Teixeira: Still hungry

Mark Teixeira was among the many position players in the clubhouse this morning -- Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, Nick Johnson and Brett Gardner were some others -- and he held court with a group of reporters for a few minutes.

Asked about battling complacency this year after winning the title in 2009, Teixeira siad that won't be an issue.

Why?

"Because we’re the Yankees," Teixeira said. "You get complacent, it’s going to be a tough year for you. I think once you taste that championship and taste that victory, it just makes you want it even more because you realize it’s everything you’ve ever hoped for."

Teixeira said it will be difficult repeating without Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui but that the talent is there to do it.

"It’s tough because that’s baseball," Teixeira said. "Every year there’s a different group of guys. I’ve been on my share of teams the last couple years and, so I know how it is changing teams and that’s a part of the game. The guys we brought in are going to do just as good a job as the guys that left so I don’t think we’re going to skip a beat."

In short, Teixeira likes the team, just as he liked last year's and didn't shy away from saying the Yankees should be the favorite (of course, what else is he going to say? "Don't pick us, we might be a tad overrated"?)

"Yeah, we have to feel that way every single season," Teixeira said. "We feel like we’re just as capable of defending our championship as we were winning it last year. We have a great team. The core group of guys are back and hopefully we all get a little bit better this year.”

*** Position players will go through their first full workout tomorrow and will take batting practice for the first time this spring Thursday.

*** Andy Pettitte throws his first bullpen of the spring later this morning.