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Teixeira: I held no grudges from 1998

Print | Comments () Posted by Tony Massarotti, Globe Staff January 6, 2009 08:40 PM

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Barring an unforeseen development, here’s the last update on Mark Teixeira:

If you are among those who believes that Teixeira still harbors resentment toward the Red Sox from a botched negotiation that took place during the Dan Duquette administration in 1998, you shouldn't. Teixeira addressed the topic in no uncertain terms.

"That had nothing at all to do with it," Teixeira said of the impact the happening might have had on his decision to sign with the rival Yankees. "I was 18 years old. I was a kid. I knew nothing about the business of baseball. I relied on my instincts; my instincts said go to college and I had the best three years of my life. I’m actually thankful that it happened because I met my wife. I had three of the greatest years of my life and I have lifelong friends [from college]."

The Red Sox today are under different management, of course, but we thought it was necessary to get this out there given some of the speculation about Teixeira’s decision-making process.