Mark Teixeira is lucky to be alive after being the victim of a brutal assault from a fan at Yankee Stadium.
The New York Yankees first baseman should count his lucky stars that he still has his life, let alone his job, thanks to one overzealous fan.
Teixeira chased down a foul ball Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, and the play took the veteran over the fence in foul territory. As half of Teixeira’s body lay prone over the wall, the fan came racing down the aisle. At full speed, the fan slammed into Teixeira, the type of contact that would have separated a mere mortal into two pieces like a magic act gone wrong.
Actually, just kidding. A guy bumped into Teixeira while trying to get a foul ball. Teixeira freaked out about and yelled at the guy who bumped into him.
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After the game, Teixeira sounded like a man who had seen his life flash before his eyes.
“He ran into me. He really wanted that baseball,” Teixeira told reporters. “I’m all right, thank God. You can insult. You can’t assault. We know you are upset we lost three in a row. Keep it to insults.”
Thank God, indeed. (In the interest of fairness, Teixeira did kind of make that comment with a smile on his face. Also, a grown man running into anyone — player or not — to get a foul ball is pretty sad and pathetic.)
Teixeira wasn’t the only Yankee who was the victim of a fan assault Sunday, though. Left fielder Brett Gardner took a baseball to the head when a fan threw back a home run ball.
The Yankees were swept in the three-game series and now hold just a 1 1/2-game lead over the Blue Jays in the American League East.
No word, however, on whether the Yankees will wear black armbands for the rest of the season in Teixeira’s honor.
H/t to Larry Brown Sports
