even get me started on the whole “baseball shouldn’t even be considered a sport with the current business/rule structure” debate.
i have always said it wouldn’t be a good move to spend this much money this early in our rebuilding and on a position that isn’t are #1 problem (which is pitching). i get the whole marquee player argument, i do. But remember a player by the name of Tejada?
all that being said…!$%!% teixeira for literally buying into this baseball philosophy.
@Andrew in Rochester – you’re right, but the whole point is that he would never “pull a Furcal and sign with the Orioles.” In fact, the point is that he’d never sign with the Orioles, period.
meanwhile, i love the google ad on the left:
“Mark Teixeira’s IQ = 125
Smarter Than Mark Teixeira? Take a Real IQ Quiz Now! “
Just for (morbid) fun:
O’s infield:
Mora – 3B
Izturis – SS
Roberts(?) or rookie from trade (more likely) – 2B
Huff (?) or someone like Millar/Sexson – 1B
Yankees infield:
Rodriguez – 3B
Jeter – SS
Cano – 2B
Teixeira – 1B
O’s rotation (1-5):
Guthrie
? (Kawakami?/Redding?)
? (Liz?)
? (Hendrickson?)
? (Olson?)
Yankees rotation (1-5):
Sabathia
Burnett
Wang
Chamberlain
Pettite? (still probably) or Hughes
@sci – You know how many nights there are going to be this season where the stadium has about 5-6k people in it? That’s unspeakably sad. I wish more folks would find a way to love this team the way Cubs fans do when they suck. It’s a sad commentary on the city, the fans, the team…everything.
And it’s whatever on Teixeira. I just thought everyone would like to know what kind of kid he is. My blood pressure’s not going up over it.
@sci – Well that’s hardly sporting.
When it comes down to the Janquis and their new poster boy (or whatever), I’d keep in mind that the best the Yankees can do is match expectation. All of the most celebrated sports stories are about the underdogs coming through. Watching the Yankees bully their way into yet another championship I’m sure will feel real meaningful.
No, it doesn’t make me feel any better either. But it’s all I got.
Actually, being from cleveland, the fact that the orioles suck makes me love them even more. makes me feel like i’m right at home.
@neal s – Well, you know how many people went to see the mighty Yankees in 1991, when they were the laughingstock of baseball?
1,863,733.
No team is immune to being terrible for an extended period of time. It will get better, though, and it will mean something to all of us for having sat through this nightmare for so long.
@Andrew in Rochester – good call.
@ryan97ou – that’s what’s up.
OK, maybe my blood pressure might be up a little bit:
via Bloomberg
This kid really is, as ryan97ou hinted, everything that’s wrong with baseball.
Well, I’d let it go and move on. And think about the future. What did Keith Law say?
Oh yeah: “I have seen the future, and his name is Matt Wieters”.
OK, letting go in three…two…one…
yes.
O’s sign Uehara:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-orioles0106,0,2908949.story
Uehara in, Kawakami out. Should’ve seen that coming.
What’s Teixeira know?
You would have thought by now he would have figured out, as a player, it’s better to link up with a team that has a great farm system than to go to a ballclub that just spends, spends, spends on quality players.
Shouldn’t he be smarter than that, having graduated from Georgia Tech? He MUST know there’s no direct correlation between signing quality players and winning games.
What a dope.
@ryan97ou – This is a huge signing that I am really excited about. Not only is Uehara potentially good enough to be a #3 starter on a good team (disregard all the naysaying “he went to the minors” stuff… many of the great pitchers do and he’s got nasty, nasty stuff with the ability to throw strikes), but he represents yet another step forward for the O’s scouting department and international reach. He could finish the year with 5-15 with a 7.00 ERA and this is still a huge, huge success. Not only does it signify doors opening in the Asian market, but it means, I think, that the Orioles are looking elsewhere abroad as well. They aren’t letting borders hold them back anymore. It’s really, really hard to believe they have never signed a player from an Asian country before this. That shows how much work the O’s have to do to get with the rest of baseball, but this is hugely encouraging.
I might add, also, that in addition to this being a positive step, it suddenly creates something fun to watch. It’s such a new thing to have a)an Japan-native pitcher that will bring new media stories and language challenges, and b)a control artist on the mound for once. He’s walked only 200 guys in his career, while striking out over 1,000. Silly.
From Steve Melewski, who I wish blogged more:
For Drew, who I heard bash the signing on the air today because he went to the minors.
He also battled a hamstring injury last season, yet still managed an 3.80-ish ERA and saved over 30 games in ’07, so clearly, he’s still got it.
Dan, I’ve penned what I think might be the best analysis of the Uehara signing.
It’s here: http://www.wnst.net – and I think you’ll feel differently about my take on the signing after you read it.
@df1570 – As clever as you think that is, the fact is you are still wrong about why he was sent to the minors and that all we need are stopgap pitchers who throw strikes to hold places for the prospects.
It just amazes me that you can’t see that MacPhail is finally making the baseball decisions that should have been made years ago. Had Thrift not run this thing into the ground, maybe it would make sense to break the bank on free agents at this point in time (let me rephrase: maybe fee agents would want to agree to come here at this point in time, because no amount of money would have made Tex or CC Sabbathia come here over NY – we have to earn that the same way the Red Sox and Rays earned it). It just amazes me that you think it’s in the organization’s best interest right NOW to spend a shit-ton of money. They have the money, yes, but they should be investing it in locking up their youth and improving their broken farm system and scouting department.
It also amazes me that despite the majority of sports writers/analysts/hosts, you and Nestor are really the only ones that don’t have any faith in MacPhail, who is clearly and unquestionably one of the smartest and most effective baseball GMs out there. And as a result, whether it’s true or not, it just makes it seem like you and Nestor are just bitter about the Orioles’ spurning of your advances. Because everyone else has the foresight and maturity to see that what MacPhail is doing is best for the long run and that spending money does not equate to wins. Whenever you feel like joining the club, let us know, it’s open to everyone.
Dan, if MacPhail was “clearly and unquestionably” one of the smartest and most effective baseball GM’s, he probably wouldn’t be working in Baltimore.
I’ll join the club when they win and the fans come back.
Until then, I see no reason to pay the dues to join “the club”.
I’m paying that $2.65 per-month MASN dues right now and all it has provided for me thus far this off-season are three half-contributors and the knowledge that the rest of the teams bought the good players with the money THEIR fans gave them.
I love the $2 MASN thing. Makes me laugh every time. I don’t have cable, so it’s not like you HAVE to pay for MASN. There are other ways to see the O’s play for free.
And I disagree about MacPhail automatically being NOT smart if he’s working for the O’s. So what? An opportunity presented itself, his father worked here, he’s had success with other teams that were bad. On the contrary, I think it says a lot about him and his character to come here and try to get this franchise off the ground. I’m glad there’s someone with a brain up there for once.
Nice of Roch to plug the site on his latest post.
If you have cable and they carry MASN, you HAVE to pay for it, Dan. If you think the team being dishonest to the fans is “funny”, you should read the book on the life of The Son of Sam…you might find that funny too, then.
Trust me, I wouldn’t be hoodwinked out of $2.65 every month if I didn’t have to pay it by force. You keep forgetting – or you just don’t want to lay blame in the right area – that the team launched MASN strictly in an effort to “compete with the Yankees and Red Sox and their revenue streams” – and, of course, they’ve reneged on that promise.
So, I’d rather take that $2.65 I’m shelling out and spend it on bottle liners for Ethan.
And then, I’d go see the games using my press pass (for free) until the team’s Director of Communications was unprofessional to me, which took about 3 games last season — and then, I’d stop going. Again. Like most of the fans have done, of course.
But, I’ll always talk about the team, write about the team and be honest about the progress (insert joke here) of the team because, well, that’s my job, for one, and because I long for the days when the city has as much fervor and excitement for baseball as they do right now for football.
Neal you sly dog.
You got a mention on Roch’s blog. You might have to start getting moderators…
*whistles*
For once and for all, Drew, try to address the point I’ve made time and again: there is no direct correlation between payroll and wins. I haven’t seen you offer anything close to a cogent argument refuting that statement.
Prove me wrong. Prove that a high payroll year after year translates into winning records, playoff appearances, and championships. As soon as you can do that, you’ll have some ground to stand on. That would be the point where the conversation you want to have can start. Until then, you’re not even playing.
Also don’t compare a baseball front office to a serial killer. That’s absolutely pathetic.