HEY TEX, IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME.

We’ve all heard that cliché’, lame line before, “It’s not you, it’s me.” It’s the most unoriginal way to let someone down easy when a relationship isn’t working out. You want to save yourself from an uncomfortable situation and also try to cushion the fall for the person being let go…neither are usually accomplished with this tactic. In fact it almost always turns out to be a disaster.

Better to just be honest, leave no room for guesswork or pleas for one more chance. If it’s over, it’s over. I’ll save Mark Teixeira the BS and just lower the boom. Tex. I’m just not a fan. You seem like a good guy, but you are missing that thing that makes you a New York Yankee. I won’t pretend to think you’ll find it and you shouldn’t either.

Am I being tough on Tex? Yes! Look, the guy is one of the best defensive first basemen I’ve ever seen. The New York Rangers would start this guy over Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes at The Garden.

He could have stopped Sid “The Squid” Crosby from finding the net in that gold medal game in 2010! Tex can pick it, there is no question there…and I still say he is missing something.

Think about the Yankees who have manned the first base in the recent past. Donnie and Tino…hell even Giambi. They all had one thing in common. They were blood and guts guys. They played hurt. They played with fire and intensity. I just don’t see in Tex. And when I do see his attempt at emotion, it seems canned. He is just a vanilla cone…it can be good, but it’s boring and we all know it.

Would Donnie ever come out in the press and casually say, “I’m declining and we get paid too much.”? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Would Tino stand in front of his locker after an abysmal day at the plate answer questions like he was reading a prepared telemarketer’s sales pitch? NOPE! But Tex is an All-Star at that game.

I always watch the post game interviews and when they get to Tex I flip to another channel, or turn the TV off and watch the brick wall in my apartment…hey, it’s twice as riveting as listening to the easy listening sounds of a Teixeira interview. I mean if we want to hear that all is great no matter how awful he looked at the plate we should have kept Swisher…at least he had a little pep.

Look, I am not saying that Tex isn’t going to be remembered as a Yankee because he is boring. The Captain isn’t a sound bite machine. But Jeter is everything Tex pretends to be. Jeter is ALL heart and his lust for winning is makes him a dying breed. Tex openly admits EVERY SINGLE SEASON that he is a slow starter. Okay, you put your finger on the problem, NOW FIX IT!! How do we give him a pass on that? The Yankees pay him crazy money and I question it every year.

In 2009 Mark was a big part of the reason the Yanks were able to win the series. He has natural baseball ability. He could be great. He should be a fan favorite…but he ain’t.

I don’t want to give the impression that this is personal. Again, I think Tex seems like a good guy. He is clean cut, polite and does great charity work and so on. But I am talking about the type of player he is. I feel if the Boss (cira 1993) were here Tex would be the daily target of George’s not-so delicate jabs and a fixture on the back page of the Post…for all the wrong reasons.

Mark is not a Steinbrenner Yankee. He won’t ever be mistaken for “The Warrior” or Captain Munson. Let’s face it if Paulie or Thurman admitted they were in decline they wouldn’t suit up everyday, they’d hang ‘em up!

Tex was once a legitimate switch hitter. Now I think he should pick a side and work on that rather than put up .230 from one side and .231 from the other. I think he should bat 6th or 7th , because he isn’t a middle of the order guy anymore…hey, he’s declining remember. Tex just frustrates me, folks. I’m sorry that I’m not all that sorry about being honest about Mark. I know all about his up side, I just don’t think it’s there anymore. I know he had a major injury to his wrist and is working on getting back to playing strength, but at least when Overbay whiffed at an awful pitch I didn’t feel the need to scream at the TV…Lyle wasn’t paid big money and had…well an expectation level you’d expect for a Lyle Overbay. Tex being out last year saved me from losing my voice yelling, “C’mon Tex! What do they pay you for?!”

(In Photo: Kevin Maas)When Teixeira’s contract is up I can’t see the Yanks making a push to resign him. I will remember him the way I do Doug Mientkiewicz or Kevin Maas. Yes, I am being a bit unfair…especially evoking Maas’s name. I just don’t get Tex. I wish I did, I really do. When he came over and said his hero was Mattingly I was ready to love the guy. When he let the Red Sox believe they had a done deal and then ran off to the Bronx, I dug his style. When he celebrated the 2009 title I said, “This guy may be worth it.” And from then on…I’ve seen him like an M. Night Shyamalan movie. It starts off fine, but then fizzles out with a predictable twist and uninspiring ending.

Hey, who knows, maybe Tex finds new life drinking all the organic juices from his gourmet juice stores. Maybe he channels the spirit of Charlie Hustle and starts hitting the ball the way Ronnie Lott would pop receivers daring to go over the middle…but I doubt it.

Tex’s career as a Yankee will mirror the month of March. He came in like a Lion and will go out like a lamb…that starts slowly…and bats .230…but plays great defense…but fans in big spots with an uppercut swing that makes little league coaches groan…

For another take on Tex, check out BYB writer Jeana Bellezza's piece titled  IS TEIXEIRA ON TARGET?


 

--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
   Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."


 
 
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WHAT'S IN HIS TWITTER PICS: MARK TEIXEIRA

We're starting a new series here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.  It's an easy one and fun one.  We'll be combing through baseball players Twitter pictures and each week, we'll bring you at least 3 interesting pictures that they posted and chat about it.  Don't forget, a short time ago we casually were checking out AJ Burnett's pictures and realized that he's obsessed with Batman.  Read AJ BURNETT IS BATMAN if you want a chuckle.

Today, we start with New York Yankee first baseman, Mark Teixeira... This should be fun...

This picture tweet was funny!

Wow! I can't believe this groundbreaking study... pic.twitter.com/ezNz2ztJwS
— Mark Teixeira (@teixeiramark25) August 20, 2013

Mark apparently tweeted a picture of an newspaper headline. I actually got a laugh looking at this one.  He's right, how ridiculous and obvious is this!

This is another classic and clearly Tex lives by the "common sense" theme:

Somebody tell me why rental car co.'s give you 2 keys? They are welded together, if you lose one you lose them both. pic.twitter.com/3XUHjT02Gk
— Mark Teixeira (@teixeiramark25) May 6, 2013

I mean, again, he is correct! Now, I can tell you that whenever I rent a car, I never make an attempt to separate the keys and I've never lost them yet, but it crosses my mind all the time.  I roll the dice, apparently Tex is more of a planner, God bless him.

The greatest moment of my career and Mariano Rivera was right there! Congrats Mo, it's an honor playing with you! pic.twitter.com/TdC7gQolvn
— Mark Teixeira (@teixeiramark25) March 9, 2013

And finally, my favorite of his stash! This is a picture, er, or a painting of him catching the ball in the last out of the 2009 World Series! Love it.  I don't remember what happened to that baseball.  I hope Tex didn't Doug Mientkiewicz it.  Actually,  I wouldn't care if he did, he earned it that year. Here are some highlights of that World Series.



I hope you guys enjoyed this "Twitter Pic" series and we're going to try and do this with different players once a week.  There are a ton of great pictures that are on players' twitter accounts that many don't see.  Gotta love it and gotta share them!

Want to check out Mark Teixeira's Twitter? Check him out at  @teixeiramark25.

Good work Tex! Can't wait to see you in Spring Training!

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REVIEWING THE AROD "SLAP" YEARS LATER

For most of us Yankees fans, the 2004 ALCS is right where it should be... Behind us! In the past, and something we don't like to dwell on.  I know for me personally, it's one series I am reluctant to even bring up.  But I live in Rhode Island, I reside in the trenches of Red Sox Nation, so it's easy to be reminded of how it all went down. 

One thing that is brought up to me constantly is the "Slap Ball Incident". When it comes to Alex Rodriguez in these parts, the list of names is virtually infinite. The one that sticks out to me is "Slap-Rod". It goes back to when he swatted the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove as he was running to first. 


It appeared to be a bush-league play, but can we really say it was intentional? Sure, the commentators add fuel to the fire. You hear, "He swatted the ball out of Arroyo's hand!"  But what if he said, "Alex tried to swat Arroyo's glove out of the way?" or "Mientkiewicz is in the base line, where is Alex supposed to go there?" Would it change things?  Hey, we're just asking, don't forget, this rivalry was intense so any little thing gets amplified here! 

It was Game 6, the Red Sox are facing elimination and are up by 2 runs. The Yankees, needing to pull ahead to end it and head to the World Series put the ball in play. There was a lot of adrenaline going through these players with so much at stake. There are some factors in this play that take place that may show that Alex swatting the ball was merely an accident. Look at it these days... seriously. 

Of course, the end result concludes he made contact with Arroyo's glove and the ball ends up rolling loose. But was that his goal?  I mean, if Derek Jeter swatted at Arroyo's glove, I wonder if it would have appeared differently. 

Look. Here's what we know. The ball hit on that 2-2 pitch takes a bounce and rolls slowly. If the ball had rolled faster, it would have been Doug Mientkiewicz's ball to field and tag first. A routine grounder. However, because it rolled slowly, Bronson fields it instead and Doug is off the bag leaving 1st base unmanned. 

Mientkiewicz then starts to back pedal to cover 1st base, but is in the runner's path. So, with Alex's base path is blocked, making him step off the baseline to avoid collision with Doug and maybe even injury between both players. 

At around this time Bronson Arroyo already has the ball in his glove and is running quickly to be within "tagging" reach. Arroyo may not have realized Alex was much closer than he initially thought, thus, making another chance for player collision between him and Alex as well.  

So... Alex's only reaction at this point is to put up his hand. Right? Think about it. Just like we flinch when someone bumps into us. 

But with the umpires reviewing the replay from all angles they see Alex blatantly reaching to Bronson Arroyo's arm. So, of course it looks intentional.  Could it also be that this took place because of both players having bad blood earlier in the year that where Alex was hit by a pitch and a scuffle with Jason Varitek and clearing the benches one Saturday afternoon? 

All I'm saying is review the tape years later.  Alex appears to be blocking himself from getting slammed into, or swatted by Arroyo's glove.  A defensive reaction? Maybe, maybe not. But with so much happening in that split second, and after slow review, it is very very possible that it was just a reaction, not Alex's intent to "knock the ball out" of Arroyo's glove. Plus, the commentary by Joe Buck and Tim McCarver is over the top, which didn't help much in the media's eye.  I mean, at one point Buck says "Francona came out very calmly" for instance.  I mean, watch the tape, Francona's furious, noT calm.

Plus, think about this... who thinks that going down the line you are aiming to knock the ball out of someone's glove? How about thinking, "I'm getting squeezed here, what am I going to do?"  Look, we may never know, but Alex walks the villainous label in the eyes of many baseball fans, so it's easy to point the finger at him as the accountable one in this story.  So, what do you think? Do you think it was an accident blown into a something bigger story or did Alex blatantly want to knock the ball out of Arroyo's hand to show him up? You decide years later.

Trust me, when Casey told me to examine the tape and write something up,  I thought he was nuts. Now, years later, I'm not so sure.  

-- Rudy Laurens, BYB Writer
Facebook: House of Champions


 

 

11 11 11 THE YANKEE WAY

There have been a handful of Yankee players that have worn #11 in their career, but today I'm going to only highlight 3 on this day, 11-11-11. Why? Because I can.

Chuck Knoblauch: CK was a superstar before he ever put on pinstripes and he already had a ring with the Twins, so he had a swagger walking into the Yankee Clubhouse. I was a fan of Knoblauch because, he may have been smaller than the other Yankees, but it never stopped him, he still had the talent and the power and guts to be a great Yankee. He was successful and a very talented hitter. Luckily for Bleeding Yankee Blue, we got to interview him and talk about his life as a ballplayer and now and it was personally exciting for me because I was always a fan. Chuck got involved very rapidly in the Twitter world is has connected with fans which is pretty cool. There is no doubt that CK was a huge part of the Yankees 1998, 1999 and 2000 championships and a staple in that clubhouse. Now we just need him to get invited to Old Timer’s Day. Why he hasn’t yet I will never know. Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CHUCK KNOBLAUCH if you want to hear from Chuck in his own words. It was a great interview we did with him. Knobby was a great #11.

Dwight Gooden: Doc has a great New York Yankee story, because he overcame so much, but yet is still struggling to this day. He was an incredible talent with the Mets and I thought for sure, once he had his no-hitter with the New York Yankees on May 14, 1996, he was past all the rough times. Drugs can devour an individual and addiction is the hardest thing to kick, but the one thing I remember most about Dwight Gooden in 1996 was he looked happy, he felt wanted and he was part of a terrific team. The Yankees gave Doc a chance when no one would and he in return, got clean and pitched his heart out, or at least, pitched everything he had left in the tank. Seeing Doc on the shoulders of his teammates after his no-hitter was awesome and a moment that I will never forget because it was very special. This man, who had fallen from grace had risen up again to prove to the fans, his family and himself and the world that change could happen. And it did for Doc Gooden at that very moment.

Lefty Gomez: Gomez was with the Yankees for a long time and was by far the best Yankee player to wear #11. That’s not a slap any any of the other players, but you have to realize that pitchers at that point in baseball, pitched longer, on shorter rest and usually didn’t get the hook for a closer. Gomez played on the Yankees from 1930 to 1942. He was a 7 time All-star and not only that, he was apart of 5 championships. Gomez was also a 20 game winner 4 times in his career, how many pitchers can say they’ve done that in this day and age. Look at someone like Mike Mussina, a great pitcher for the Yankees, but a 20 game pitcher once… in 2008. Gomez is among one of the best pitchers for the Yankees and played just about his entire career with New York, on leaving after the 1942 season and signing with the Washington Senators for 1943, then retired. To me, Gomez was a great #11.

This post was fun and gave me a chance to highlight some terrific Yankees that wore #11.

(In Photo: Herb Pennock)

There are others that wore the number, Joe Page (1945-1950), Gary Sheffield, Doug Mientkiewicz,Johnny Sain, Brett Gardner, Waite Hoyt, and Herb Pennock who was the first to wear #11 in 1929.

It's 11/11/11 Ladies and Gentlemen... I'm not sure what that means, but be sure to see a new piece like this on 12/12/12, that's for sure.

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.