MARK TEIXEIRA ADDS THAT EXTRA SPARK

Hello Postseason, the Chase for #28 and goodbye injuries! Well….for the most part. It’s been a long injury riddled season for our boys, but in the end, we pulled it off and we finally have a lot of our missing puzzle pieces back. Mark Teixeira was back in the lineup on Monday and he didn’t waste any time reminding us what he is capable of. It’s good to have a key piece of our heart of the order back and he really is back just in time. We have been anxiously awaiting his return here at BYB because we know how important he is, read MARK TEIXEIRA'S JUST IN TIME.  We're now all geared up to face-off against Baltimore, who has some good left-handed arms, so just having him back in the lineup gives us the extra spark we have been missing in that department.

It’s no secret; I am a big Tex fanatic so I won’t try to hide it. Not having Tex in the lineup for 6 weeks was very noticeable. When it comes to defense, he is an impenetrable wall. There is nothing more thrilling for me as a fan then watching him rob opposing hitters of a base hit. If a ball is hit in his general direction I know he is going to get to it and save a run. As fans, we like to see these plays made but I can only imagine the rush of adrenaline the players feel out there as they watch him make these plays. When it comes to the fancy glove work, he has that to….he even makes bad throws look easy. 

Of course, we can’t forget how dangerous he is with the bat. Monday night was his first night back in action, and in his second at bat he hit a bullet into the bleachers. As soon as I heard the crack of the bat I was cheering! It didn’t even clear the wall before I was doing a little victory dance. The Yankees are a dangerous team, but Tex adds some extra pop.  Tex’s switch-hitting ability makes this line-up deeper. While Tex was resting his calf strain, the Yankees faced a lot of lefty pitchers. When Tex is in the line-up he can switch to the other side of the plate no problem.  Now that Tex is back Joe can build a more strategic lineup and break up the lefty hitters.

Now that the Postseason is here, I think back to all of the key hits I have seen over the years. As we prepare for the ALDS, one specific game comes to mind….and it is my favorite Tex memory. Think back to 2009 in the ALDS and the Yankees were playing the Twins at home. You remember it already, don’t you? It is hard to forget that amazing 9^th inning walk off home run that he hit that barely scraped over the wall. I can still hear the sirens blaring in the stadium.  We found this amazing amateur YouTube video just to give you the "fan feel". I love it!

 
I remember the fist pump he made as he ran around first base realizing he just hit the winning run. I still see the team piled up at home plate waiting for him and the long jump he made into the pile of extremely amped up teammates. That energy is contagious, and it is back.

There is new life in this team right now. We have momentum on our side, and the memories of an early exit in the 2011 playoffs have left our boys thirsty for more. I can’t help but link the walk-off win against the Red Sox on Tuesday, our ONLY win of the season that we pulled off when we were trailing after 9 innings. Now add the memorable 2009 walk-off win and it is the making of a storybook postseason. Sure, I may be getting a little ahead of myself here….but that feeling is in the air again. The Tex-ecutioner is back, and so is the excitement in the air. Can you feel it? Rest up, boys! This is the start to an exciting chase for another ring….LET’S GO YANKEES!!! 

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ


Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.