Practice makes perfect. So what do you do if you're a perfectionist? For
Mark Teixeira, that's an easy one. You practice even more. Pegged for
stardom as a kid and pushed along by a baseball-mad family, Mark was on the fast track until a not-so-perfect turn of events nearly derailed his major
league ambitions. The big switch-hitter landed with the up-and-coming Texas
Rangers, where he has been—what else?—a perfect fit. This is his story…

GROWING UP

Mark Teixeira was born on April 11, 1980, in Annapolis, Maryland. His mother, Margy, was a school teacher. His father, John (known as “Tex” to his friends) was a former Navy officer who worked as a manager for an aerospace firm. The family resided in Severna Park, an upper middle-class suburb of Baltimore bounded by the Magothy and Severn rivers in Anne Arundel County.

Baseball was part of the culture of the Teixeira family. Margy’s brothers had been good players, as had her father. Tex starred for Navy in college, and his brother, Pete, played at Florida State and then for several years in the Atlanta Braves organization. Margy and Tex dressed their son in baseball uniforms as an infant and toddler, and gave him a glove when he was one. By his fourth birthday, he was hitting, fielding and throwing with ease and confidence. A year later, he had made up his mind about what he wanted to be when he grew up: A major leaguer.

Mark lived in an area where the spring sport of choice is not baseball, but lacrosse. Of course, the Orioles played nearby, so he was hardly alone in rooting for Cal Ripken, Jr. Mark’s favorite player, however, was Don Mattingly, the All-Star first baseman of the New York Yankees. He has worn number 23 in his honor ever since. (Perhaps as an homage to both stars, he learned to hit from both sides of the plate.)

Mark was a perfectionist. He demanded more of himself than his parents did—which is saying something, considering their backgrounds. Blessed with a sharp mind and a strong body, he maximized his performance in the classroom and on the athletic field, tirelessly studying and practicing, and excelling at virtually everything he tried

One of Mark’s neighborhood friends was Mike Floyd. The Floyds lived on the next block—their front door was visible from the Teixeira’s backyard. Mike was a good hitter and outfielder who matched Mark in high school and ended up attending the University of South Carolina. His little brother, Gavin, was even better. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him with the fourth pick in the 2001 draft. Mark was taken by the Texas Rangers in the next slot. (What are the odds? Not very good. They were the first Baltimore-area players ever tabbed in the first round.)

In 1994, Mark enrolled at Mount St. Joseph, a private high school in Catonville. He made coach Dave Norton’s varsity, and after seeing sporadic time as a freshman, he enjoyed three solid seasons as the team’s third baseman. In 1996, the sophomore earned his first of three Baltimore All-Metro selections. In 1997, Mark hit .518 with 10 home runs in 40 games and was honored as Maryland’s top junior by USA Baseball.

Following the '97 campaign, Mark joined an American Legion squad, and eexperienced his greatest baseball moment when he belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to cap an 11-run comeback in a state playoff game. That summer, competing in a handful of leagues and tournaments, he batted .492 and compiled a staggering 105 RBIs.

By his senior year, Mark was a monster. He stood 6-2 and weighed well over 200 pounds. When he hit a ball it sounded as if it were shot out of a cannon. Mark hammered opposing pitchers to the tune of a .548 batting average with 12 homers and 36 RBIs. He also got it done in the classroom, graduating 12th in his class.

Needless to say, Mark was recruited by a number of top baseball programs, and eventually decided on Georgia Tech. The understanding with coach Danny Hall, however, was that he would turn pro if he were a high draft choice.

The Boston Red Sox, picking 12th, showed the most intense interest, and told Mark and his parents that they planned to grab him in the first round. The Teixeiras could not have been happier. Prior to Mark’s birth, they had lived in Maine and rooted for the BoSox. Scouting Director Wayne Britton let Mark and his family know that the team planned to offer a signing bonus of $1.5 million. The family, which was being advised by Scott Boras, informed Britton that they thought this number was a little light.

The Red Sox, in turn, circulated a message around the rest of the baseball world, suggesting that Mark was definitely college-bound. The implication was that no one should waste a pick on him. The strategy worked. On draft day, Mark followed the proceedings on the Internet, expecting to see his name pop up when the Red Sox went in the first round—or by some other team sometime shortly thereafter. When Boston’s spot came, they took University of South Carolina star Adam Everett instead.

Round after round, Mark’s name went uncalled. He was heartbroken. Finally, after more than 250 players were off the board, the Red Sox took him in the ninth round. Despite being submarined, the Teixeiras were willing to deal. Boston put the same 1.5 mil on the table. When Mark’s dad asked Britton if he could speak with Dan Duquette, he was told the GM would never call—it was a take-it-or-leave-it deal. At this moment, any thought of playing for the Red Sox ended. Mark then called Coach Hall and committed to the Yellow Jackets. Ten weeks later he packed his bags and headed south to begin a storied college career.

ON THE RISE

Attending Georgia Tech turned out to be the best decision of Mark’s life. It was heaven for him. When he wasn’t in class or honing his baseball skills, he worked on his golf game. Granted, campus life did not erase the sting of the Red Sox episode, but it came close.

Mark had a great freshman year, batting .387 (5th in the ACC) with 13 homers, 65 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 13 tries. His .640 slugging average and .478 on-base percentage led the Yellow Jackets. Recognized as the top college freshman by Collegiate Baseball magazine, he was the only first-year player on the All-ACC First Team. Unfortuanly, his outstanding campaign didn't put Georgia Tech over the top. At 38-20 record, the Yellow Jackets were not quite good enough for a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Mark followed up his freshman season with a huge year in 2000. He led the ACC in batting (.427), slugging (.772), on-base percentage (.547), home runs (18), and runs scored (104). Mark, in fact, just missed the conference Triple Crown, trailing teammate Jason Basil in RBIs, 83-80. He also topped the nation with 67 walk, and hit over .400 from both sides of the plate—an exceedingly rare feat for a young Division I player. Mark was the talk of college baseball and a near-unanimous selection for National Player of the Year.

Georgia Tech finished 50-16, won the ACC title, and blew through the NCAA Regionals with three straight wins. But they stumbled in Omaha, as USC bounced them out of the College World Series.

Over the summer, Mark suited up for the Maryland Battlecats of the Clark Griffith League, a 20-and-under circuit. He tore it up against some pretty fair competition, and in one memorable game he belted three home runs. As he rounded the bases, he received salutes from the opposing team’s infielders.

Mark also played for Team USA that summer, leading the squad in batting, runs, RBIs and total bases. Assuming he would represent his country in the Olympics that September, Mark was deeply disappointed when USA Baseball decided to use professionals instead of amateurs.

Mark's plan was to put in one more year at Georgia Tech and then go pro. But seven games into his junior season, disaster struck. In a game against Elon College, Mark drifted back on a pop fly to left. Shortstop Victor Menocal called him off at the last second, and as Mark tried to slide out of his way his spikes caught and then leftfielder Matthew Boggs crashed into him. The result was a broken right ankle that took two screws to repair and cost him most of the season. Mark returned late in the year for nine more games, and finished with a .419 average, five homers and 20 RBIs. Without it star for most of the year, the team still managed a 41-20 record and a tournament berth, but did not advance out of the regionals.

Mark ended his college career as one of only three ACC players with a .400 lifetime average. Broken ankle and all, Mark probably would have been the first overall pick in the draft had it not belonged to the cash-poor Twins. Instead, Minnesota was eyeing high schooler Joe Mauer. Boras, still advising Mark, wanted to pair him with his top client, Alex Rodriguez, in Texas. He communicated this to the Phillies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who steered clear.

Texas desperately needed pitching prospects, but the debacle of the 1995 draft was still fresh in the Rangers’ minds. That year they had used their first pick (seventh overall) on Florida State pitcher Jonathan Johnson, hoping he could be ready for the majors in a year or so. The next two players off the board were Todd Helton and Geoff Jenkins.

Despite a number of interesting pitchers in the 2001 draft, Texas would not make the same mistake again. GM Doug Melvin asked every scout whether there was a hurler who they would rather have than Mark, and every scout answered "No." Texas selected Mark with the fifth pick, knowing full well his ankle injury would not be a bargaining chip. With one year of college eligibility remaining, he could go back to Tech and re-emerge as a #1 pick. Boras, now acting as his agent, negotiated a $4.5 million bonus and a four-year major league contract for a total package of $9.5 million.

Mark took his time rehabbing his ankle, and then joined the Rangers’ instructional league team for 20 games and led the club with 13 RBIs. Although he projected as a first baseman or corner outfielder, the organization decided to keep him at third until his final destination became clearer.

Mark entered spring training in 2002 slated to start with Charlotte of the Class-A Florida State League. From there, the Texas brass hoped he would move quickly up the ladder. But Mark's progress was derailed during an exhibition game, when he ran into a fence chasing a foul ball. He suffered a partial tear of the flexor pronator muscle and ulnar collateral ligament on his left arm.

After a short rehab stint, Mark began his pro career in earnest on May 1, and rapped doubles in his first two at-bats. Overall, he collected hits in his first 12 games, batting .354 during the streak. Later in the month, mark posted a four-hit game. He was a no-brainer for Player of the Month honors.

Though his elbow still ached, Mark continued to rip the ball, hitting .336 in June. Mark was soon promoted to the Class-AA Tulsa Drillers, where he batted .316 with 24 extra-base hits in 48 games. Baseball America named him the third baseman on its Minor League All-Star Team, not to mention the top prospect in both the Florida State League and Texas League.

After the season, Mark made up for some of the time he missed that spring by playing for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League. In 27 games, lauched seven homers and knocked in 23 runs, and was second on the circuit with a .616 slugging average. His busy off-season continued in December, when he and his girlfriend, Georgia, were married.

MAKING HIS MARK

Mark earned a spot on the Ranger roster out of spring training in 2003, cracking a team-record eight Grapefruit League home runs. He split time between the outfield and with Rafael Palmeiro at first base, adnd was more than adequate defensivley, especially considering his lack of experience at these positions. Though Hank Blalock had nailed down third base, Mark started 11games at the hot corner, too.

The Rangers were managed by Buck Showalter and featured a nucleus of good young position players, including Blalock, Michael Young, Alfonso Soriano—who was acquired from the Yankees in a trade for Alex Rodriguez—Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix. With Chan Ho Park and Jeff Zimmerman hurt most of the season, the pitching was a mess. Closer Ugueth Urbina was the lone star on the staff, and he was traded in July to the Florida Marlins for prospect Adrian Gonzalez (who may one day move Mark to the outfield). In Urbina's absence, Francisco Cordero stepped up to become a reliable fireman.

The team finished at an unimpressive 71-91, but Mark had a terrific season. He led all major league rookies with 26 homers and 60 extra-base hits, and knocked in 84 runs. After starting the year slowly, with only two homers in his first 32 games, he hit 24 in his next 114. In the field, he went his final 36 games without an error. His only weakness seemed to be hitting righties, but no one worried since that had never been a problem in the past.

Every sign pointed to a breakout year for Mark in 2004, and he knew it. He started his season focused on improving his numbers, but a pair of injuries—a strained neck in spring training and a strained left oblique in April—dogged him early on. Finally healthy in May, he tried to do too much and frequently over-swung. Not coincidentally, there were a lot of pop-ups and K’s on the scorecard across from his name. On June 1 he was hitting .220.

In the month leading up to the All-Star break, Mark finally caught fire, hitting over .350 with a dozen homers—including round-trippers in five straight games. He blasted homers from both sides of the plate in a July 4th game against the Houston Astros, and stayed hot through the summer, driving in at least one run in 15 of the Rangers’ first 16 July games. In a contest against the Chicago White Sox, Mark launched an eighth-inning grand slam to spark a dramatic comeback victory and propel Texas into first place in the AL West. Weeks later against the Cleveland Indians, Mark hit for the cycle—the first Ranger in almost 20 years to do so.

From June 1 until the end of the year, Mark led the American League in home runs and was second to Miguel Tejada in RBIs. He finished with 38 home runs, 112 RBIs, 101 runs, a .281 average and a .560 slugging percentage. He raised his average 25 point from the left side, erasing the only significant weakness from '03, and learned how to take advantage of Ameriquest Field’s short rightfield wall. Mark’s walks rose and strikeouts fell, the sign of a young hitter on the ascent. While his errors also went up, he got to more balls than just about any other first-sacker in the league, and made only one miscue in his final 35 games.

More important, the Rangers were winning. Showalter guided the team to 89 victories, good for third in the AL West, just three games away from a playoff berth. Considering the only reliable starter was old-timer Kenny Rogers, the Rangers’ record was nothing short of miraculous. Needless to say, the bullpen played a major role in the team’s success, as did pitching coach Orel Hershiser, who convinced his players to induce more grounders for their young infielders.

The Rangers went shopping for a big bat over the winter, and drew interest from free agent Carlos Delgado. The slugger wanted to play first base, which would have meant moving Mark to the outfield. The Rangers flatly refused, and Delgado ended up inking a deal with the Marlins. The fact that Scott Boras represented Delgado also made Texas leery. Instead, they signed Richard Hidalgo, a good rightfielder with home run power who came at a much cheaper price.

Mark is a highly evolved switch-hitter. He has an excellent sense of the strike zone from both sides of the plate, and a keen understanding of how
pitchers are trying to get him out. His ability to lay off bad pitches, and
adjust to new pitching patterns, keeps him from falling too deeply into the
slumps that plague every young player.

Unlike most switch-hitters (who bat left-handed the majority of the time),
Mark is actually a better hitter from the right side. He has improved
against righties as a major leaguer, adding loft to his left-handed cuts. He
may one day hit .300 from both sides of the plate, and already has excellent
power as a lefty and righty.

Mark is quick around the bag and is not shy about whipping the ball around
the infield—vestiges of his early days as a third baseman. As one might
expect, he has picked up the footwork and positioning required to play first
base quickly. He rarely gets handcuffed and is almost always in the right
place for cutoffs on outfield throws. His comfort level with low throws has
boosted the confidence level of his infielders, who feel free to cut loose
on close plays.

As a consequence, the Ranger pitchers have been concentrating more on
inducing grounders than blowing hitters away. That said, Mark may be
ticketed for the outfield soon. Adrian Gonzalez has a terrific glove, and as
soon as he proves he can hit on an everyday basis, Mark may find himself in
right or left.