The 1980 U.S. hockey team. The New York Yankees? If Mark Teixeira is to be believed, the Bombers fall into the same category as those other famous underdogs, something that might serve as motivation for the Yankees in 2011.
"It's a lot of fun, because we're the underdogs this year," Teixeira said when asked what it felt like to report to Yankees camp for the third time. "I love it. No one is picking us right now, but everyone in here should be looking forward to winning a championship.
"When you put on the pinstripes, that's what your goal should be every year - and I think everyone understands that. Just because the public might not be picking us doesn't mean we don't believe it in here."
After missing out on Cliff Lee and bidding farewell to Andy Pettitte, the Yankees are considered by many to be the second-best team in the American League East, falling behind the Red Sox, who dealt for Adrian Gonzalez and signed Carl Crawford to bolster their lineup with two perennial All-Stars.
"If this was a horse race, they would have the inside lane and the pole position," general manager Brian Cashman said. "That doesn't mean you win the race."
In Fort Myers, various members of the Red Sox downplayed the idea that they were the favorites entering the spring.
"They have a $200 million payroll," manager Terry Francona said. "They're not too underdog-ish."
Added Dustin Pedroia: "I'm just worried about what goes on with our team. I'm sure they'll be fine."
Nick Swisher said he doesn't believe the Bombers have to play second fiddle to anybody.
"I don't ever feel like an underdog with the New York Yankees," Swisher said. "I don't look at us as favorites, but I never feel like an underdog when I wear those pinstripes. All this offseason did was solidify the AL East as the best division in baseball."
Cashman noted that his team has been picked as the odds-on favorite several times in recent years, only to watch another club hoist the commissioner's trophy at the end of the season.
"Some years you do; most you don't," Cashman said. "We have one of the better teams in the game, but I have more work to get accomplished."
Still, Cashman was pleased to hear Teixeira's words, calling it "a good approach" for his players to take into the season.
"I want them to collectively feel that we have to fight, scratch and claw for it," Cashman said. "We've worn the target of being the hunted, so let's be the hunter and see if that works well for us."
Informed of Cashman's comments, Red Sox owner John Henry laughed, calling the Yankee GM "a very bright guy." Boston team president Larry Lucchino added that while Cashman is ordinarily a "straight shooter," he's "not above a little gamesmanship, is he?"
Teixeira pointed to the Yankees' poor performance against the Rangers in last October's ALCS as one of the reasons they can't be considered the favorites entering 2011.
"We didn't win last year, we played terrible in the playoffs and we didn't win the division," Teixeira said. "We have to re-prove ourselves this year."
Joe Girardi, who will address his entire team Sunday morning before the first full-squad workout, said his message will be simple.
"Be the best we can be," Girardi said. "That's our goal."
As for playing the role of the underdog, Girardi didn't seem to buy into that type of hyperbole.
"That's going to be talked about a lot in the next five, six weeks, about being an underdog," Girardi said. "People look at the winters that teams have, the additions and subtractions, but the bottom line is you have to go out and play whether you're an underdog or not. We have high expectations for this team, and that's not going to change whether we're picked to finish first, second, third, fourth or fifth."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2011/02/20/2011-02-20_tex_likes_role_of_underdog.html#ixzz1EXtd19lu
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