Lisa Blumenfeld - Getty Images
about 2 years ago: ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 23: Mark Teixeira #25 of the New York Yankees is safe at homeplate in the third inning against Bobby Wilson #46 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on April 23, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
To mix metaphors but not not mince words, Mark Teixeira is a worm worthy of being squished in between the toes of a fastball to the temple of his helmet.
0 recs | 93 comments
Some are saying it was a clean hit but it's hard for me to believe....
that Tex couldn’t see that wilson didn’t have the ball yet. And even if he had the ball he could have easily slid or tagged the back of the plate.
It’s pretty obvious that Tex knew he was going to take him out because even though he had plate to work with he tensed his body up and stuck his elbow out, then went across the plate and slammed high into wilson. Then came back to tag the bag after he remembered he was also supposed to score a run and not just take out one of our players.
I hate to promote revenge but I hope he gets his tomorrow.
All in all tex might have won that blind sided sucker punch battle but we won the war. And i’ll be praying to the baseball gods for a sweep in this series.
I hope wilson comes out of this okay and even more ready to play ball at the pro levels.
Choke on your ring tex, you’re a real gentleman.
RexTookMyStash - April 24, 2010
PS.
I believe he’s now batting .118 on season, not bad for $180 million dollar player.
RexTookMyStash - April 24, 2010
.117 now, douchebag
Wilson clearly showed him the plate and he had a clear alley to slide. It pisses me off when former catchers like Girardi and Scioscia are defending this asshole. He was clearly pissed about being plunked and being jeered by the fans and this was payback. I don’t believe he wanted to take him out of the game, but he is still an asshoe.
Moondoggy - April 24, 2010
Scioscia is taking the high road.
red floyd - April 24, 2010
As is his wont
And it’s ill-advised, if you ask me. His policy of unilateral disarmament lets every other team in baseball know that they can play dirty against us with no fear of retaliation.
rspencer - April 25, 2010
i really hope he gets drilled tomorrow
screw Tex
big0lbad - April 24, 2010
Much ado about nothing.
If this was an Angel, everyone would be marveling at what a hard-nosed play it was.
There’s no crying in baseball.
bc56274 - April 24, 2010
Wasn't Erstad's collision with Estrada pretty close to what happened tonight?
~MMP~ - April 24, 2010
Yeah, and wasn't that COOL?
bc56274 - April 24, 2010
Hell yes.
TSamn15 - April 24, 2010
Estrada was waiting at the plate with the ball when Erstad barrelled into him.
It appeared to me that Teixeira was going to score on a close play had the throw been clean. Erstad was going to be out without his collision.
wumbug - April 24, 2010
Correct
Erstad collided cause he had to. Teixiera collided because he wanted to.
Match Day 5 - April 24, 2010
yes
Moondoggy - April 24, 2010
The Erstad play is one of the Top 10 plays in Angels History....
Not just because of the balls to the wall, take-no-prisoners effort by Erstad, but also because it was the pivotal play in a the late innings (7th Inning to be exact) of a tightly contested game. It won the game for the Angels.
Despite the fact that I’m not a Teixeira fan his play wasn’t dirty in my eyes. Some are saying that Wilson didn’t have the ball yet. However, once the player rounds third and is heading toward home he has to make a split second decision about what he will do. At some point you can’t turn back — you commit yourself to the play. I think that is what happened with Tex.
I think Tex is a mercenary, but this particular play wasn’t dirty.
Jack Frost - April 24, 2010
I don't often
agree with you, but this time I do. You’ve got to figure that a runner has to decide what he’s going to do about a step or two past the third base bag, and commit to that course of action. Once done, there is no turning back.
jjackflash - April 24, 2010
If my dreams had come true and I was a starting 1B for the Angels...
And that was Whore-Gay (cough ‘scuse me) Posada at the plate, I probably would’ve done the same thing.
By the way, it’s not like Torii Hunter really tried to slow down either on that error/infield hit he got which resulted in him colliding with U-Haul the very next inning at 1st. Yeah, he didn’t knock him down, but I can’t be the only person who noticed that.
Commander_Nate - April 24, 2010
"I did'nt see nothing officer."
44FAN - April 24, 2010
still a douchebag play
even the YES announcers were saying “looked a little high”
Moondoggy - April 24, 2010
The part of that story that still gets me is:
The line “The Angels already were without starting catcher Jeff Mathis”. I hate seeing that, Mathis listed as ‘starting catcher’. Ouch.
matthiasstephan - April 24, 2010
Why? Mathis had been doing exceptionally well helping the team win. Why should that hurt?
Now, if you said “Starting third baseman Brandon Wood” then I could understand.
AlanFalcon - April 24, 2010
Napoli's much better
Frankly, it isn’t even close
baetown415 - April 24, 2010
Nonsense
Wilson was moving towards the plate, which suggests to the runner that (A) he has the ball and (B) he’s going to attempt a tag. We have the luxury of multiple angles and slo-mo, but the runner takes this in almost viscerally and in a split-second.
There was no intent on the part of Teixeira to hurt anybody, and—as noted above—if it had been Hunter and Posada in the same play, the faithful would be crowing about what a bruiser Hunter was. A little objectivity would do a world of good for some here.
That said, it was amusing that on a later play at the plate with Posada taking a throw from right, he was ten feet from the plate. He must have feared some sort of retaliation and clearly wanted nothing to do with it. The payoff to the play with Wilson might have been an incident-free scoring play against Posada.
George Kaplan - April 24, 2010
it was legal, no doubt
but he clearly safe with a slide. He was sending a message and he’s a douchebag
Moondoggy - April 24, 2010
That can't be determined
We can say “he’s safe with a slide” because we have the luxury of replays. The player who is running home with the knowledge that the ball is coming (because the catcher is setting up to block the plate and has his body turned towards the arriving throw) isn’t turning his head left to see where the ball is. For those who have played the game and have been in that situation, the runner has a peculiar sense of tunnel vision. He has one responsibility, and that is to slide home safely.
Yes, he collided with Wilson, which is a byproduct of the catcher blocking the plate. It should also be noted that of the two, Wilson was the one wearing protective gear. Furthermore, it can be seen in the photos and replays that Teixeira made his contact with Wilson in the latter’s chest, which features the catcher’s chest protector. He didn’t try and take off Wilson’s head. What Teixeira did do was play the game hard; had this same incident happened with Teixeira in an Angel uni, the very same people complaining would be exulting him with hosannas about his tough determination to risk injury to score for his team.
The response in this thread, while perhaps understandable from the standpoint of fandom, is really pretty embarrassing. There are plenty of valid reasons to dislike the Yankees in general or Teixeira in particular. This incident doesn’t rise to those levels, not nearly.
George Kaplan - April 24, 2010
Lowered shoulder to Wilson's chin...not chest!
Watch it again…and Wilson is on 1st base side of home plate starting to move towards the plate w/out ball. You do not go after someone who is NOT blocking the plate. Cheap shot IMO.
K3YEROUT - April 24, 2010
Then watch it one more time
The two players are both at the plate. Wilson moved into the area around the plate, as if he had caught Abreu’s throw. WE know that he didn’t have the ball, but there is no way for Teixeira to know that. Both parties are moving on instinct and training.
In the final analysis, I take my cue from Scioscia, who didn’t see anything wrong with what transpired on that play. That Skeletor didn’t have a problem was understandable, but that Scioscia said it was part of the game speaks volumes.
George Kaplan - April 24, 2010
What are you, George, a mind-reader?
Opinions may vary as to whether Teix’s craven hit was justified, but you have absolutely no standing to speak authoritatively about Teix’s intent, nor what I would feel if the roles were reversed.
rspencer - April 24, 2010
A mind-reader? No.
Just ask my wife.
But anyone with an ounce of insight, sufficient honesty and enough time spent here over the past couple of years would know that, if the roles were reversed, many of those here who are lambasting Teixeira as a Yankee would have a different view of the play if Teixeira was making it for the Angels.
Not you? Then good for you. I seriously doubt you are representative of those who are calling for Teixeira’s skin right now, though.
George Kaplan - April 24, 2010
I hope you will forgive my brusqueness
but I was taken aback to see you of all people relying on such questionable rhetoric to make your point.
If the question is whether Teixiera’s hit was justified by good baseball practice, how one might respond if the roles were reversed is not germane. What is germane is the fact, unquestionably evident to Teixiera, that the rear half of the plate was clear, and also that he had to go so far out of his way to hit Wilson that he missed the plate. In my understanding of the game, attempting to take out a catcher is only justified if he is in possession of the ball and is completely blocking the plate, and a hit should always be delivered low. The fact that Wilson suffered a concussion is virtually prima facie evidence that the hit was excessively brutal.
For the record, if the roles were reversed I would be deeply ashamed, although I would like to see some sort of retribution (less brutal than Teixeira’s) delivered to the Yanks before they leave town.
rspencer - April 25, 2010
He could have avoided the collision
Wilson was on the 1st base side of home plate and even after he started moving toward the plate there was plenty of room for Teixiera to slide in without a collision. Even the Yankees announcers thought was no reason for what he did to Wilson.
billhune - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Thats the whole point of the play
The catcher sits on the first base side of the plate and then sweeps over to the opposite side to tag the runner out, which is exactly what Wilson was setup to do. There is absolutely no way that Texeira could have known whether or not Wilson had the ball or was going to catch the ball at the last second.
HungryHunter - April 24, 2010
Clearly a part of baseball...
tough to watch but within the rules and spirit of the game…Wilson is a tough guy – he’ll be OK…
Halopauly - April 24, 2010
No.
Collisions are a part of baseball. going OUT OF YOUR WAY to collide with someone when all it took was a slide, that’s part of professional wrestling. It didn’t even take one of these slides (http://tinyurl.com/256ds46) be safe. It coulda just been one of these. (http://tinyurl.com/2fsnhgr). THATS what made it dirty.
Figgi4life - April 24, 2010 via mobile
Question
For those of you think this was no big deal and a part of the game, would any of you have a problem with an Angel baserunner going for Posada’s head on a close play at the plate?
FWIW, it’s my opinion that Teixiera very clearly and quite intentionally meant to cause harm to Wilson.
HoustonHaloFan - April 24, 2010
I can honestly say if Morales or Rivera took out Posada's head in a questionable play at the plate
I know I wouldn’t be in here hootin and hollering about how awesome it was. It’s not like posada’s a rookie or a bad guy. If it were piysienski or whatever the hell is name is I’d definitely be high fiving everyone.
RexTookMyStash - April 24, 2010
I'll bet Kendry was ready to do just that
on the play at the plate in the bottom of the inning. Wimp Posada had plenty of time to attempt a tag, even though he was well to the right of home plate. He knew he would’ve gotten clocked and chickened out bigtime.
Fred Fredrix - April 24, 2010
Any other team that loses 2 catchers in 1 week ...
would be in serious hurt. Our roster depth is amazing compared to other teams.
I agree that there will be some kind of retaliation this weekend, it will be interesting to see if it is an “inside” pitch or something else not as obvious. Either way, chances of a brawl are high.
hbhalofan - April 24, 2010
Any team can survive losing two catchers in one week
As long as neither of the two is the best catcher on the team
baetown415 - April 24, 2010
A Giants fan *would* value home runs more than actual offensive and defensive production.
Beyond Barry Bonds and a World Series loss, what has that team offered in recent history?
AlanFalcon - April 24, 2010
Excuse me?
How can you make a case that Napoli is not hands down the best catcher on the team? Do a few weeks of games in which Mathis out-hit Napoli suddenly make up for their histories?
Also, 2 Cy’s. And last time I checked, the Angels haven’t been back to the WS either.
baetown415 - April 25, 2010
Napoli is not the best catcher...
but that’s a dead horse argument. He is the best HITTING catcher on the Angels, yes. But at catching, Mike Scioscia has said it and so have the starters … time and time again. They prefer Mathis as the backstop.
Even though I had Giants fans break my auto antenna and my car flags after 2002 G5 outside of Anaheim stadium, I would not have been as curt as Falcon just was… sorry about that.
Downing Rules - April 25, 2010
I don't like the YANKEES !
And i really don’t like tex or a rod but i would hate to see anyone head hunting…………….anywhere else on the body is fair game! and as far as a brawl go’s you will not have to worry about a rod he will make sure he is behind a few of his teammate’s ( just to hold him back ya see) good luck on the next game
RED SOX are #1 in my heart - April 24, 2010
But to answer the question is teixeira aworld class chump
He is a classless chump!
RED SOX are #1 in my heart - April 24, 2010
yep
and I’m still happy he didn’t sign with the Sux
Moondoggy - April 24, 2010
ahhh still a bit bitter?
hey you guy’s won last year why the hate?…………..oh and i am glad as well that we did not sign him
RED SOX are #1 in my heart - April 24, 2010
Sux, Skanks, A'ss
It’s not just you, don’t worry.
halofan4life - April 24, 2010
Throw in the Giants and that's pretty much the list
If the Red Sox went 0-162 and fenway burned to the ground, and the team was moved to Birmingham, Alabama, i would still hate them and I would be happy
Moondoggy - April 24, 2010
no...Teixiera, although a douchebag, is still a very good player
and i hate the Red Sox. A lot. No bitterness at all
Moondoggy - April 24, 2010
Well good luck today anyway!
I don’t hate the ANGELS ! but if you want to hate go for !
RED SOX are #1 in my heart - April 24, 2010
we all hate the RED SUXS
DAD OF VLAD - April 24, 2010
i hate the yankees more
princeton11loveshalos - April 24, 2010
He wouldn't want to mess up his pretty face..
otherwise how could he kiss himself!
LINK
(first time I did a linkie thing—pls forgive if I mess up)
hbhalofan - April 24, 2010
What is with free agents leaving becasue of there wifes?
Is the local So Cal school districts that bad or is fashion island to far for them gold diggers.
DAD OF VLAD - April 24, 2010
Have you ever shopped in New York?
44FAN - April 24, 2010
no but i have been to fashion island in Newport beach
DAD OF VLAD - April 24, 2010
NYC shopping is ridiculous
the largest Macy’s in the US. Most expensive shit in the world. I always hesitate to take a girl to NYC
princeton11loveshalos - April 24, 2010
collisions are part of the game. And I normally don't have a problem with them
However, with the plate open and a hit not needed, that changes this play from a hard baseball play to a little cheap.
I don’t think he was out to inflict pain, I think he caught between a slide and a hit ( as opposed to being caught between the moon and new york city)
Cheap…
Let’s hope Wilson is okay
Sinatrasratpack - April 24, 2010
History refresher: Vicente Padilla's antics from 2006
A few years ago The Frogman of Nicaragua (aka Vicente Padilla) was intentionally throwing at and hitting Angel hitters. Frog Face couldn’t get the Angels out so he’d just throw at them.
Read to refresh your memory.
August 2006
The next night the Angels did retaliate
Stuff like that explains why a chicken shit organization like the Rangers has finished behind the Angels for ten consecutive seasons.
Is it worth it for the Angels to retaliate regarding Teixeira? Probably not. Mike Scioscia will probably emphasize to the team that playing good baseball trumps tit-for-tat retribution.
Fan Since 1981 - April 24, 2010
For perspective, a couple of Tex quotes from the news this morning:
"I feel terrible. You never want to hurt anybody. You just want to knock the ball loose,’’ Teixeira said. "I’ve run into a dozen catchers in my career. Unfortunately, this is the only one that’s gotten hurt.’’
"As soon as he turned toward me, I figured he had the ball,’’ said Teixeira, who picked up Jorge Posada’s cue to slide. Though part of the plate was available to him, "In that instance, the only choice I have really is to kind of lower my shoulder and knock the ball loose.’’
Whether he meant it or not it’s hard for us to watch one of our young players get hurt. I don’t like the play but I also don’t think Pineiro hurting a yankee is going to make the situation any better or shed a positive light on us. My tone is different but I’m no longer as mad as I was last night.
RexTookMyStash - April 24, 2010
I hope Teixiera feels terrible for the rest of his life, and carries the guilt with him to his grave.
I believe Teix did what he did in an attempt to dislodge the ball from Wilson. Teix decided the best way to do that was to inflict as much pain and injury on Wilson as possible. Teixiera has to expect some sort of retribution down the line for willfully injuring another player.
44FAN - April 24, 2010
You know, if the team roles were reversed,
the Yankees would do something to retaliate; they feel that they are entitled………….kinda like Tiger Woods.
wumbug - April 24, 2010
the same thing did happen to the Yankees
in ST last year with their backup catcher. The only thing was that their catcher was clearly blocking the plate and the Ray’s player had no choice but to take him out. When he did the Yankees went ballistic. So apparently players can’t take out their catchers when they are blocking the plate, but their players are allowed to take out catchers when they aren’t. GFG Yankees.
MH252525 - April 24, 2010
For all those (especially Yankee Fans) who think Tex didn't do anyhting wrong
a quote:
"As soon as I came around third I picked up (Jorge Posada) who was telling me to slide," Teixeira said. "It was going to be a close play. I saw he was on the plate, but I saw he didn’t have the ball yet, so I started to get down and make my slide. As soon as he turned toward me, I figured he had the ball and in that instance, the only choice that I have is to lower my shoulder and try to knock the ball loose."
So a couple of things…
-Tex was being told to slide by his other pair of eyes; his teammate watching the play
-Tex Claims that “Wilson was on the plate” but we know that wasn’t the case
-“I saw he didn’t have the ball yet” To all those Yankee fans claiming he couldn’t see the play and was just going hard into the plate. Texiera admits, he saw the ball and saw his ‘home plate coach’ telling him to slide.
I still think it is not real dirty, just uncalled for. I have more of a problem with the Yankee fans and their reaction to it.
The media loves to tell us what classy fans they are and what smart baseball minds they have. Look at the comments when Wilson was obviously hurt on any Yankees blog, they were mocking and cheering. It would be understandable when there is a hard collision, but not when a player is seriously hurt, that is not class. As far as knowledgeable, they were also defending A-Roid for crossing the mound, they say that Texeira didn’t see the ball and it was a complete accident, the strikes that were obviously strike three’s were just ‘part of the game’ (when it happens to another team) and not bias towards a favorite, and that every hit batter from the Angels pitchers were on purpose and the Yankees pitchers were just inside pitches that got away.
They aren’t Intelligent baseball fans. they are your average East Coast, drinks too much beer, aggressive asshole fans. That if their team takes a shit on the on deck circle , it is made of gold.
Sinatrasratpack - April 24, 2010
You're right.......
wumbug - April 24, 2010
THIS
There was NO NEED for Teix to take out Wilson…YES, Teix is a World Class Chump!
Lastly, the non-called strike 3’s…these were not “borderline” pitches. These were flagrant strikes on lower half of zone…ie, great pitcher’s pitches. A little too obvious on the Umpire’s part! Let’s get something done about the calling of balls/strikes!
K3YEROUT - April 24, 2010
I was thinking about...
Maybe Conger will make his Major league debut these days? Can’t wait to see him facing big league pitchers even for 1 or 2 games.
jjlooney - April 24, 2010
Nope, Ryan Budde got called up
~MMP~ - April 24, 2010
LINKIE
K3YEROUT - April 24, 2010
I smell a bench clearing brawl...
TheMelkman - April 24, 2010
Dude, it happens. You just gotta hope you're not on the other end of it.
TheMelkman - April 24, 2010
Well missy, next time Teixeira tries to "slide" into home plate and Mike Napoli is there at which time
Mike Napoli shoves his foot down Tex’s throat, I hope you come back to Halos Heaven and say, “Dude, it happens.” And when your beloved $180 million 1B is out with injuries for a month or two, you say,“Oh well too bad we were on the wrong end of it this time.” Douche.
44FAN - April 24, 2010
"It happens"
Murders happen too. But they happen, so it’s okay, right? You just gotta hope you don’t get murdered?
Figgi4life - April 24, 2010 via mobile
I am not saying its okay. I am just saying that it happens.
We get injured. I don’t agree with what he did, but I understand why he did it.
TheMelkman - April 24, 2010
Then why did you write on the Yankees blog you were glad that it happened? Looks to me you are perfectly okay with it.
It looks to us you are a big fat liar and a hypocrite melky……
44FAN - April 24, 2010
PWND
Figgi4life - April 24, 2010 via mobile
bammo
and since he has never had roast beef at The Ritz, he is lying about that too.
Rev Halofan - April 24, 2010
In Melkman's defense, he's allegedly quoting Bogart, not stating it himself.
Other than that, he’s a big fat liar and a hypocrite.
red floyd - April 24, 2010
Maybe Rev was calling Bogey a liar?
;)
Downing Rules - April 24, 2010
wel Bogey WAS an actor
and actors are paid … TO LIE TO US.
Rev Halofan - April 24, 2010
So maybe I got caught up in the moment.
But now that I really think about it, I don’t truly agree with what he did. It was wrong, plain and simple. Like I said, I don’t necessarily agree with what he did, but I understand why he did it. Sorry if I came off as a douche. I’m only human.
TheMelkman - April 25, 2010
Tex is a world class chump
Such a dirty play. I guess he’s been taught and learned how to play yankee baseball.
The ump are afraid to make calls against them and this is never going to change. We maybe when “Bud” is gone (we can hope). How many of our batters had to be hit by a pitch before something is said?
As much as part of me would LOVE to see tex beaned hard…I’d rather see us win the game and talk with our bats.
angelsfan7 - April 24, 2010
and it was just part of the game when
Skeletor ordered his very handsome pitcher to hit Napoli in his first at bat and throw at him again in his next ab. I’m sure Girardi didn’t want to see the Halos’ last catcher have to leave the game because of an injury. Tex is right where he belongs; it’s a team full of world class chumps.
Idaho87 - April 24, 2010
I just watched it again.........
It ticks me off.
You can tell by the printed comments from Torii and Santana what the players think of it. Scioscia and Girardi are taking a wiser approach, hoping to avoid players’ injuries and suspensions. I think, however, that Girardi has probably told his players to expect something someday.
Since the first time I saw the video, I especially thought it was interesting to see Jeter’s reaction in the Yankees dugout as he walks away stroking his head. That could be complete indifference, or it could be an “Oh, My Gosh!” moment.
wumbug - April 25, 2010
And, I don't recall anyone mentioning
Gubiza’s initial reaction.
wumbug - April 25, 2010
What was Gubi
NJinHB - April 25, 2010
Oops
I was trying to comment “what was Gubi’s reaction?” I didn’t get to see the game. I’m still pissed about it.
NJinHB - April 25, 2010
Listen to the audio on the video link.
wumbug - April 25, 2010
No
Scioscia and Girardi are both former catchers. They both know what is means to man that position. Both men have had their ass handed to them by opposing runners.
That is the reality you keep skipping over. Scioscia, as a Dodger catcher, was on the receiving end of impacts which meant he had to be helped off the field. He’s no pussy, and likewise he has no illusions about what happens when one is a catcher. He is fiercely protective of his players, and if there was something wrong in that play, he would protest to the point of being fined by Selig if necessary.
He said it was clean. Case closed. Move on.
George Kaplan - April 25, 2010
I disagree with George Kaplan...
Scioscia and Skeletor are just saying it to be politically correct.
Even the Yankee announcers on the parallel video (the one linked in the article you provide is Gubi and Rojas) were saying that going in high was unnecessary and Bobby Wilson was CLEARLY showing the plate to Teixeira. It was a dirty retaliation for him getting hit. I hope Teixeira pays for that, somehow this season. He is the devil.
Downing Rules - April 25, 2010
Scioscia said it was clean. It looked clean to me.
Quit your fucking crying (April).
hauldog - April 25, 2010
You really should read this:
On Pinstripe Alley Saturday morning.
Even the Yankees’ guy thought something was amiss.
Look, it’s over. We took 2 of 3. But just like there’s no crying in baseball, no one forgets.
wumbug - April 25, 2010
Try this
link
wumbug - April 25, 2010
This is probably the one time I miss Lackey on the mound.
The man is good at giving out payback.
agent_99 - April 26, 2010
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