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08/05/2006 10:12 AM ET
Wild Pitches with Mark Teixeira
Rangers slugger discusses what he does in free time
By Ben Platt / MLB.com
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Mark Teixeira crushed three home runs in the first game after the All-Star break. (David Zalubowski/AP)
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Welcome to Wild Pitches, where your favorite players take time to chat about something other than baseball. The questions will, hopefully, provide you with a glimpse of the person behind the ballplayer, and maybe a few laughs, too.
He was one of the most sought-after players coming out of both high school and college, and Mark Teixeira has lived up to the hype as one of the best young power hitters in baseball. In 2005, the Rangers' first baseman had a true All-Star season, batting .301 with 43 home runs and 144 RBIs. The very amiable 26-year-old from Severna Park, Md., talks about his life away from the ball park.
Maryland is a great place ...
I loved growing up in Maryland. There are two teams now in the area, the Orioles and Nationals, so the baseball part of things is definitely getting more interesting. I was an Orioles fan growing up. I loved going to Camden Yards and watching Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray play. My whole family rooted for the Orioles, my parents still do, unless they play the Rangers.
Growing up near the nation's capitol ...
We spent a little bit of time going to the capitol. Enjoying the museums and all the sites and sounds of D.C. was a lot of fun. You see so much about Washington D.C. on TV and the White House. When you actually get a chance to go around there and see the streets and all the monuments, it's really special.
My fiends growing up would say I ...
Was very studious. I made sure I did all my work. School was very important to me growing up and education was No. 1. At the same time, I enjoyed playing sports. I guess you would say I was well-rounded. I was very social. I enjoyed high school and college. It depends who you talked to. My teammates, who I played with, would work hard on the field, but we enjoyed ourselves off the field too.
In high school ...
I was voted most athletic and maybe most likely to succeed. I don't remember. You'd probably have to check one of my old yearbooks. I don't know if I'll be able to make it back to Baltimore for my 10-year reunion (in 2008), but I still keep in touch with a lot of my friends from high school.
An average day at home ...
I just like to hang out with my son, Jack, sitting and watching "Baby Einstein" videos, playing with him on the floor or going on walks. I just spend as much time with him as much as possible because it's so hectic on the road and I don't get to see him, so I spend as much time as I can with him.
Fatherhood has ...
Completely changed my life. You realize what is really important in life and you realize your son is everything to you, so I've really enjoyed it. As for my daddy duties, if I come back from a long road trip, my wife takes care of it, but if I'm home for a couple of days, she'll order me upstairs to do some changing. I actually enjoy doing that, it's part of the job. I love doing that.
When I have some free time ...
I love to go to Mavericks games, Cowboys games, play golf ... But at the same time, if we want to relax and just hang out at home, watch a movie or whatever, we can do that, too.
My favorite golf course ...
Is Augusta National, no doubt. I got a chance to play that a few years back and our owner, Mr. Hicks, is a member, so hopefully we keep winning and go to a World Series, maybe he'll bring the whole team out there one day. Augusta is the Yankee Stadium of American golf, and to be able to go inside those gates and to play a course that is probably the most historic course in the whole world was a lot of fun.
My favorite TV show is ...
"24." I'm a huge fan of that and "The Simpsons." "24" is a great theme to have it happen in one day. Everything's in real-time, there's always twists and turns, you never know what's going to happen next and it keeps you coming back to see what happens. I'm watching all the seasons on DVD and I can't wait for season five to come out on DVD.
My wife and I love to watch movies ...
We try to see all the good ones when they come out. It's a little bit harder now that we have a baby, so we'll probably have to wait until they come out on video, but it's fun just to relax and just concentrate on the film for awhile. It's hard to pick my favorites, but "Top Gun" is right up there along with all the "Godfather" films. "Field of Dreams" still gets me choked up at the end and "Bull Durham" is still probably the best baseball movie of all time for a lot of different reasons.
I like all kinds of music ...
Especially country. When I work out, I like hard rock and rap. My taste runs the board from Metallica to Jay-Z, DMX, just to get you going. To relax, it's Jack Johnson or George Strait.
If I hadn't been a ballplayer ...
I would have worked in the business world. I was a business management major in college and that's the direction I would have gone in if I didn't play, but I've always wanted to be a baseball player. Everyone in my family played, and I just enjoy playing the game.
When I'm done with the game ...
I would love to get into charitable work. I have my charitable fund that works with a lot of different groups in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as well as back home in Baltimore and Atlanta. I would love to continue that and get involved on a much larger scale when I'm done playing. What we do on the field is so small in comparison to the good we could do in the community. It's nice to be a good ballplayer and to have success, but if you don't help other people in life, it's really not worth it. Ben Platt is a national correspondent for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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