Farewell Mark Teixeira - a pro all the way

Though Teixeira has had a fine career, it looks like his body is beat up and is apparently retiring at the end of the 2016 season - his year-to-year numbers have generally been in decline for the past five years.

A one-time Angel in 2008, Teixeira hit .358 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI in 193 at-bats in a 54-game stint after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves near the trade deadline - he provided such a boost with a bat, that it was disappointing [even if any sort of long-term deal wasn't really meant to be] not to see him back with the Angels.

Losing Teixeira through free agency meant the Angels were compensated with a 2009 first-round draft pick - the team used the pick to select Mike Trout, who at 25, continues to build on a monumental career.

The circumstances that gifted the Angels with Trout was something that happened because Teixeira bolted for New York - so there maybe indifference but no real ill will towards 'Tex' after the fact.

After leaving the Angels, I probably hoped Teixeira would be more of an albatross as the years passed by - but in his first season with the Yankees, Teixeira got what he came for when he had another big season and helped the team win a World Series championship in 2009.

Teixeira was a polished college player when the Texas Rangers drafted him in 2001 and was a ready made big leaguer when he made his big league debut in 2003 - he really had some big seasons with the Texas Rangers and I thought he was going to be a superstar for years to come.

Thanks for the memories

Too bad your ugly mug won't be playing in Anaheim for the next eight years - for half a season, you gave the Angels a shot in the arm. Besides your offensive contributions in the second half of the 2008 season, one thing that impressed me was your athleticism at first base.

Can't really say 'good luck' to you in New York - but maybe you are following in your childhood idol's footsteps [Don Mattingly, as I have read]. You'll probably put up similar numbers as you have in your Major League career and as professional as any modern day ballplayer can be, you won't be the type to crumble under the New York spotlight.

To everyone else - Merry Christmas, happy holidays and may the new year, bring a new hope.

Featured pack break: 2008 Topps Update 'fat pack' or the Mark Teixeira Angels card of horrors

2008 Topps Update 'fat pack' [$4.99 each] - Target had a 'super fat pack' with 80 cards [$9.99], though I'll go with the 36 cards.

'Blister one'
UH 271 Brad Thompson - redundantly meh
UH 55 Cesar Izturis - redundantly meh
UH 13 Geoff Blum - redundantly meh
UH 116 Odalis Perez - redundantly meh
UH 158 Chad Durbin - redundantly meh

UH 200 Luke Scott - fun fact; hit the Baltimore Orioles' 75,000 home run in franchise history.

UH 177 Emmanuel Burriss - this card features Burriss in a 'half-bunt, don't know what I'm doing up here,' stance.

UH 129 Nick Adenhart - this guy has been beat up in 2008 but with as young as he is, you hope he can figure it out like guys destined to be good Major League pitchers do.
UH 240 Clayton Kershaw - the name 'Clayton' reminds me of Royce Clayton and Clayton Bigsby.
UH 286 Aaron Cook - I picked up the same card last weekend but I can use it somewhere.
UH 137 Evan Longoria - details his first Major League home run, a walk-off shot on June 9, 2008 against my Angels.
UH 316 Ben Sheets - redundantly meh, but I can use it somewhere.
UH 281 Chris Aguila - played in 8 games and had two hits in 12 at-bats; sounds like my Little League season a long time ago.
UH 113 Justin Morneau - redundantly meh
UH 129 Ryan Ludwick - I can use it somewhere.
UH 96 Vladimir Nunez - keeping tabs of the cards of players like Aguila and Nunez for my 'I can't believe this guy has made it back for a cup of coffee in the Major Leagues in 2008' collection.

UH 204 Franquelis Osoria - has his Terminator shades on while pitching.

UH 12 Trot Nixon - despite being a 1st round pick, Nixon was never really a great Major League player, but a guy who played hard and was a grinder. He was a definite 'fan-favorite' in Boston. The most likely Photoshopped image shows Nixon in the process of following through a ball he just hit. I realize it is a just a card of Trot Nixon, but it is awkward and isn't appealing. How does Topps choose these images?
Checklist - 2 of the 3
Topps Town promo card
David Wright promo card

'Blister two'

UH 223 Jeff Ridgway - to put things in perspective, he is a little younger than I am, but as a professional baseball player Ridgway has already gone through the fire. According to the Baseball Cube, he was a 14th round draft selection [only the 415th player selected overall] in 1999. He made his Major League debut in 2007 and had a 190.91 ERA, pitching a total of 0.1 batters, spanning three games while giving up seven earned runs. He was the player the Tampa Bay Rays traded to get super-sub Wily Aybar and minor league Chase Fontaine.

UH 289 Chris Gomez - he is a 'Real Man of Genius,' for his ability to play 16 years in the Major Leagues as a utility infielder. In his career, we see he went through a half-season phase where he slugged .513 in 2001, but he has been mostly the master of the 'empty batting average.' I personally think his ability to hit for average [.279, .341, .297 and .273] is impressive for a guy who was likely to get the bat knocked out of his hands.

Statheads will tell you his lifetime .325 on-base percentage and his .360 slugging percentage is where Gomez' lack of true value stands out - other than a guy who maybe a late-inning defensive replacement or a guy to fill in for a strictly limited amount of time.

Still, Gomez has bounced around for many teams - and is still able to earn a Major League paycheck and haunt the occasional Topps pack.
UH 157 Mark Hendrickson
UH 109 Alberto Callaspo - he bounced back from some personal issues, but might find himself in the class of Gomez as far as a guy who may hit for average, but not do much else middle infielder.

UH 21 Darrell Rasner - sold to Japan; looks like Shelly Duncan #17 is in the background is having his picture taken in spring training.

UH 117 Jed Lowrie - a beaming Lowrie looks to be a cornerstone in the Boston Red Sox' infield for the next five years as a guy who should be able to bang the ball around the place.
MRH-DJ Davey Johnson - Mets Ring of Honor insert
UH 78 Dallas Braden - gold parallel serial #'d 0243/2008
FC 19 James and Lucretia Garfield - First Couples insert
UH 136 Hanley Ramirez/Albert Pujols Classic Combos subset - picked up two of these cards last weekend

UH 137 Connor Robertson - AKA Ronnie Gardocki
UH 112 Josh Hamilton/J.D. Drew Classic Combos subset - picked up this card last weekend
UH 71 Mariano Rivera - remember getting a picture with him back in the day, about 10 years ago, but never being able to get his autograph since.
UH 305 Ben Francisco
UH 287 Chase Headley
UH 318 Kyle Farnsworth - I happen to think he is one of the worst relievers in baseball along with Scott Schoeneweis. They don't seem to have the consistency to get it done. There relievers who you consider 'automatic,' but go through bad stretches, but then there are guys like Farnsworth and/or Schoeneweis who are just not dependable. They walk too many guys, they allow too many hits and seem to make games longer rather than serve as the bridge from the starter to the closer.
UH 276 Corey Hart - though he is an American baseball player, it is a good bet, you'll always get the 'Sunglasses at Night' reference as recorded by the Canadian musician whenever a highlight comes on featuring the baseball player [thanks Neil Everett / John Anderson of ESPN].

UH 294 Mark Teixeira - I should be happy I pulled a Teixeira card picturing him as an Angel, but 'Tex' looks like he is dazed and confused. He really does look like he is constipated and needs to excuse himself to go No. 2. Thanks for the Teixeira card of horrors, Topps.

Fitting in just fine
Casey Kotchman's defense at first base was a thing of beauty - but new Angels' acquisition Mark Teixeira makes all the plays as well and there is something 'clean' about how he goes about his business at first.

Of course, Teixeira's calling card is his bat and from what I've seen - he's a guy who is a finished product. He takes professional at-bats, meaning he is looking to walk if he can't get something to hit. He is going to hit for power to all fields, whether it be a lefty or righty batter.

Something I'm going to watch [because I can and Teixeira will be Angel for at least the next two months or so] is his opposite field stroke from the right side - I think Teixeira probably has the best inside out swing as far as hitting the ball for power, though Derek Jeter is probably the best doing it on a daily basis.