Mark Charles Teixeira (/teɪˈʃɛərə/ tay-SHAIR-ə; born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex",[1] is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and New York Yankees.

Drafted fifth overall by the Texas Rangers in 2001, Teixeira made his MLB debut on Opening Day in 2003, and hit 26 home runs as a rookie.

The centerpiece of consecutive mid-season trades in 2007 and 2008, the Rangers first sent him to the Braves for a prospect package centered around Elvis Andrus and Matt Harrison.

In December 2008, he agreed to a lucrative eight-year contract with the Yankees, contributing his most productive season with the team the following year.

Injuries limited his effectiveness afterward, including a calf strain in 2012, early season-ending wrist surgery in 2013, various ailments in 2014, a shin fracture in 2015, and neck spasms and torn cartilage in 2016.

His paternal grandfather emigrated from the South American country Guyana, and he has English and Portuguese ancestry through his father.

[citation needed] Teixeira began the 2002 season with the Charlotte Rangers of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, where he batted .320 with an OPS of 1.000 in 38 games.

He was then moved up to the Tulsa Drillers of the Double-A Texas League, with whom he batted .316 with a .994 OPS and hit 10 home runs in 48 games.

During the game, Teixeira hit a home run from the right-hand side of the plate, something he had failed to do in the entire first half of the season.

[citation needed] In 2005, Teixeira became the third switch-hitter in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first three seasons, after Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones.

He is also one of just five players in Major League history to hit at least 100 home runs in his first three seasons, joining Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Ralph Kiner, and Eddie Mathews as well as former first base star, Albert Pujols.

On July 31, 2007, two weeks after turning down an eight-year, $140 million contract extension from the Rangers, Teixeira was traded to the Atlanta Braves (along with left-handed reliever Ron Mahay) for catcher/first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and four prospects: shortstop Elvis Andrus, and starting pitchers Matt Harrison, Neftalí Feliz and Beau Jones.

He was promptly shown on Turner Field's high definition video board and received a boisterous applause from the Atlanta crowd.

[21] Batting third in the Angel order, Teixeira hit .358 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs after the trade to help his new team to their first 100-win season in franchise history.

Through 2011, he was one of seven major leaguers to have had at least four 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons in their first five years, along with Chuck Klein, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Ralph Kiner, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Braun.

On May 8, Teixeira became the second Yankees player to hit three home runs in one game against the Boston Red Sox, joining Lou Gehrig, who accomplished the feat on June 23, 1927.

[27] On June 20, against the New York Mets, Teixeira hit a grand slam off Johan Santana, proving to be the Yankees' only offense of the game in the 4–0 victory.

[30] In August 2011, Teixeira and Curtis Granderson became the first Yankees teammates to have 30 home runs in 115 games since Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961.

[31] Through 2011, he had the third-best career fielding percentage among major league first basemen (.996), behind Casey Kotchman and Kevin Youkilis.

Teixeira spent some time on the disabled list with the calf strain from late August until early September.

[38] On March 6, 2013, Teixeira suffered a strained wrist tendon while he was part of Team USA of the World Baseball Classic.

Listed as day-to-day, Teixeira missed nearly two weeks and was sent back to New York on August 31, 2015, to visit Yankees head team physician, Dr. Christopher Ahmad to seek second opinions.

[58] He followed teammate and fellow switch-hitter Carlos Beltrán, who had also hit his 400th career home run for the Yankees less than two months earlier on May 15.

[60] On August 5, Teixeira held a press conference in which he announced his intent to retire at the end of the season, citing his family life and the year's injuries.

[61] On September 28, Teixeira hit the final home run of his career, which was a walk-off grand slam off Boston Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly.

[62] On September 30, prior to a game against the Orioles, Teixeira was honored by the rock band Twisted Sister during a pregame ceremony.

[69] In August 2011, Teixeira made a cameo appearance during the eighth and final season of the HBO TV series Entourage along with teammate Alex Rodriguez.

[76] Teixeira is a board member of a few organizations, such as DREAM (formerly Harlem RBI),[77] the Greenwich International Film Festival,[78] and the Emerald Corridor Foundation.

[80] After signing his first major league contract, Teixeira set up a scholarship at his high school in honor of a friend who was killed in a car accident.

[87] Teixeira is a devout Catholic and credits much of his success to his father's guidance and to the insight that the death of a friend in high school provided.