Mark Teixeira no fan of Vicente Padilla's
New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira watches his two-run triple next to Boston Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. (July 6, 2012) Credit: AP
BOSTON -- Mark Teixeira didn't like Vicente Padilla when they were teammates with the Rangers, and time apart hasn't made a difference.
"The guy throws at people," said Teixeira, who delivered what turned out to be the game-winning two-run triple off Padilla in the seventh inning Friday night. "That's the fact of the matter. It's not news."
He added later: "He doesn't have a lot of friends in the game."
The last time Teixeira went after the reliever in public was in 2009, when Padilla, then with the Rangers, hit the first baseman twice.
Teixeira, who said he was "surprised" Bobby Valentine brought Padilla in, wasn't worried about getting plunked Friday night.
"It always seems like he's throwing at your head or behind you or doing something screwy," Teixeira said. But with runners on, he said, "I could actually dig in . . . It was definitely one of those at-bats I knew I was going to get a pitch to hit."
Teixeira actually praised Padilla, saying the reliever had "good stuff," but he doesn't appreciate the way he plays.
"I've always tried to play the game the right way," Teixeira said. "You play hard, you don't play cheap."
