Writing the Pine

Photo Credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images

It seems like nowadays “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities are everywhere. On the streets of Manhattan, where “designer” handbags and watches cost $10. On the internet, where an “authentic” Kobe Bryant jersey can run you $40 with free shipping. It’s tough to narrow these opportunities to find a “real” deal. But if you look closely enough in Major League Baseball, and if you live in New York like I do, then one such kind of deal is right there on River Avenue. When the New York Yankees signed Mark Teixeira in December 2008, they invested $180 million over eight years in hopes that he could bring them to the Promised Land once again. Now you might think $180 million is hardly a “deal,” but what the Yankees got in return is a player that doesn’t come around too often. To say that the kid from Annapolis, who won the National Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year award in 2001, but has yet to win a World Series ring is a “once-in-a-lifetime” player might be a little extreme to say the least. However, when taking a look at the skills he possesses on both sides of the ball, the numbers he has put up so far, and the type of player he is, the idea of Teixeira being an extreme rarity isn’t so farfetched.

For one, switch-hitters themselves don’t come around often. In the history of baseball, there have been just over 1000 switch-hitters, compared to over 16,000 players that have ever made it to “The Show.” For all you sabermetric-mathematicians out there, that’s only 6.25% who can adequately hit both right and left-handed. That number alone puts Teixeira in a rare category. I know what some of you may be thinking. Is this guy serious? Is that the only reason why Teixeira is a “once-in-a-lifetime” player? Obviously not. But it does help put things in perspective when discussing the level of skill and talent Teixeira possesses. It’s hard enough to hit a baseball on one side of the plate well, let alone from both sides. If hitting a baseball is like an art form, then hitting a baseball equally well from both sides of the plate is like painting a masterpiece. A Picasso. A Da Vinci. A Van Gogh. Furthermore, baseball is turning more and more into a game of matchups. These days, you have lefty specialists, righty specialists, guys who pitch to one guy and then hit the showers. Managers engulf themselves in statistics, tendencies, and matchups and to have the versatility of a switch-hitter in a lineup can prove to be a valuable asset.

But “once-in-a-lifetime?” Consider this: although Teixeira’s resume is still a long way from being completed (injuries aside), the numbers thus far are staggering. Besides the 2 Silver Slugger Awards:

-He is the 3^rd switch-hitter in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first three seasons, the other two being Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones. One’s already a Hall of Famer and the other could be on his way as well. Regardless, Murray and Jones have established themselves as elite baseball players in their day.

-For switch-hitting 1^st basemen in their first five seasons, Teixeira ranks 1^st all time in HR, RBI, SLG% and OPS% (widely considered the most important but underrated baseball statistic).

-He is one of three first basemen in history to have hit more than 30 HRS and drive in more than 100 runs for five consecutive seasons by age 28.

But that’s only first basemen.

-Through the first six seasons, Teixeira’s 201 home runs are the most ever by a switch-hitter. Think of the aforementioned Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones. Think Mickey Mantle.

Sounds like Joe Girardi thinks Teixeira is once-in-a-lifetime too.

Now let’s look at the other side of the ball. After all, it is all about defense isn’t it? Defense wins championships. I, for one, could not have been happier to see the Yankees sign Teixeira as he’s a vast improvement over Jason Giambi. I’ve seen firsthand how Teixeira plays the field with grace and ease, as if he’s using a paintbrush, and not an oversized glove. In an earlier game against the Oakland Athletics, he snatched a hard hit grounder with a motion similar to Olympic Ribbon-ers. It was that ridiculous. Then look at just this past Sunday versus the Minnesota Twins. In the 9th inning, in a 2-2 game,  Tex dove to his right for a hard hit grounder with the infield playing in, threw a perfect strike to the catcher to get the force out at home from his knees. That’s right, from his knees. It preserved the tie so that Johnny Damon could get pie. It saved the game. There aren’t many people who can make that play. Extremely difficult. And if you need further convincing how valuable defense is, just check out the Mets vs Dodgers game on Monday night. In six full seasons, Teixeira has already won two Gold Gloves and something tells me his trophy case isn’t done.

Perhaps the most compelling trait of why he’s a “once-in-a-lifetime” player is not the switch-hitting, nor the slick D that he plays, but the role that Mark Teixeira plays on teams. He belongs in an even rarer category of star players who function better as a complement than being a lone star. How many times can you think of when you say to yourself, on paper, this team is the best, yet they don’t win? Star power these days doesn’t necessarily equate to championships anymore. The parity in the league is rising.  So how do star studded teams who win make it? Ask the Boston Celtics if a guy like James Posey is missed. I’ll say one thing; sometimes it’s harder to find a good complement than a star. And finding a legitimate star who is also an excellent complement? Well, you might be better off looking for diamonds in the back garden.  Ask Stockton and Malone how rare it is. Ask Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. Ask Ray Allen and Paul Pierce how valuable a complement Kevin Garnett is. Ask Kobe, who had Shaq, but couldn’t work it out. Ask Michael Jordan. Period.

While it is way too early for the Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez star/complement comparison, when Teixeira was in Texas, Michael Young consistently hit over .300 and even won a batting title in 2005, the same year Teixeira won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. In 2008, Young’s full season without Teixeira, he batted .284. When Teixeira was with the Los Angeles Angels, he joined Vladimir Guerrero and they fed off each other, going on to win 100 games. They ended up hitting .358 and .330, respectively, after the All-Star Break.

Currently, it may seem like A-Rod’s return has done wonders for Mark Teixeira. Heck, Mark will even tell you himself that some of the pressure is off his shoulders and he feels more comfortable. But by looking at A-Rod swing the bat lately, it seems that Mark Teixeira is complementing A-Rod pretty nicely there on River Avenue. And as they continue to feed off each other, the lines of whose complementing who will slowly begin to get blurred. Whether they’ll be Jordan and Pippen remains to be seen. But there is no doubt that in New York, a “real” deal, a “once in a lifetime” type of thing can be found by taking the 4 train to 161^st St.