Don't Mess With Tex

I've seen dozens of articles this week about the positive effect free agent signee Mark Teixeira is having on the Yankees, and I hate to jump on the bandwagon, but here I go!

How does Teixeira make the Yanks better? Let me count the ways...

1. He's a huge upgrade in the #3 spot in the line-up over Bobby Abreu offering better protection for both Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez. And much like A-rod, he makes everyone in the line-up better. Teixeira and A-rod form a lethal 1-2 punch, much like Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz did for the Red Sox the last 5 years or so.

2. He's an enormous upgrade defensively, transforming the Yankees from a terrible defensive team, to one of MLB's best. Teixeira gets to balls Jason Giambi wouldn't even sniff, he can actually throw (unlike Giambi), and catches everything A-rod, Jeter and Cano throw at him. Strange how all of a sudden Jeter's a great defensive shortstop again, isn't it? He can thank Mark Teixiera.

3. Teixeira is a model citizen, and says all the right things, a la Captain Jeter.

4. His head is always in the game, and he does countless "little things" to make the team better.

Last night's game vs. Texas was a perfect example of point #4. With the Yankees and Rangers tied 3-3, Teixeira slid hard into second base, breaking up what surely would have been an inning-ending double-play. Instead, the runner at first (A-rod) was safe, and the Yankees went on to score 6 more runs in the inning, on the way to a 12-3 rout. Teixeira didn't even have a hit in the game, but his smart play turned the game around.

Brian Cashman deserves a ton of credit for this one, laying in the weeds and snatching Teixeira from the Angels and Red Sox at the very last moment. Because, right now, without Teixeira, that Yankees wouldn't be anywhere near first place. Cashman just may have found the missing piece that vaults them over the Red Sox, and gets the Yankees back into the World Series.