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Teixeira, Yanks Are More Than Ready To Play

The Associated Press

Switch-hitter Mark Teixeira batted a combined .308 with 33 homers and 121 RBIs for the Braves and Angels in 2008.

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 24, 2009

Updated: 02/25/2009 12:12 am

TAMPA - Mark Teixeira found out quickly what life would be like on his new team when he reported to New York Yankees camp last week at Steinbrenner Field. He had signed an eight-year, $180 million contract over the winter, one of three premier free agents that cost the Yanks about half a billion big ones.

But as reporters gathered around his locker, he was asked about A-Rod, A-Rod, A-Rod and, while we're on the subject, A-Rod. Welcome to New York.

"There's a lot of stuff going on around the Yankees," Teixeira said. "People love talking about them. People love reading about them."

Entertaining as all the chatter and stories have been about you-know-who's use of you-know-what, it will still be a relief around the Yankees to get on the field today when their Grapefruit League season opens against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. A-Rod is scheduled to make the trip. So are several of his teammates.

"It's probably more important for us than anyone else right now to start playing some games," General Manager Brian Cashman said. "Everybody is tired of talking about it. Our media is tired of writing about it. Unfortunately, for the first 10 days we've been down here, everything else about our team has been overshadowed."

He means actual baseball. Rumor has it the Yankees play a little bit of that from time to time. As we know so well around these parts, they slipped to third in the American League East last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

Thus was launched their one-team crusade to stimulate the personal economies of Teixeira, who gives the Yankees power and defense at first base, plus pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Then you bring back the likes of pitcher Chien-Ming Wang and catcher Jorge Posada from injuries and count on a bounce-back year from second baseman Robinson Cano. Should be formidable.

"If we can stay healthy, we belong in the conversation with the Rays and Red Sox," Cashman said. "We're all looking up at the Rays right now, but if we can stay healthy, then I think we deserve to be part of that conversation."

He paused for a second, then mused, "We never had to include the Rays before, but now we're chasing them."

Indeed, the Rays won eight more games and one more pennant than the Yankees did last year, so now it's game on. Welcome to the party.

"If we stay healthy, we have no excuses," Teixeira said. "The Devil Rays and Red Sox, we're chasing them, but at same time I think if we stay healthy we can play with anybody."

Yes, he said "Devil" for the Rays. Forgive him; he's new. Otherwise, he is fitting in just fine.

"Every team I've been on, it's been 'I hope we have a good year and I hope we have a chance to make the playoffs.' This team is, 'We should win the World Series.' Nothing else is acceptable."

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