Teixeira Already Becoming a Leader by Rejecting WBC

Bronx Baseball Daily

Mar 20, 2009

The World Baseball Classic has taken many players around the major league away from their teams this spring and in some cases it has been viewed as a very negative thing. For Mark Teixeira that was not going to be an issue during his first spring training with the Yankees.

mark-teixeira-jeter According to Tyler Kepner of the NY Times, that was never going to be an issue as Teixeira reportedly told the union back before he filed for free agency that he would not participate in the WBC because he most likely would be with a new team.

Team USA initially had no room for him with Kevin Youkilis on board, but after an injury to Youk and a horrible experience in the field with his replacement Adam Dunn, the WBC certainly would have come calling on Teixeira to fill the hole. Fortunately for the Yankees, Teixeira is ineligible to play in the WBC now because he was never placed on the provisional roster thanks to his foresight back in October. It’s a move he doesn’t regret.

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“Baseball’s fun; whether it’s your team or the W.B.C., you’re going to have fun,” he said. “But for me, in my first year with the Yankees, it’s much more important to be with my new teammates. I’m just starting to learn what guys like to do, getting to know them a little better personally on and off the field, and I’ve been here every day. So if I wasn’t here, I’d almost start the season without knowing my team.”

It’s a very good sign for the Yankees. It means this is a guy who is taking his role on the team seriously. It’s a better move because he’s under a contract for the next eight years and he’s eventually going to have to rise up and take over as the leader of this team once guys like Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter step down and retire.

“You wanted to get to know them because they’re leaders, and Mark’s a leader,” Girardi said. “You want his teammates to get to know him as quick as possible, and I want to get to know him as quick as possible.”

“It’s like when you talk with him, there’s an expectation of doing things right,” Girardi said. “He’s very conscientious of how he plays and how his teammates play, and I really like that, because that’s the accountability that you want in a player.”