MARK TEIXEIRA -- 5 TIPS TO MASTER FIRST BASE

Category: Top Stories

The Yankee All-Star talks to Junior Baseball about how he scoops up Gold Glove awards.

The hitting ability of Mark Teixeira was never in doubt. He batted .409 during his college career at Georgia Tech and became just the second player in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference to hit better than .400 during his career.

He was scouted heavily in college by pro baseball scouts and the fact Teixeira was a switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate was a huge drawing card. But what position would he play in pro ball?

Now that was another question.

Teixeira has been a Gold Glove winner in the Major Leagues at first base, but he saw action at third base at Georgia Tech. And the Maryland native feels that experience helps him now as a first sacker. "Playing third probably helped," Texiera admitted in a recent interview with Junior Baseball.

"It made me not be lazy with my hands. First base is the hot corner on the other side," he said with a smile. "It is very similar.

"The biggest thing about first base is your footwork," added Teixeira, who also overcame an injury during his college career with the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. "Work on your feet and have quick feet. Whether it is a bunt around the bag, fielding a grounder or giving the pitcher a nice toss, you have to work on your feet and have quick feet."

Teixeira hit .292 with 43 doubles, 39 homers and 122 RBIs in his first season with the Yankees in 2009. He helped New York win its first World Series in nine years as he won his third Gold Glove and his third Silver Slugger Award last season. The Yankees were honored at the White House by President Barack Obama early in the 2010 season and Teixeira was mentioned by the President for the scholarship he created after one of his childhood friends, Nick Libertore, was killed in a car accident when they were in high school. "Not many people get singled out by the President in a good way," said Teixeira, with a big smile. "It was such an honor to start the scholarship. It was very special." Teixeira keeps in touch with Libertore's family regularly.

Teixeira, who made his big league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2003, is a special player on and off the field and is truly one of the good guys in the game. He hit at least 26 homers in each season of his Major League career through the 2009 campaign, with at least 84 RBIs and 29 doubles. He hit a career-high 43 homers for Texas in 2005 and scored 112 runs that season. He kept up his hitting when going to the Yankees.

"New York is not always a situation that's easy to come into your first year," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said of Tex. "It takes some players a little bit longer to adjust than others. He has done it all. He's been the complete package."

Off the field he is very active as well. Besides the scholarship in the name of his friend, "Tex" and his wife, Leigh, established the Mark Teixeira Charitable Fund that supports six $5,000 scholarships at three high schools in Texas. He increased that number to 12 in 2007. He has also been involved in the Cook Children's Medical Center, the Arlington Boys & Club in Texas and the Arlington Police Department, where they started a local Police Athletic League (PAL). He was named the 2006 Harold McKinney Good Guy Award by baseball writers in Texas. In 2009 he was a spokesman for the National Foundation for Cancer Research. Also that year he donated $500,000 to the Georgia Tech baseball program.

He played Babe Ruth League and American Legion baseball and as a high school player was an All-American and was named the top prep player in Maryland in 1997 and 1998. He also played soccer and basketball in high school. While in college at Georgia Tech he played in the Cape Cod League in Massachusetts and was named the top prospect in the league in 1999. He was a first-round draft pick out of Georgia Tech by the Rangers.

Teixeira shared his tips about playing first base with Junior Baseball readers.

To read Mark's 5 invaluable tips to playing first base, be sure to pick up the July/August 2010 issue of Junior Baseball. Click here to purchase now!

 

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