Dec. 28, 2006
ATLANTA – Former Yellow Jacket All-American Mark Teixeira, a two-time Gold Glove first baseman for the Texas Rangers, will be the featured speaker at Georgia Tech’s annual Baseball Benefit Dinner on Friday, Jan. 19. As part of the dinner, Teixeira will have his Georgia Tech jersey honored.
A two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2005, 2006) and two-time Silver Slugger (2004, 2005) in the American League, Teixeira has been named to the Major League Baseball All-Star team once since his arrival in the big leagues, when he was voted by fans as the American League starter in 2004.
Despite missing the majority of his junior season (2001) with a broken ankle, Teixeira finished his career on the Flats as one of the most decorated athletes to ever play for the Yellow Jackets. A consensus first team All-American in 2000, he became just the second Yellow Jacket to ever win the Dick Howser Trophy, which recognizes the National College Player of the Year, joining current Boston Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, who won the award in 1994. He was also named a first-team Academic All-American in 2000.
“I believe that Mark is one of the best players to ever play at Georgia Tech, and he’s off to a great start in his professional career, having one both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards,” said Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall.
“On top of being a great player, Mark was an Academic All-American at Georgia Tech, so he really was a poster-child for the word `student-athlete.’ We are very excited to have Mark and his wife Leigh, who is also a Tech alum, back with us this month.”
In his rookie season Teixeira was named the National Rookie of the Year and earned second team All-America accolades while hitting .387 with 13 HR and 65 RBI. His .472 average in 2000 was the highest since current Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jay Payton hit .434 in 1994.
The Annapolis, Md. native hit .409 in his three-year career at Georgia Tech, which ranks third in the Tech career annals behind Tom Angley, who hit .436 from 1925-27 and Doug Wycoff, who hit .423 from 1924-26.
Teixeira will join former Tech stars Kevin Brown, Randy Carroll and Nomar Garciaparra as the four players in school history who have had their jerseys honored. Tech All-America catcher Jason Varitek and former head coach Jim Luck have had their jerseys retired.
Teixeira continues a tradition of well-known baseball figures to speak at the dinner. Major league stars Nomar Garciaparra, John Smoltz and Jason Varitek, managers Tommy Lasorda, Joe Torre, Jimy Williams, and Sparky Anderson, general managers John Schuerholz and Cam Bonifay, as well as popular ESPN analyst Peter Gammons have been featured in the past.
The annual dinner and auction, with proceeds to benefit the Georgia Tech baseball program, is being held at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center and will begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and $700 for a table of 10. The evening includes silent and live auctions, as well as the introduction of Georgia Tech’s nationally ranked baseball team.
If you would like more information or to RSVP, please call Tom Kinkelaar at (404) 894-2261 or Ethan Shapiro at (404) 894-5410 or send a check (payable to GTAA) to: GTAA, Attn: Ethan Shapiro, 150 Bobby Dodd Way NW, Atlanta, GA 30332-0455. If you are mailing a check, please include the number of people attending, your address and your daytime telephone number. Please RSVP by Friday, January 12.
