Teixeira News Most Will Never Know

There's a lot of under-the-surface Teixiera stuff I keep coming across. It's substantial enough to post here. It also proves a point that's been lost, forgotten, overlooked, and ignored since Mark Teixeira reached an agreement in principle with the New York Yankees. That point is Mark Teixeira wanted to play for the Yankees. He chose us. I like that.

Don't believe it? Fine, but if you think its all about the money (like I did), you'd be surprised to find out (like I was) that the Washington Nationals had a better deal in place. In fact, Texiera turned down 5 million more of Washington's money to play for the Yankees. He never gave Washington a chance to go even higher as well as he ran towards Brian Cashman's outstretched arms once the first offer hit the table.

Not surprising enough for ya? Get this, one of the reasons Mark was difficult in negotiations with the Red Sox, so difficult that the Theo-Henry Man-Boy Love Association left the negotiating table and cried to the media, stems from a little draft day strong arm tactics Boston tried way back when Mark graduated high school in 1998.

Apparently Boston wanted to sign him in the first round of that year's draft. They offered 1.5 million (who knows how much over slot that was in '98?) and then bad mouthed the kid to 29 other teams when he turned them down by saying he wouldn't sign. Then Boston drafted him in the 9th round. Needless to say, Mark turned that one down and went to College, but something tells me a little piece of him has burning towards Boston for the past 10 years.

I tell ya, the 2009 baseball season gets more interesting by the day and were not even out of 2008.