Mark Teixeira - "I'm overpaid"

[StingrayJG]

Well, I do give him credit for speaking truthfully about what everyone obviously sees around the league with the vast majority of the big contract guys.

But what he's essentially saying is that since he was overperforming and being underpaid while in Texas, he can now be totally unapologetic about underperforming and being overpaid in NY. He just feels this is "evening things up." It's ok to be much less valuable to his current employer because at one time in the past he feels he was more valuable to a past employer. At least that's what I heard.

It's unfortunate when your team's on the losing end of that deal. But to be fair, they're the ones that agreed to pay him that much for that long. They made their bed.

[grizy]

For the most part, to be a great teacher, you need to be intelligent, educated and driven.

All of those traits translate to big bucks in other industries. Some forego the big bucks for security and flexible hours but vast majority of teachers isn't in it for charity.

Many do get into teaching to make the world a better place. But priorities change in a hurry when you got bills to pay and a family to support.

Good teachers need to be paid more, and bad teachers need to get fired. As things stand with most public teachers' unions, good teachers leave for better paying districts, leading to progressively weaker membership.

[Black Sabbathia]

My interpretation of this is that it's Tex's way of saying he's not satisfied with the way he's performed the last few years and he knows he needs to step up this season. Calling himself out basically.

I like that.

Kind of reminds me of the way A-Rod was talking before the 09 season.

We need Tex to have a big year, and he knows it too. Props to him for putting it out there and putting the focus on himself. That's what team leaders do.

[sweet_lou_14]

My interpretation of this is that it's Tex's way of saying he's not satisfied with the way he's performed the last few years and he knows he needs to step up this season. Calling himself out basically.

I like that.

Kind of reminds me of the way A-Rod was talking before the 09 season.

We need Tex to have a big year, and he knows it too. Props to him for putting it out there and putting the focus on himself. That's what team leaders do.

The way I read it, Teixeira was mostly managing expectations. He's basically saying, hey I was much more "valuable" (perhaps underpaid) when I was young like Mike Trout, and now I'm less "valuable" (relative to salary) as an older, highly paid player whose performance will never be the same again.

[LongtimeNYYFan]

The way I read it, Teixeira was mostly managing expectations. He's basically saying, hey I was much more "valuable" (perhaps underpaid) when I was young like Mike Trout, and now I'm less "valuable" (relative to salary) as an older, highly paid player whose performance will never be the same again.

That's my take on it as well.

[SatchelPaigeYankee]

cl

This whole thread is taking a pretty wide turn, but your post is spot on.

I'll add my two cents to this...instinctively, I want society to invest more in education and pay teachers more. That said, I'm not sure why any of us should completely believe that higher salaries for teachers would result in better results. I'm fortunate to live in a town with fantastic schools and our kids' teachers are truly outstanding. They're not doing it for the money...not exactly. Sure, they are there to earn a living, but people don't teach to get wealthy.

it's not that higher salaries would make better teachers (stats have shown they don't), but that, were salaries to go up, it would likely indicate that something else was going right. the salary increase has to be a result of something else. that something is competition.

Not really fair...capitalism isn't...and again I'd definitely support a general increase in compensation for teachers, but the larger point is that making it into a purely capitalistic system in education I don't think would have the results we would all want.

In baseball...it's artifical capitalism. Marvin Miller was smart and actually restricted supply on the market by not making players free agents right away...he positioned it as a concession to the owners, but it's at the heart of his brilliance in making it supply and demand, with artifical restriction on supply.

Bottom line...to compare economic system in baseball with how we compensate teachers will never work...it's a completely different set of principles, in my view...

in fact, we see that this isn't true at all in private schools. there we see competition, more qualified teachers, and higher salaries work hand in hand. 'artificial capitalism' can be created, like you say, but money has to go into it at the highest level. if public schools were more selective with who they hired (and could afford to do so if they had smaller classrooms and more expansive facilities, allowing risk to affect, say 15 students at a time rather than classrooms of 40) then it would make sense to offer higher pay. if pay/qualifications both went up (to say, 100k-150k, with more required years of preparation in different methods/pedagogy and also base knowledges), then people would more actively compete and be driven to take those positions.

this isn't about morals and principles. sure, being a doctor has some moral cache in our society, but no where as many people would do it if the pay wasn't as rewarding. and people are willing to spend the 7 years schooling because the pay is indeed so rewarding. and they have to spend the 7 years because there's so much to learn in order to become a (good) doctor. in (good) teaching, there's a ton to learn, too, but right now our society is just churning out (bad) underprepared teachers, paying them less, and discouraging competition.

For the most part, to be a great teacher, you need to be intelligent, educated and driven.

All of those traits translate to big bucks in other industries. Some forego the big bucks for security and flexible hours but vast majority of teachers isn't in it for charity.

Many do get into teaching to make the world a better place. But priorities change in a hurry when you got bills to pay and a family to support.

Good teachers need to be paid more, and bad teachers need to get fired. As things stand with most public teachers' unions, good teachers leave for better paying districts, leading to progressively weaker membership.

right. also, workers want better working conditions. i enjoy teaching, and don't care so much about money, but wouldnt wanna teach in a public school cause its such a crappy environment. a wholesale redesign of the educational space is required, first. so, like i said above, smaller class sizes, more holistic understanding and addressing of student needs (psycho, emotional, political, class, race, gender, etc.), and better materials, so that the typical classroom isn't such a sheitshow.

[Hitman23]

The way I read it, Teixeira was mostly managing expectations. He's basically saying, hey I was much more "valuable" (perhaps underpaid) when I was young like Mike Trout, and now I'm less "valuable" (relative to salary) as an older, highly paid player whose performance will never be the same again.

I agree, it's exactly how I took it. As far as him as a person though I am fairly certain he is as generous as they come. I'm not sure why anyone would say otherwise.

[JDPNYY]

I agree, it's exactly how I took it. As far as him as a person though I am fairly certain he is as generous as they come. I'm not sure why anyone would say otherwise.

One of my Butlers asked him for an autograph once and Mark said no.

[Bub]

...That entertainment is a product -- a luxury product, mind you -- that follows simple laws of supply and demand....

This is where the rubber meets the road. It's a shame that what used to be a relatively inexpensive afternoon at the ballpark, affordable by most folks, is large unaffordable by so many who would otherwise love to go. But, as you say, its supply and demand so the price is driven to maximize profits and the best players take a nice cut of it. There's no way out of it either unless they suppress free enterprise.

[Bub]

One of my Butlers asked him for an autograph once and Mark said no.

How is Lurch these days?

[JDPNYY]

How is Lurch these days?

Lurch works for the Addams Family. My Butlers are Niles and Giles. Before you get all over my case, they don't both work at the same time.

[Black Sabbathia]

The way I read it, Teixeira was mostly managing expectations. He's basically saying, hey I was much more "valuable" (perhaps underpaid) when I was young like Mike Trout, and now I'm less "valuable" (relative to salary) as an older, highly paid player whose performance will never be the same again.

Well, if that's true, it's a pretty stupid thing to say. Stupid in the sense of, it's so obvious, why even say it? Why say something that you know is going to attract a ton of attention to your declining numbers if you're resigned to the fact that you're in a continual decline?

Tex is as hardworking a player as their is, and I believe he has very high expectations of himself and is trying to light a fire under his own ass

[rajah]

In response to Sweet Lou and others --

I understand that Teixeira meant that he was overpaid relative to younger and more productive players like Trout. That is obvious. I guess it is nice that he acknowledges that, but it is no big deal, certainly not worthy of special praise.

I also understand that he is paid what the Yankees contracted for under the system set by a CBA, so based on our laws, he is not overpaid. And under those same laws, the profits drawn by the owners also are their right and do not represent an over payment.

But I believe that our laws, whether necessary to establish incentives or not, distribute wealth much too unequally.

I have no idea to what extent Teixeira contributes to charity and I apologize if my post suggested a criticism. I just meant to say that there is a much bigger issue here than the relative productivity of the players. I probably should not have injected that into the thread.

[JL25and3]

Lurch works for the Addams Family. My Butlers are Niles and Giles. Before you get all over my case, they don't both work at the same time.

Which one asked for the autograph?

[JDPNYY]

Which one asked for the autograph?

Giles.

[JL25and3]

Giles.

Really? I could understand if it had been Niles - he can be pretty pushy sometimes - but Giles is as nice as they come. Sounds like Tex was in a dickish mood that day.

[Bub]

Giles.

Yeah, he would.

[JDPNYY]

Really? I could understand if it had been Niles - he can be pretty pushy sometimes - but Giles is as nice as they come. Sounds like Tex was in a dickish mood that day.

Exactly my thought.

[Hitman23]

I have no idea to what extent Teixeira contributes to charity and I apologize if my post suggested a criticism. I just meant to say that there is a much bigger issue here than the relative productivity of the players. I probably should not have injected that into the thread.

sorry for sounding like an ass if I did. Some people assume things and Mark is a great guy who helps his home town baseball program immensely. He gives plenty back. I know there are a fair amount of greedy individuals in baseball and the criticism would be fair though.

[longtimeyankeefan]

The next time a family of four pays $200 to watch someone teach will be the first time. People always say teachers/soldiers/whatever should make more than athletes and honestly those are the people I can tell are plain stupid.

As someone who has both taught and served this country as a member of the military, I thank you for the demeaning comment.

[snapple]

sorry for sounding like an ass if I did. Some people assume things and Mark is a great guy who helps his home town baseball program immensely. He gives plenty back. I know there are a fair amount of greedy individuals in baseball and the criticism would be fair though.

Every year he seems to be up for some award for charitable giving. Also, when he got his first major league deal, first thing he did was open a scholarship in honor of a friend who had died in HS.

[ieddyi]

That is my opinion. It is based on my moral and economic views, which I do not care to debate on this baseball forum. I have a right to my views and you have a right to yours.

I will say only that the players have a more special talent and are what the fans want to watch. They also do not make or have nearly as much money as the owners.

But if you think the Steinbrenners deserve their billions while most Americans struggle and many around the world starve, you have a right to your opinion.

Easy solution- keep your moral and economic views to your self and instead post about baseball. If you do bring up those issues, you can reasonably expect comment, no?

[goin for 27]

In a new interview with the WSJ:

“I have no problem with anybody in New York, any fan, saying you’re overpaid. Because I am,” Teixeira said. “We all are.”

“Agents are probably going to hate me for saying it,” he continued. “You’re not very valuable when you’re making $20 million.

When you’re Mike Trout, making the minimum, you are crazy valuable. My first six years, before I was a free agent, I was very valuable.

But there’s nothing you can do that can justify a $20 million contract.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...sj_share_tweet

This is nonsense. A player can absolutely justify a $20M (per annum) contract. There is a reason that owners pay it.

Problem with Tex is that HE is not a $20M player. If he was playing like he did in 07, 08, or 09 as a Yank, he would be singing a different tune.

[Gusto]

This is nonsense. A player can absolutely justify a $20M (per annum) contract. There is a reason that owners pay it.

Problem with Tex is that HE is not a $20M player. If he was playing like he did in 07, 08, or 09 as a Yank, he would be singing a different tune.

Tex wasn't a $20M player when he signed the contract. He earned the contract with his cost controlled years, where he was paid below fair market.

[AJW]

Teixeira needn't feel guilty for making an enormous salary. I just wish he'd ditch the 'pull everything, including pick off attempts' approach at the plate as a lefty. I'd gladly trade some home runs for an increase in OPS.

Agreed. He has turned into Giambi Part Duex. He still can field better than Giambi though.