Teixeira: Bury Me in Pinstripes

[NewMarketSean]

I'm going to be honest -- people here have always been way too obsessed with Mark Teixieira. He wants to remain a Yankee forever? Fine, good for him. He didn't owe Baltimore anything, and if New York is where he wants to be, that's his choice. The guy never held a special place in my heart back when everyone was coveting him, and he doesn't deserve any special enmity now.

This is a good summation of Teixeira IMO, but at the end of the day, O's fans deserve to be bitter over a homegrown guy who is amongst the best players in baseball, opting to sign with the Yankees instead of the Orioles -- because he grew up a Yankee fan.

It's the kind of thing that induces vomiting.

Tex could have been the next Cal Ripken. Instead he's Benedict Arnold.

[El Gordo]

This is a good summation of Teixeira IMO, but at the end of the day, O's fans deserve to be bitter over a homegrown guy who is amongst the best players in baseball, opting to sign with the Yankees instead of the Orioles -- because he grew up a Yankee fan.

It's the kind of thing that induces vomiting.

Tex could have been the next Cal Ripken. Instead he's Benedict Arnold.

Please don't use his name in the same sentence with Cal. That induces vomiting.

[Orioles West]

I'm going to be honest -- people here have always been way too obsessed with Mark Teixieira. He wants to remain a Yankee forever? Fine, good for him. He didn't owe Baltimore anything, and if New York is where he wants to be, that's his choice. The guy never held a special place in my heart back when everyone was coveting him, and he doesn't deserve any special enmity now.

All fair points, but as a Maryland native who misses home, it is a tough pill to swallow watching another very talented kid from home enjoy playing for the enemy. It might have been easier if it were the Mets or Phils, but not the evil empire.

I don't wish him ill, it is a waste of time and energy, but I will very much enjoy each time he fails to reach base against my Birds.

-Don

[JTrea81]

I don't hate Mark Teixeira as many know, and I don't blame him for taking the Yankees offer.

Instead I blame the Orioles, and not just Andy MacPhail, but Peter Angelos and the whole organization from 1998 onward.

Tex signing with the Yankees was probably one of the lowest points in the franchise - that a homegrown kid wanted to sign with the Yankees because he wanted to win and Baltimore simply didn't offer that and wasn't committed to do that at that time.

The Orioles were always associated with winning and now they weren't and it cost them their next Ripken.

Buck Showalter is here now, and the Orioles finally seem to be committed to doing what it will take to win. And winning games is a priority not just a goal.

So I hope that if there is another Maryland kid out there that is going to be a ML star, that they get to see winning baseball in Baltimore, so what happened with Mark Teixeira and the Orioles will never happen to this team again.

Maryland baseball should always include Orioles baseball.

[SrMeowMeow]

I don't hate Mark Teixeira as many know, and I don't blame him for taking the Yankees offer.

Instead I blame the Orioles, and not just Andy MacPhail, but Peter Angelos and the whole organization from 1998 onward.

We know; it's hilarious, and insane.

[Sports Guy]

This is a good summation of Teixeira IMO, but at the end of the day, O's fans deserve to be bitter over a homegrown guy who is amongst the best players in baseball, opting to sign with the Yankees instead of the Orioles -- because he grew up a Yankee fan.

It's the kind of thing that induces vomiting.

Tex could have been the next Cal Ripken. Instead he's Benedict Arnold.

Yes we do...but not from Tex.

[TonySoprano]

Buck Showalter is here now, and the Orioles finally seem to be committed to doing what it will take to win. And winning games is a priority not just a goal.

Was the Orioles signing of Showalter a commitment to winning?

(chicken and egg, which came first?)

[Firendahol]

Tex donates money to Mt. St. Joe every year to support MD kids and MD athletics. Mt. St. Joe was a Baltimore institution decades before the Orioles were and will continue to be a Baltimore institution for years to come. Instead of talking about egging his parents home we should take pride in the fact that he is a local kid who has done good and hasn't forgotten where he came from. I hate the Yankees but love Big Tex, he has been a class act since he was drafted.

[JTrea81]

Was the Orioles signing of Showalter a commitment to winning?

(chicken and egg, which came first?)

Absolutely it was. Hiring Showalter was the first giant step toward winning.

Showalter wasn't going to come to the Orioles unless they were committed to winning IMO.

[El Gordo]

Tex donates money to Mt. St. Joe every year to support MD kids and MD athletics. Mt. St. Joe was a Baltimore institution decades before the Orioles were and will continue to be a Baltimore institution for years to come. Instead of talking about egging his parents home we should take pride in the fact that he is a local kid who has done good and hasn't forgotten where he came from. I hate the Yankees but love Big Tex, he has been a class act since he was drafted.

Yes we should celebrate T-bag, the same way we celebrate Babe Ruth, Al Kaline, Ron Swaboda, Moose Haaas, Spider Wilhelm, Bpob Unglaub, and Dutch Ulrich, among others.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?loc=Maryland

[I(heart)Birds]

I have never understood everyone's hatred for Tex. The Orioles offered him $140m, the Yankees offered $180m. It's not the difference between $180,000 and $140,000. It's $40m. Name someone in baseball who would have taken $40m less. I'll save you the trouble of thinking about it. No one.

[Frobby]

Absolutely it was. Hiring Showalter was the first giant step toward winning.

Showalter wasn't going to come to the Orioles unless they were committed to winning IMO.

Showalter came here because he liked the way Andy MacPhail had set things up.

[SilentJames]

This is a good summation of Teixeira IMO, but at the end of the day, O's fans deserve to be bitter over a homegrown guy who is amongst the best players in baseball, opting to sign with the Yankees instead of the Orioles -- because he grew up a Yankee fan.

It's the kind of thing that induces vomiting.

Tex could have been the next Cal Ripken. Instead he's Benedict Arnold.

That is the real thing about it. If it is true it goes against previous comments about it being a "dream" to play in Baltimore, etc. that got a lot of this area excited.

But then it was the whole "I wore Yankee gear to Orioles games" bull crap. Just bull.

He has every right to go where he had more money and a better chance, I don't begrudge him that, but he could have been a bit classier about it and if he wants to be buried in his pinstripes I am sure the 2011 Orioles would love to help him with that.

[Tony-OH]

Tex donates money to Mt. St. Joe every year to support MD kids and MD athletics. Mt. St. Joe was a Baltimore institution decades before the Orioles were and will continue to be a Baltimore institution for years to come. Instead of talking about egging his parents home we should take pride in the fact that he is a local kid who has done good and hasn't forgotten where he came from. I hate the Yankees but love Big Tex, he has been a class act since he was drafted.

:rolleyestf:

The guy has been mercenary for multiple teams and has shown a penchant for coming up small when his teams need it most (.650 OPS in 122 post season PAs). The guy talks out both sides of his mouth and tells everyone what they want to hear. He gave up a chance to make more money then he or his family would ever be able to spend along a chance to put down a legacy but instead took the highest offer to go play for his "hometown" team's arch rival.

That's not my definition of classy.

He has every right to make the decision he made, but if you are expecting the hometown fans to think he's classy because of it I think you are looking up the wrong tree.

The guy is overpaid and at this point I wish him nothing but disappointment in his major league career. Maybe that makes me a small person, but like Mussina, the second they signed with the Yankees over the Orioles they became baseball enemy number one to me.

[I(heart)Birds]

:rolleyestf:

The guy has been mercenary for multiple teams and has shown a penchant for coming up small when his teams need it most (.650 OPS in 122 post season PAs). The guy talks out both sides of his mouth and tells everyone what they want to hear. He gave up a chance to make more money then he or his family would ever be able to spend along a chance to put down a legacy but instead took the highest offer to go play for his "hometown" team's arch rival.

That's not my definition of classy.

He has every right to make the decision he made, but if you are expecting the hometown fans to think he's classy because of it I think you are looking up the wrong tree.

The guy is overpaid and at this point I wish him nothing but disappointment in his major league career. Maybe that makes me a small person, but like Mussina, the second they signed with the Yankees over the Orioles they became baseball enemy number one to me.

Yeah, I'd say it does. No reason to begrudge the guy. He took the best deal available. It's not his fault the Orioles weren't willing to pay him what the market would bear.