Taking the "Tex" Out of "Big Tex"

I have never felt a connection with Teixeira. He has always acted like a Player-for-hire, and one who surely wasn’t living and dying for the team on his shirt.

He says some proper things below, and he says some things that make him sound as if he is the cockiest athlete going.

The following is Mark Teixeira trying to expedite his exit from Arlington.

From the Dallas Morning News …

“Everybody wants to win,” Teixeira said. “I don’t know any competitor who doesn’t want to win. It gets old. Our fans deserve better and there are a lot of guys in the clubhouse who want better. We’ve put our heart and soul into this organization and it’s a tough pill to swallow to be at the bottom of the league every year.”

He said he’s read many stories about the possibility of getting traded, but that he remains focused on helping the Rangers win games.

“I think we have a lot of work to do,” said Teixeira when asked if the Rangers could win before his contract expired in 2008. “No doubt about it. I want to dogpile on Michael Young and Hank Blalock at The Ballpark. I’m hoping it will happen this year or next year but the window is closing.”

Teixeira said he thought the organization was headed in the right direction when he and Hank Blalock arrived in the majors in 2003.

“We said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a long time here with the Rangers. We can’t wait ‘til they start bringing up players like us. We’ll win a championship,’” Teixeira said. “Five years later, we’re talking about the same things, about building something. The last five years we haven’t had a lot of players step up. Ian Kinsler is doing a great job right now and a few guys here and there. It takes a really good farm system to develop a team.”

He said the Rangers haven’t talked to his agent, Scott Boras, about a contract extension. Teixeira said his “ears are always open” if the Rangers do want to talk about it. But it’s clear he wants to compete in the postseason.

“No player is going to sign up with a team knowing they are going to lose,” Teixeira said. “When a player has the chance, they're going to go with a winner.”

Teixeira dismissed concerns about Boras scaring the Rangers or any team away because of previous contracts. Teixeira added that Boras works for him, not the other way around.

“You never hear teams that win World Series with Scott Boras clients on their rosters complain,” Teixeira said. “When I was drafted out of Georgia Tech, Scott Boras told Tom Hicks that I was going to be a big-time hitter for his team. I think that worked out pretty well. When it comes to me, I think the Rangers should be thanking Scott Boras every day. I was about 5 hours from not signing and going back to school.”

Teixeira shared his thoughts on the Rangers’ philosophy for building a major league team.

“We’re a big market team that’s playing like a small market team,” Teixeira said. “Unless you hit with some young players and pitchers, it’s tough to play that way. I know the business better than anybody. I go to the union meetings and I keep up with what’s going on in the off-season. I know this is a business, but when the Yankees go out and get All-Stars every year, and the Red Sox go out and get All-Stars every year, it shows you they want to compete and win.”

Teixeira knows he may come across as greedy, but he doesn’t worry about it. He said he cares about the Dallas-Fort Worth community and the team.

“Anybody who wants to paint a different picture, that’s their prerogative.”

From the FWST …

"We're a big-market team that's playing like a small-market team," Tex said. "I know this is a business, but when the Yankees go get All-Stars every year and the Red Sox go out and get All-Stars every year, it shows you they want to compete and win."
What he has been shown by Texas is not quite that message.

Nor does he seem to harbor much hope of dog-piling with Michael Young and Hank Blalock after a big ALCS victory.

"I'm hoping it will happen this year or next year, but the window is closing," Tex said. "Everybody wants to win. I don't know any competitor who doesn't want to win. It gets old. Our fans deserve better, and there are a lot of guys in the clubhouse who want better. We've put our heart and soul into this organization, and it's a tough pill to swallow to be at the bottom of the league."

Somebody, somewhere, will probably say this proves Tex is a whiner or greedy. They will be very wrong. Tex is an unbelievably talented baseball player, a guy who makes his home in Texas, a guy who developed a foundation to benefit Texas kids. And he wants a chance to play in and win a World Series championship.

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"Scott Boras works for me," Tex insisted. "No amount of money takes the place of winning."

Good for him. I hope he sticks to his ideals.

What the Rangers are going to say, and probably be able to sell, is that with Boras as his agent, Tex was going to require crazy money and was going to be a Yankee anyway and they had to trade him.

"That's just an excuse from teams that lost their better players because they offered half the money," Teixeira said. "That's about as blunt as I can be."

In Former Rangers news, Travis “Pronk” Hafner is extended …

Travis Hafner and the Cleveland Indians agreed to a $57 million, four-year contract extension through the 2012 season on Wednesday.

Hafner, the Indians' designated hitter, is making $3.95 million this year, and Cleveland had a 2008 option for a minimum $4.95 million. Under the new deal, he will receive more money next year. The new agreement includes a team option for 2013.

Cleveland is expected to announce the agreement Thursday.

The 30-year-old Hafner is batting .262 with 14 homers and 57 RBIs this season after hitting .308 last year with 42 homers and 117 RBIs.

The Mavs are interested in Steve Francis???? ….

Something of a mutual attraction has cropped up between the Mavericks and freshly minted unrestricted free agent Steve Francis.

The Mavs were one of "numerous" teams to speak with Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, soon after Portland officially bought out the remainder of Francis' contract after the league's "moratorium period" ended Tuesday night.

Fried said Francis, who played the first five years of his career with the Houston Rockets, considers the Mavs a strong fit. Indications are that team fit will outweigh salary considerations since the edgy eight-year veteran and former All-Star reportedly collected $30 million in the buyout, which also made him an unrestricted free agent.

Francis (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) had $34 million remaining on the last two years of his deal when New York traded him to the Trail Blazers on draft night.
Fried said conversations with the Mavs have not reached the level of salary negotiation. The Mavs have a mid-level exception, valued at $5.356 million, to spend. They can use the full amount on one player, split it up, or not use it all.
"Obviously, we're always looking to add good players," said Donnie Nelson, the Mavs' president of basketball operations. "Right now we're in discussions with a lot of different guys."

The Mavs had interest in sought-after swingman Gerald Wallace, but he reached an agreement Wednesday to remain with Charlotte.

Another player of some interest could be veteran forward Chris Webber, 34, a low-post presence whom the Mavs were interested in last season before he chose to sign with his hometown Detroit Pistons, his fifth team in 14 seasons.

Argentina 3, Mexico 0 …Setting up Argentina v Brazil on Sunday in the Copa Final.

Lionel Messi scored a breathtaking goal, arguably the best of the tournament, as Argentina beat Mexico 3-0 in their Copa America semi-final on Wednesday.

Collecting a pass from Carlos Tevez, Messi spotted goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez off his line and chipped the ball delicately into the net to score Argentina's second as they set up a final against old rivals Brazil.

The 61st-minute goal, which came as Mexico were pressing for an equaliser, turned the game and Juan Riquelme Roman added a third from a controversial penalty, his fifth goal of the tournament.

Defender Gabriel Heinze had put Argentina ahead on the stroke of halftime with his second international goal as the favourites kept up an average of over three goals per game.

"Only a genius could do this," said Argentina coach Alfio Basile of Messi's effort.
Mexico, with coach Hugo Sanchez celebrating his 49th birthday, made a fight of it. They had slightly the better of the first 40 minutes and twice hit the woodwork in an enthralling game.

"We tried but the opponents were superior," said Sanchez as Mexico, beaten 2-1 by Argentina in last year's World Cup secound round, lost to the same opponents again.

Beautiful Goal from Messi to put Mexico to the Sword



Email:

Bob,

My long-time best friend is from Monterey and he has gotten me to watch and enjoy soccer. I have taken the advice of your blog and done some research into an English club to follow. My question is where are the games broadcast? I have directv with the big sports packages so I get a great many channels. Love your show.

Thanks in advance,

Trey

Trey, here is the scouting report for Directv. If readers have something else you will need to figure out your own channel numbers and availability:

613 - Fox Soccer Channel - If you love Soccer on any level, this is the one you MUST have. It carries a ton of games (England, MLS, and beyond) and has the equivalent of Sportscenter there every night at 9 for the best highlight show and commentary. I highly recommend this one.

614 – Gol TV – This channel focuses on the Spanish speaking soccer of South America, Central America, and Spain. It does many games in English, but goes back and forth. It is also the carrier of the Copa America. Of the 3 channels, this is the one that I watch the least, but it does have the best broadcaster in Ray Hudson.

615 – Setanta Sports – This is an expensive option, and at $12 a month likely only required for the sickest of soccer fans (me), but for all of your English Premiership needs and for all of the Champions League games that ESPN doesn’t carry, you need this. My club, Liverpool, had most of its biggest games on Setanta.


Sam Malone Sports Commentary (thanks, Awful Announcing)



Buffalo + Lions + Crocodiles = Greatest Youtube clip ever posted!