Mark Teixeira

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Mark Teixeira bigraphy, stories - American baseball player

Mark Teixeira : biography

April 11, 1980 –

Mark Charles Teixeira ( born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Primarily a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield. He played college baseball at Georgia Tech, where in 2001 he won the Dick Howser Trophy as the national collegiate baseball player of the year.

Teixeira was drafted in by the Texas Rangers, and made his MLB debut for them in . In mid- he was traded to the Atlanta Braves, and traded again in mid- to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In December 2008, he agreed to a contract with the New York Yankees. Teixeira has won five Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards. Teixeira also holds the all-time major league record for most games with a home run from both sides of the plate, with 13.

Personal life

Texas Rangers (2003-2007)

As a rookie in 2003, Teixeira hit .259 with 26 home runs, 84 RBI, and a .811 OPS. Teixeira began to improve in , batting .281 with an OPS of .930, 38 home runs, and 112 RBI. On August 17, 2004, Teixeira hit for the cycle. For his accomplishments in , he earned the Silver Slugger Award as the best-hitting first baseman in the American League as well as the Gold Glove signifying his place as the best fielding first baseman in the American League. He was also named to his first All-Star Game after winning the fan voting portion of the selection to be named the starting first baseman for his league. During the game, Teixeira hit a home run from the right hand side of the plate, something he had failed to do in the entire first half of the season. In a five game span around the All-Star Game, Teixeira hit five home runs with 13 RBI. He finished July with 13 home runs and 30 RBI and was named the American League Player of the Month. Overall, Teixeira batted .301 with 43 home runs and 144 RBI in the 2005 season.

In 2005, Teixeira became the third switch-hitter in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first three seasons, after Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones. He is also one of just five players in Major League history to hit at least 100 home runs in his first three seasons, joining Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Ralph Kiner, and Eddie Mathews as well as current first base star, Albert Pujols. Other players – Mark McGwire, José Canseco, Todd Helton, Ryan Howard – have hit 100+ home runs in their first three full seasons, but these players had all played partial seasons prior to playing their first three full seasons. His 2005 total of 144 RBI is a Major League record for a switch-hitter.

On Mother’s Day, May 14, 2006, Teixeira was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation.

Teixeira’s season began slowly, as he collected only nine home runs before the All-Star Break. After the All-Star Break, however, he was among the league’s leaders in home runs, and again finished with over 30 homers and 100 RBI for the season.

Teixeira agreed to a two-year $15.98 million contract before the 2006 season to avoid his first two years of arbitration.

On June 9, , Teixeira’s franchise record 507 consecutive-game streak came to an end. Teixeira landed awkwardly at first base after running out a grounder in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers the previous day. The streak was second to Miguel Tejada at the time. The strained quadriceps muscle placed Teixeira on the disabled list for only the second time of his career.

Atlanta Braves (2007-2008)

In July 2007, two weeks after turning down an eight-year, $140 million contract extension from the Rangers, Teixeira was traded to the Atlanta Braves (along with left-handed reliever Ron Mahay) for catcher/first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and four prospects: shortstop Elvis Andrus, and starting pitchers Matt Harrison, Neftalí Feliz and Beau Jones. Teixeira was activated for that night’s game against the Houston Astros and arrived in the dugout during the seventh inning. He was promptly shown on Turner Field’s high definition video board and received a boisterous applause from the Atlanta crowd.