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Mark Teixeira keeps his priorities straight even

when his eing Mark Teixeira these days is tougher than you might think. It involves obsessive workouts five or six days a golf shots week; a strict gluten-, dairy-, and sugar-free diet; restora- tive therapeutic sessions of acupuncture, chiropractic, and steel-bar soft tissue manipulation. And even if adapt- aren’t. ing a deeply conservative nature to life in the Big Apple and fitting into the perpetual media frenzy that surrounds BY RAY TENNENBAUM the somehow comes naturally to you – Photograph by Andrew Levine well, it still adds up to a lot of work.

THE MET GOLFER • APRIL/MAY 2016 31 Teixeira has been a So maybe it’s not surprising Teixeira doesn’t to switch-. After he batted .518 his senior year consistently valuable asset for sweat his golf game. “I don’t play enough to really of high school and graduated 12th in his class, he the Yankees since joining the work on my swing. I have a few swing keys, and decided he would attend college unless he was club in 2009. Inset: Teixeira since I’m only playing in the off-season, I just work drafted in an early round. Prior to the 1998 draft, at , where he on those keys and just play,” he said as he relaxed Teixeira and then-advisor received was the regular third on the veranda of the Burning Tree clubhouse in assurances from the that they baseman. Greenwich last October, a week after the Yankees’ would draft him in the first round. However, season ended in a disappointing loss to the Hous- according to Teixeira and Boras, when he would ton Astros in the AL wild card game. not agree to a $1.5 million bonus, the Sox let him “For me, golf is very much a vacation, a way to slide – and apparently put the word out to other get my mind off things for four hours of the day, a teams that he wanted to attend college, which time to hang out with my friends and be outdoors. explains why he wasn’t drafted until the 9th round, So, you know, when I’m playing golf—while I am by none other than the Red Sox. Disappointed, competitive, and I want to play as well as I can—I Teixeira decided to go to Georgia Tech. definitely don’t grind it out, ’cause I do that for Things worked out pretty well at Tech, where nine months during the season.” Teixeira earned the as the The dedication that has made him one of the national collegiate baseball player of the year and game’s most reliable performers has been in evi- was an Academic All-American in 2000. Drafted dence practically since he was in the cradle. Born by the with the fifth pick in 2001, he and raised near , Mark was given his first raced through the minor leagues and established baseball glove when he was one, and decided he himself as a major-league regular at age 23. In his was going to be a major-leaguer when he was five: first four seasons he averaged 35 homers and 112 his mother’s brothers and father had been stand- RBIs, finishing fifth in the Rookie of the Year out players, and his father had excelled for Navy. balloting, receiving MVP votes in two seasons, win- Though was Mark’s favorite ning two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers, and player, the Orioles’ fueled his desire making one All-Star team. As his free agency drew COURTESY NEW YORK YANKEES; INSET: GEORGIA TECH GEORGIA INSET: NEW YORK YANKEES; COURTESY

32 THE MET GOLFER • APRIL/MAY 2016 WWW.MGAGOLF.ORG nearer, Texas traded him to Atlanta, who the fairway I’m very happy with”) and has Another Baker’s Bay matchup was with sent him along to the . to fight a tendency to revert to his batter’s Ray Romano (“hilarious”), and on a spring After the 2008 season he was free to sign instincts, especially off the tee: “My baseball training outing when he was with the with anybody, and he accepted a $185 mil- swing is a back leg swing, so when you trans- Braves, John Smoltz (“Shmoltzie’s a really lion, eight-year deal from the Yankees. late that to golf, that’s that high, up-and- good golfer, he loves playing”) challenged In 2009 he was a critical ingredient in the away fade. So I have to really force myself to Tex, Tom Glavine, and straight Yanks’ World Championship, leading the get to my front side so I can square the club up against their best ball – and won. in home runs with 39 During baseball season it’s nearly impos- (tied with Carlos Peña of Tampa Bay) and sible to make time for a round, and on some RBI with 122. From 2010–2012, Teixeira “If you’re teams, including the Yankees, golf is a don’t maintained his run-producing form, but ask/don’t tell proposition. “Other teams, it’s health problems and injuries sidelined him thick-skulled in golf, another story, but bringing clubs on the much of the next two sea- road is frowned upon with sons; he returned to form in the Yankees. If you’re going 2015 before fouling a ball to go play golf, it’s fine, do off his shin in August, caus- what you want to do on ing a hairline fracture that your off day, but don’t be ended his season. bringing your clubs in front By nature analytical—a of everyone on the plane.” career-long asset—Tex is Though he remembers a steadfastly matter-of-fact round at Pebble Beach and unhesitating. Asked where the Yankees were how he can maintain a 10 guests back in 2010, he is Handicap without really hard-pressed to think of trying: “I un derstand that another devoted golfer on double bogeys and triples the squad apart from Brian are out there, you know, McCann and former team- that’s just going to happen mate . during a round. It’s easier Asked to compare his for me to get past a bad hole mental approach to golf or two because it’s almost and baseball, he pauses to expected. Just like in base- consider. “Sometimes you ball, I expect to strike out, I don’t have your driver that expect to make an out day, so you gotta break out [sometimes] and not get the 3-wood or a hybrid. the job done, and so it’s real- Some days your 56-degree ly about maximizing suc- wedge isn’t working, so use cess. I don’t worry about the your 52 and open the club- bad holes, but let’s make sure I par or birdie face up a little bit. There’s ways that you a few holes as well.” your score at the end of manage the course. For the young Mark Teixeira, golf start- the day is going to “During a long baseball season, you have ed as a way to connect with his dad. “It was to manage different things—injuries, your all about spending time together. Once I got reflect that.” approach versus a —you know, ‘This to be 13 years old, my dad and I wanted to pitcher keeps beating me in; I’m not going be active together and play sports together, —Mark Teixeira to keep trying to hit the ball in. I’m gonna but it’s a little bit tougher to play baseball or wait for an off-speed pitch and hit the ball basketball or soccer with your dad at that up and turn the ball over.” The best part of away.’ age.” John “Tex” Teixeira had played a little his game is chipping and putting to com- “If you keep snap-hooking your drives golf, but father and son were both hackers pensate for a “terrible” mid-iron game. the first six or seven holes, eventually you in those days, with Mark employing “a half Talking about the noteworthy personal- need to start making that adjustment and baseball swing” that served until he got to ities he’s enjoyed playing with gets him grin- start hitting a different club off of the tee. If Georgia Tech. ning. At Bakers Bay, a Discovery Land you’re thick-skulled in golf, your score at the At school he befriended some of the Yel- property in the Bahamas where he spends end of the day is going to reflect that. Base- low Jackets on the golf team, including Matt part of each winter, he partnered with head ball’s the same way whether it’s during a Kuchar and Bryce Molder, who Teixeira says pro Cody Shining in a match against game or during a season, if you’re thickhead- helped him work on his form: “It’s not per- Graeme MacDowell and Baltimore Ravens ed and don’t make the adjustments, your fect, but at least it’s a real golf swing.” He’s owner Steve Bisciotti – only to lose, he stats are going to suffer because of that.” not especially long (“people expect me to confesses ruefully, thanks to his missed par Making adjustments is something Teix- hit the ball 350 yards, but you know, 270 in putt on the 18th. eira’s done with notable success in the last COURTESY OF DISCOVERY LAND COMPANY OF DISCOVERY COURTESY

34 THE MET GOLFER • APRIL/MAY 2016 WWW.MGAGOLF.ORG COURTESY OF HARLEM RBI COURTESY

Teixeira takes a hands-on approach to supporting Harlem RBI, a youth development program that emphasizes baseball and academics. few years. “It’s out of necessity. I mean, I a while to get back to it because you try to Hills, he acknowledges his work is cut out want to be really, really good at everything do the things you were doing before – for him. “I don’t get to play a lot around here, I do, whether it’s playing golf, baseball—or they’re not working, so now you have to I still need to play Pine Valley, I still need to Ping Pong with my kids—I want to be real- make the adjustments. play Winged Foot, Bethpage Black.” Taking ly, really good at it. I think the best athletes “That’s life, though. I love watching foot- the time for golf is one of several factors mit- figure out ways to get the job done. And the ball, and it seems like every third play, some- igating the bittersweet prospect of retire- ones that don’t make adjustments, the ones one goes off the field with an injury. Do you ment. “When I’m done playing baseball, that don’t change their diet, change their stop playing? Do you quit? No. You play, and which is anywhere from one to five years workout, change their equipment, whatev- if you’re injured you deal with it and you get from now, I’m going to play a lot of golf. I’m er it might be, when they need to – they’re back on the field when you’re healthy again. definitely going to want to get a low - the ones that end up being kind of forgot- “And that’s kind of the way life is, you’re digit handicap and actually work on my ten about.” going to get knocked down, you’re going to game.... I also want to go out and play all the His path took its most recent unexpect- fail, you’re not going to get the promotion, [great] courses not only in the metro New ed turn when he tore the tendon sheath in you’re not going to get into the school that York area, but also around the world.” his right wrist early in the 2013 season. “My you want to get into – so you dust yourself Family is, once again, foremost. Just as first ten years of my career were as good as off and keep trying.” he’s enjoyed the game through the years I could ever have expected—very few Many things bind Teixeira to the Met with his father, who’s “actually gotten pret- injuries, tons of success, all the numbers I Area: his kids’ schools, his affection for ty good, he’s retired now and he plays a lot could have asked for—and when I got hurt, Broadway and the glitter of of golf, I still have to give him some strokes” – it just threw a complete wrench into every- (fans who enjoyed his “Entourage” cameo he looks forward to sharing the game with thing. Your body starts feeling worse, your a few years ago will be able to see him make his three children, two of whom are old swing starts feeling bad. So [those] two a guest appearance in Showtime’s “Billions” enough to take lessons at Burning Tree, and years, 2013 and ’14, were a huge adjustment this season), his charity work on behalf of his wife, Leigh. “That’s why I want my kids period. I made those adjustments [in 2015] Harlem RBI, a youth development program to play golf –I mean, if my kids play no other and ended up having a great season. centered in Harlem and the South Bronx. sports but golf, I’d be happy because it “You see golfers do that, too. I follow the If he chooses to pursue opportunities in means once a week or once a month I get PGA Tour, and you see guys, they have a television, he’s certainly in the right place. 4–5 hours with ’em: just us on a beautiful little tweak, something gets hurt, a little back He isn’t shy about talking about the Met course with nature.” injury or whatever, they miss time because Area golf courses he’d like to play. Though He sure looks like he’s found the sweet they tore their knee up skiing, it’ll take them his hands-down favorite is Shinnecock spot. ■

36 THE MET GOLFER • APRIL/MAY 2016 WWW.MGAGOLF.ORG