ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Chipper Jones says he can’t imagine what it was like to be Mark Teixeira on Tuesday.
The lifelong Atlanta Braves third baseman and his .403 batting average weren’t the biggest story heading into the opener of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers. Instead, it was Teixeira’s return to a place he spent five years.
Teixeira seemed the perfect fit – right down to the nickname – for a Rangers career at least as long as Jones’ 14-year run with the Braves. For five years, “Tex” captivated fans as the slick-fielding first baseman who, like Jones, could hammer the ball from both sides of the plate.
Looming free agency led to a deal with Atlanta at the trading deadline last year, sealed by Teixeira ripping the financial commitment of the team that drafted him about the same time he was turning down a $140 million contract extension.
“We all have our day where we get released or traded or have to move on,” Jones said. “I certainly hope that day never comes for me.”
When the day of his return came for Teixeira, he didn’t have any hard feelings.
“We had five great years here,” said Teixeira, who spent Monday night at his house in suburban Westlake for the first time in months. “No hard feelings at all. I’m in a great situation now. I’ve never been happier.”
He showed it by smiling a lot during a pre-game dugout interview with reporters, then making the rounds with hugs and handshakes while the Rangers took batting practice.
The fan interaction was more limited, although he flashed a thumbs-up sign and deposited a few home runs into the seats – from both sides of the plate – during batting practice.
The crowd’s reaction was mixed before he flied out to center field in his first at-bat. The first pitch from Vicente Padilla was a high and tight fastball that spun Teixeira around, prompting another round of boos – and oohs.
“I look out on the field, there are a lot of guys I don’t know,” Teixeira said before the game. “It’s definitely a different team than the last couple of years that I was here.”
All-Star shortstop Michael Young is still a Ranger, and a “friend for life,” Teixeira said. They conversed briefly on the field after talking on the phone earlier in the day.
“He played hurt, played hard and played to win,” Young said. “As a teammate, you can’t ask for much more than that.”
Teixeira enters free agency after this year, and he said there were no plans for talks until after the season. His agent, Scott Boras, has engineered some of the biggest contracts in baseball history. Teixeira’s could be the next one, and Jones wonders whether it’ll be in Atlanta.
“We’re not the large market we used to be as far as payroll goes,” Jones said. “If he wants to move on and go for top dollar, he’s probably not going to get it here. But if he feels comfortable here and the Braves make a good offer, he’ll sign back.”
Teixeira still hasn’t made a long-awaited playoff appearance because the Braves have missed the last two postseasons after qualifying 14 consecutive times. There’s no difference between the teams this year – both started Tuesday at 35-36, battling to stay in playoff contention.
Regardless, Teixeira’s view of the trade remains unchanged.
“It was the right move for the Rangers,” he said. “If you look at it as, ‘I only have “x” amount of dollars to spend and I have “x” amount of players that are going to be coming through my system, I’ve got to figure out how to make my team as good as possible.’
“And sometimes it is trading away a free-agent player.”
Even if that player has a chance to become the Chipper Jones of your organization.
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