Sunday, April 13, 2008
Sports
Tex and the city
Mark Teixeira loves Atlanta, and vice-versa. But will greener pastures lure him away?
CREDIT: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
Mark Teixeira
By Hunt Archbold
Adored by fans and respected by teammates, Mark Teixeira could be a Brave fixture for many years to come, leading the next great Atlanta postseason run with both his bat and glove. Or, once this season concludes, he could grab the money and run, leaving Atlanta and the Braves behind. The affable first baseman and cleanup hitter is currently playing in a contract year, with a fat payday awaiting at the end of the season—unless, that is, the Braves award him a sizeable contract extension before then.
All of which begs the question: What will Teixeira’s Atlanta legacy be?
Whatever his thinking on the issue, the man at the center of all that speculation is toeing the company line. While he owns land in Atlanta, the he isn’t building locally, and in fact makes his offseason home in Arizona. Still, he does have an affinity for the city. He starred at Georgia Tech, where he finished his career as one of the most decorated players in ACC history. After spending his first four-plus pro seasons in Texas, he was traded here in late July last year, a move that was warmly received by Atlanta fans instantaneously.
“I love it here, I love playing here,’’ Teixeira tells The Sunday Paper. “I just want to go out there and play my heart out this year and see what happens.’’
It’s a believable line, but it comes from his lips almost robotically. When asked if he’s perfected the manufactured response by practicing in the mirror, Teixeira grins with a nod of agreement. “I’ve said it plenty of times. I’m sure I’ll say it more.’’
A WANTED MAN—FOR A PRICE
Only time will tell in what light this organization and city will ultimately view the Teixeira trade. Certainly, Teixeira did his part to make that light a favorable one last season, hitting .317 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 54 games as a Brave. Teixeira, who turned 28 last week, has averaged 34 homers and 111 RBIs in his first five seasons. A two-time Gold Glove winner entering the prime of his career, he’s set to make $12.5 million this season. And depending on how well things go for him this year, he could command a six- or seven-year deal worth $25 million or more annually.
Certainly, his agent Scott Boras has the bravado to ask for as much, and will more than likely present his client as the game’s best all-around first baseman. There’s little question the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets could all afford his services, and all three clubs could be in search of a first baseman next winter. Boras has told Atlanta officials that they’ll have to end their practice of not granting no-trade clauses if they’re serious about keeping Teixeira around, which could be a deal-breaker if team president John Schuerholz and general manager Frank Wren don’t change their stance on the issue.
While Teixeira’s services are going to cost big time for years to come, he didn’t come cheap to Atlanta last summer. The organization gave up several quality prospects, including switch-hitting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, slick-fielding shortstop Elvis Andrus and left-handed starting pitcher Matt Harrison, who were respectively named the Braves’ top three prospects prior to last season. Texas also acquired hard-throwing Dominican right-hander Neftali Feliz and 20-year-old lefty pitcher Beau Jones.
It could turn out to be quite a haul for Texas. And if Teixeira waves bye-bye to the Braves at season’s end, the trade has to the potential to go down as one of the worst in Atlanta history, rivaling the deals with Cleveland that saw David Justice and Marquis Grissom shipped away after the 1995 world championship season for clubhouse cancer Kenny Lofton, and the late 1982 deal that moved Brett Butler and Brook Jacoby in exchange for getting next to nothing from Len Barker.
SLOW STARTS, HOT FINISHES
Just as he has done for much of his pro career, Teixeira had a very quiet spring at the plate and hadn’t warmed up much a week and a half into the regular season. Through Atlanta’s first eight games, Teixeira was batting only .156 (5-for-32) with two homers and five RBIs.
“Nothing has fallen for me, but you hit a few home runs and maybe you get some of those others to fall,’’ says Teixeira, insisting he feels little pressure despite the slow start in this, an important contract year.
Yet a closer look reveals that for as good as he is, consistency hasn’t always been Tex’s strong suit. His statistics for the second half in each of the past two seasons have far surpassed his first-half numbers, although it must be noted that he missed 27 games last year due to a pulled quadriceps (which brought to an end his Texas franchise record 507 consecutive-game streak). And while Boras will tout how his client as a player with the potential to bat .305 with 40 homers and 140 RBIs, he’s only managed to accomplish each of those feats just once in his career. When also considering his steady glove, it’s a given that this is a very, very good player. But is he a great one—a franchise cornerstone?
“All I know is the guy comes ready to play,’’ Atlanta centerfielder Mark Kotsay tells SP. “He’s a professional day in and day out, and obviously he’s one of the best switch-hitters in baseball.’’
Next year, Atlanta will no longer have to pay Mike Hampton’s loaded contract, which may free up some room financially to keep Teixeira on the roster. But that will be a hefty amount to devote to a single player. It looks like Atlanta’s efforts to keep Teixeira in a Braves uniform will ultimately prove both difficult and expensive. The good news for Atlanta fans? There’s still a full season to enjoy his expertise at the plate and in the field.
“The fans have been great to me and I like this team,’’ Teixeira says with enthusiasm. Only time will tell whether that proves to be enough. SP