Sunday, August 7, 2016

How I Will Remember Mark Teixeira


As we all have likely heard by now the Yankees first baseman has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2016 season. While this came to a shock to many, including myself, after Teixeira stated he wanted to finish his career with 500 home runs and play another four-or-five years if you look at his injury history and his recent production it is likely the best decision he has ever made. While everyone around the Yankees blogosphere will likely kiss his butt and remind us all about him finishing 2nd in the AL MVP voting in 2009 after leading the league in home runs and RBI and will remind us of his walk-off home run in Game 2 of the 2009 World Series I will remember Teixeira in a different way. Call me spiteful and call me disrespectful but I cannot remember Teixeira in any other way than the man made of glass, and that’s just keeping it real with you.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m in no way shape or form trying to be disrespectful here and I am the farthest from ungrateful as well. I appreciate Teixeira going out there every day that he could and I appreciate all the production and the memories that we (and I used the term “we” loosely for obvious reasons) had but I just can’t see him in any other form. It’s like that aging veteran that held on for just far too long you always find yourself thinking that he should have retired the season before or retired on top and on his own terms. That didn’t happen this time around with Teixeira, injuries and ineffectiveness forced him out of the game that he loves.

The wrist injury that cost Teixeira almost two full seasons, one season to rehab and one season sitting out after the surgery, and the fractured shin that cost him his resurgent 2015 season. The knee injury that robbed him of a big chunk of his 2016 season. The pinky that he cut sliding into home against the Baltimore Orioles that cost him what feels like a month and the other little nagging injuries that every once in a while reminded us all of Carl Pavano. That’s how I will remember Teixeira and honestly, I hate it. The difference between me and us at The Greedy Pinstripes is that we’ll tell you how we really feel, that’s what a blog is for, and not what we think you want to read just to garner more clicks and views.


Hopefully you appreciate that and if Mark is reading this I hope he knows and understands that we truly appreciate everything he did for us, did for the game and did for the Yankees but some things just cannot be helped nor changed. Get healthy, stay well and enjoy retirement Mark and congratulations on an amazing and illustrious career in the greatest game on Earth. Major League Baseball. 

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