As if Teixeira didn't want to make you puke already

[Tony-OH]

Can't it be said that winning a championship adds to one's legacy also? Mussina and Teixeira believe that playing for New York over Baltimore gives them the best chance. One can't objectively argue to the contrary, no matter how it turned out for Mussina. His team made the playoffs almost every year; the Orioles watched them on television.

No, I don't think so. An individual doesn't create a legacy by winning a World Series unless the player has a huge series, or does something spectacular. The Yankees have won many World Series so one more is not going to create a legacy for just a member of the team.

[Orioles Examiner]

Jay, that was an awesome piece. I think it said it very well.

I'll probably get some flack for it, so I really appreciate your positive feedback. I know the guy isn't much different than most ball players (or businessmen, I suppose) but we all spent so much time chasing the idea that he was coming back here. What he said yesterday about the Yankees always being on top and having made up his mind two weeks before Christmas was a bit much.

But I'm done with the Tex story...until Opening Day, that is

[Mongolbird]

Yeah, I noticed he wanted to play with the Yanks so bad that they way overpaid to get him. Give it six months before Yankee fans smell the stench coming off this guy. As in certainly not worth the money the stupid Yankees paid.

I think AM did the right thing here. You can't put all your marbles into one basket. The fact is the O's don't have/won't spend the money on one player or two. There's nothing wrong with that. But there is something wrong when you don't spend the money you were going to pay for one player, and make serious upgrades in the position of need. Like pitching. I'm not confident AM is even going to do that this year. His moves thus far haven't exactly stunned the world of baseball.

At any rate, Tex was always about the money. He used the O's and the Nats, and Sox, to drive up the price on the Yankees. So the more despicable aspect to me about this circus, is that he used his hometown to drive up the price. That's not going to over real well when he comes to OP. I'm not a booer usually, but I'll bring a megaphone when I see that man play.

We should oughta be thanking our lucky stars that we didn't add this mercenary clown. And I'd pay millions to see the look on Tex's face when, not if, the O's end up in the WS before the Yanks ever do. Because the good news is, the Yanks haven't caught on to the fact that they're buying bad karma along with all the FA stars.

There's a reason they've gone Ofer's as they spend spend spend but don't win win win.

[MyBloodIsOrange]

In what warped universe is being a Yankees fan in the '80's being a "punk front runner"?

The only year in the 80's they made the playoffs were 1980 and 1981. Other than that, they finished as high as 2nd in the AL East twice and 3rd another two times. They were closer to the bottom than the top every other year.

I realize it sucks that he went to the Yankees, and that they were in general an historic franchise, but lets not lose our minds.

Would you consider someone who today becomes a Cowboys fan now a "punk front runner"? The Cowboys of the 2000s are about as relevant as the Yankees of the 1980s.

Mackus, warped universe? While you are accurate saying that The Yankees only made the playoffs twice in the 1980's, I DISAGREE with everything else you said. The Yankess were, at that time, and have always been, a bandwagon/front runner team for people across the entire nation.

Before Teixeira graduated high school, the Yankees had;
*Won 23 World Series (22 before 1996)
*Won 34 AL Pennants

Lets' look at the decade of the 1980's;
*The Yankees of the 1980's had more wins than any other MLB Team
*The Yankees of the 1980"s had the highest winning perecentage of all MLB Teams

You've got to also remember that Teixeira was born in 1980, which puts him at age 15 in 1995 when the Yankees beagn their more recent string of domination. The O's were good then as well...

Half of my friends growing up in Baltimore County were Yankees fans, none of which had ties to New York in any way. The reason behind this was that their front running parents had passed along their bandwagon jeans to them. Their parents had witnessed the domination of the Yankees from years passed.

And YES, I would consider someone growing up in Baltimore right now a Cowboys fan an ABSOLUTE front runner. Alot of public perception has to do with the national media, and we all know how much everybody loves "America's Team."

[TonySoprano]

No, I don't think so. An individual doesn't create a legacy by winning a World Series unless the player has a huge series, or does something spectacular. The Yankees have won many World Series so one more is not going to create a legacy for just a member of the team.

For just any member, I agree. If Teixeira does something memorable for the Yankees in the postseason, it adds to his legacy more than helping Baltimore get a few steps closer to .500 and respectability.

[howie14]

Yeah, my son's in 7th grade so we haven't even put in the applications yet. Besides, Mount Saint Joe's Wrestling team rocks.

My son is in sixth, and Mt St Joe sends him a recruitment postcard weekly.

I love my local teams and will always be fans or our teams through and through.

Just the attitude I'm trying to instill in my son. There doesn't seem to be enough hometown loyalty anymore.

[Tony-OH]

For just any member, I agree. If Teixeira does something memorable for the Yankees in the postseason, it adds to his legacy more than helping Baltimore get a few steps closer to .500 and respectability.

If all Teixeira did was get the Orioles a few games closer to .500 then I would totally agree with you. However, If Teixeira had been a big part of the Orioles turnaround and then won a World Series here, I would argue his legacy would be more established than as another hired gun on a $200 million+ World Series team.

[bgtimber75]

Just another punk front runner growing up. I can't fault him for wanting to be with the team he wanted to be with, but it doesn't mean I'm going to like him.

Were the Yanks even front runners in the 80's? I mean come on. You like who you like when you're a kid. Don't get the hate at all for him being a Yankees fan but that's just me I guess.


edit: guess I should have read the thread because the fact that the front running thing wasn't accurate has already been pointed out.

[howie14]

Were the Yanks even front runners in the 80's? I mean come on. You like who you like when you're a kid. Don't get the hate at all for him being a Yankees fan but that's just me I guess.

The Yanks weren't frontrunners, but they always got more than their share of attention because they were...THE YANKEES.

The hate isn't, on my part at least, on him being a Yankee fan as a kid. The hate is on the adult making a point to diss his hometown and its team instead of just praising his "adopted" one.

[TCAlumni9700]

Check out this gem of a quote ""My dad would take me to O's games and I'd wear a Yankees hat, which wasn't too safe in Baltimore back in the '80s. But it was worth it. There's something about being a Yankee, no where you are there are Yankees fans, and I'm glad to be a Yankee today."

Goodness gracious. Someone should have told us he was that kind of kid. Honestly, I'm thinking of pulling my sons application from Mt Saint Joe just because I don't want him to be associated with anything that has to do with this guy.

Just another punk front runner growing up. I can't fault him for wanting to be with the team he wanted to be with, but it doesn't mean I'm going to like him.

With Mussina retiring, I now have my new most disliked big leaguer.

Tony - send your son to Cardinal Gibbons! jcroemer and I both went there and we came out .......uh, ok I guess lol.

Our favorite cheer during games with MSJ was "What the hell's a Gael?"

[BIRDIEBOY]

What I can't get over is when he made the quote that it would be a DREAM to play for the Orioles. How can you make that statement then turn around and say what you said yesterday?

Another thing, how can you love Cal & Eddie & Don Mattingly. All true O's fans are taught to hate the Yankees.

Tony, don't let this guy alter your opinion of my alma matter. I don't think Tex will be attending any Alumni Bull Roasts anytime soon.

[TGO]

Unbelievable. And I don't get the whole thing about his wife.

"I want you to be happy. I want you to be happy. I want you to...be a Yankee?"

Who wears the pants in that $180 million dollar house anyway?

Sometimes other people know you better than you know yourself. Maybe she knew that being a Yankee would make him happiest.

Speculating about the player is fine but let's not start going after wives here (or other family members for that matter).

[Boy Howdy]

If all Teixeira did was get the Orioles a few games closer to .500 then I would totally agree with you. However, If Teixeira had been a big part of the Orioles turnaround and then won a World Series here, I would argue his legacy would be more established than as another hired gun on a $200 million+ World Series team.

Agreed, though the people (not you, I know) saying Teixeira could somehow follow in Cal Ripken's footsteps are deluding themselves and disrpespecting Cal. When did Ripken ever play for four times in less than two calendar years?

With an MVP award, a couple World Series rings and gushing praise from his peers, Teixeira could've (but probably wouldn't have) been something closer to this generation's Frank Robinson - a slugger acquired mid-career to push the team forward. Considering all Frank did on and off the field, Teixeira would need a lot more than some fancy OPS numbers to even make that a conversation worth having.

He made his choice. Let the NY mediots rip him for not being a "true Yankee" when he's watching the Rays, Red Sox (and in a few years, the Orioles) battle for October glory while he figures out how to spend his pinstriped cash.

[Moose Milligan]

He had no intention of creating a legacy. He just wants to play baseball and cash some big checks. Nothing wrong with that of course, but when you have an opportunity to create a legacy and turn it down, it tells me a lot about that person. This was my main gripe with Mussina. He had the opportunity to go down in history as possibly the best Orioles pitcher ever, but choose a few more bucks rather than a chance at creating a legacy.

These guys are who they are, and that's something we all have to just accept.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. If you're allured to the Yankees, part of it is the big bucks, but the other part of it is that it's the Yankees. The most successful sports franchise in sports history. To be a part of THAT legacy is something that we can't offer. Every ballplayer knows what the Yankees mean. We can't compete with that.

He could have created a legacy here, this is true. But he's already become a part of one, simply by donning pinstripes. And he's got a bigger chance of adding to that legacy, simply because the Yankees will always be contenders.

As for Mussina, I think he saw that the writing was on the wall and that the ship was going down.

In the end, I can't really blame anyone for taking the Yankees money and trying to become part of that legacy.

Does it suck for us? Absolutely, I'm not trying to say it doesn't. I was pissed at Mussina leaving as anyone else was. I can't blame Tex for making that decision, either.

No one has ever said he owes anybody anything, Moose. My main problem with him, besides the fact he grew up in Maryland as a Yankees fan, is that he gave up an opportunity to create a legacy. It's easy to have his talent and make a lot of money, but the opportunity to create a lasting legacy in the town you grew up in is something few players have the opportunity to do.

BTW, the Yankees were just coming off a dominate run in the late 80's and early 80s so yes, it was easy to be a front runner while being a Yankees fan. By the late 80s, neither the Orioles or the Yankees were very good besides the Why not season for the O's.

I dunno, I think a lot of people on here seemed to think that Tex owed it to them to "come home" and help the Orioles become winners again. Maybe it wasn't said outright like that, but it's just a feeling I got.

But Tex severed his ties with the Baltimore area after high school. Yet we were still bumbling around acting like he cared about this area when it's clear that he didn't.

It's like heading to your 10 year high school reunion wondering what happened to that really hot girl you had a crush on back in the day. Secretly you're hoping that she's still hot, single and remembers you.

Well, she sorta remembers you. And she's still smokin' hot, but she's married a really rich doctor. A lot has transpired over the years and to think that she'd come bursting through the high school gym doors looking for you would be a bit foolish, perhaps naive.

As far as the late 80's Yankees...eh. They never finished better than 2nd after 1986 through 94. They had some good teams though.

But they're the YANKEES. Always have been, always will be. Sucks to be us that we have to be in the same division as them...but we need to get better on our own before having a hope of attracting good free agents.

[Hank Scorpio]

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. If you're allured to the Yankees, part of it is the big bucks, but the other part of it is that it's the Yankees. The most successful sports franchise in sports history. To be a part of THAT legacy is something that we can't offer. Every ballplayer knows what the Yankees mean. We can't compete with that.

He could have created a legacy here, this is true. But he's already become a part of one, simply by donning pinstripes. And he's got a bigger chance of adding to that legacy, simply because the Yankees will always be contenders.

As for Mussina, I think he saw that the writing was on the wall and that the ship was going down.

In the end, I can't really blame anyone for taking the Yankees money and trying to become part of that legacy.

Does it suck for us? Absolutely, I'm not trying to say it doesn't. I was pissed at Mussina leaving as anyone else was. I can't blame Tex for making that decision, either.




I dunno, I think a lot of people on here seemed to think that Tex owed it to them to "come home" and help the Orioles become winners again. Maybe it wasn't said outright like that, but it's just a feeling I got.

But Tex severed his ties with the Baltimore area after high school. Yet we were still bumbling around acting like he cared about this area when it's clear that he didn't.

It's like heading to your 10 year high school reunion wondering what happened to that really hot girl you had a crush on back in the day. Secretly you're hoping that she's still hot, single and remembers you.

Well, she sorta remembers you. And she's still smokin' hot, but she's married a really rich doctor. A lot has transpired over the years and to think that she'd come bursting through the high school gym doors looking for you would be a bit foolish, perhaps naive.

As far as the late 80's Yankees...eh. They never finished better than 2nd after 1986 through 94. They had some good teams though.

But they're the YANKEES. Always have been, always will be. Sucks to be us that we have to be in the same division as them...but we need to get better on our own before having a hope of attracting good free agents.

Unforunately, you're right.