Hey Tex... Use Your Head!

Life is about making choices and learning from them whether it is a good or a bad decision. This is an understatement for Mark Teixeira right now. He’s in a tough spot and I get it but part of me really questions his decision making abilities right now. As the resident BYB Teixeira supporter…..even I am skeptical right now.

For the time being Tex doesn’t need surgery but none of us here buy into that. Not even me. We wrote about it in MR PORCELAIN AVOIDS THE KNIFE FOR NOW and I think the last two words say it all….FOR NOW. This isn’t a “Oh I will just rest my knee for three weeks and then be back and ready to go” kind of injury. This needs surgery and proper time to heal so you can come back and be healthy and not be trying to play at 50%. This decision is a hasty one that can jeopardize the rest of your career. Mark my words, it’s not going to work.

Tex has been down this road before and he should know better. I want to waive my pom poms and stand up and cheer for the idea that I may be able to see my favorite player again in a Yankees uniform. I want to hope for the best and be positive but it’s time to be realistic. You should never roll the dice on your health and Tex knows this injury. He’s been there. He had the same issue back in 2007 with his left knee and he had to have surgery to correct that. I’m sure it was as bad as he says it was and yes he came back the next season and had a career year but that was then. Now he is almost 10 years older and his body won’t just bounce back like a young spring chicken but why play when you aren’t at your best? What athlete wants to perform at less than his best? Show me a true competitor that does. They don’t exist!

Right now his decision is clouded with poor judgment. Sure, it sucks having the pressure of performing well in a contract year. He wants that last three or four year deal before he retires and he knows he won’t get it if he gets this season ending surgery. If he doesn’t play he will be that guy a team signs on a low risk minor league or a one year deal loaded with incentives and he doesn’t want that. I get it, I wouldn’t either but his ego is making the decisions here. He’s just postponing the inevitable.

Teixeira is going to be no good to this team as a fraction of himself. He was no good to the team before but how is a bum knee going to make your hitting any better? Poor performance from an untreated injury also isn’t going to help your chances with getting one last good contract. Who wants to sign a veteran broken down player based on what he once was these days? It’s not going to help you get a new job. It’s another harsh reality. You won’t be able to play first base and you aren’t about to steal the DH job from Alex Rodriguez. His 15 day DL stint is going to turn into a 60 day DL stint and at that point he should’ve just had the surgery anyway! I’m not trying to be negative I am just being honest. His track record only supports what I am saying. He is made of porcelain as we already said. If anyone hates saying it….it’s me but sometimes the truth hurts.

So Tex….I really think you are making the wrong choice here. Do I want to see Rob Refsnyder or some other substitute at first base? No. But I also don’t want to see you get hurt either or hold the team back even more. Sometimes the right decisions are not always popular ones and I think this is the case. I really hope you prove me wrong. This is one story I would really like to revisit later and admit that I had it all wrong.

   
–Jeana Bellezza, 
BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ 
 





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