Yankees Welcome Teixeira To The Fold

New Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira poses on the field at the new Yankee Stadium after finalizing his eight-year, $180 million contract with the team. (Photo by Jason DeCrow / January 6, 2009)

The Yankees free agent shopping spree continues. So long Jason Giambi (who WFAN's Steve Somers mockingly calls The Sultan of Shot) is soon to be back where the steroids began-in Oakland. Hello, Mark Teixeira. "Tex" will wear Giambi's number 25 because his favorite player growing up, Don Mattingly, is one of a legion of Yankees with their number rerired. Donnie Baseball wore number 23.

Teixiera said all the right things in front of the media swarm at Yankee Stadium: "I put more pressure on myself than anyone else", and "I have yet to tap my potential." For his sake, he better be right. The Yankees have committed more than $423 million dollars between C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and now Teixeira. That represents more than DOUBLE the Yankee payroll the last few years.

Check out the video board to hear more from the Yankees new first baseman.

New Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira takes to the field at the new Yankee Stadium after finalizing his eight-year, $180 million contract with the team: