Road Warriors with Mark Teixeira

Credit: Joy Absalon/Cal Sport Media

 Q: “Which city has the most rabid fans?”

 A: “I would say probably Philadelphia. I played there a bunch when I was with the Braves, and their fans are nuts. ”

One thing you'd change about hotels
“I'd make the walls thicker.”

The gadget you can't live without
“My electric razor.”

Favorite mini-bar item
“The salted cashews”

The first thing you do when you get home
“Unpack.”

Mark Teixeira

New York Yankees, 1B

SI:What's one tip/secret you can share for people who travel a lot?

Teixeira:Always pack an extra phone charger.

SI:What's your least favorite way to travel?

Teixeira:I would say connecting flights. The least amount of time in airports is the best. Always take direct flights.

SI:Do you care where on a plane you sit?

Teixeira:I like to sit by the window because I like to sleep on planes and take a little vacation. So by the window is definitely my spot.

SI:What's your favorite city to visit?

Teixeira:Seattle. Seattle in the summer. I just love it. It's beautiful in the summer, it has great weather, is a clean city, has great restaurants -- it's got it all.

SI:What's your least favorite city to visit?

Teixeira:I don't have one. Every city offers something unique, whether it's a great restaurant for us to go to, or the ballpark we play in when we're in that city, every city has something special.

SI:Do you like to explore these cities when, and if, you have any off time?

Teixeira:We don't have much off time, but I explored a lot more when I was younger. But once you've been there a number of times, there's not much else to see. I've pretty much seen it all so far.

SI:What's your favorite sports venue to visit as a fan or player?

Teixeira:I would say this New Yankee Stadium is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. It's absolutely amazing and we couldn't ask for a better place to play.

SI:What's your least favorite sports venue to visit as a fan or player?

Teixeira:I don't know. Everywhere I play, I enjoy it.

SI:Even Fenway?

Teixeira:I do enjoy it. It's better when you win, but I do enjoy Fenway.

SI:What's your favorite place to eat on the road?

Teixeira:I would say El Gaucho in Seattle. A steakhouse.

SI:What's your favorite thing to order at El Gaucho?

Teixeira:A filet. A filet and a nice bottle of wine.

SI:What's your favorite restaurant in New York City?

Teixeira:I can't say I've been here long enough to have a favorite, but the last place I ate was Nobu 57 and it was absolutely great.

SI:Do you like sushi?

Teixeira:I love sushi, and Nobu had some great sushi.

SI:Are you a foodie?

Teixeira:A what? What's that?

SI:Do you like various foods and to try new restaurants?

Teixeira:I would say I'm probably somewhere in the middle. I like various foods, but I do like them basic. I don't like them too crazy.

SI:What's your craziest/best travel story?

Teixeira:We were on a plane in Texas when I played with the Rangers a couple years ago, and we were about to land when the plane actually started smoking. Inside the plane started to fill with smoke. And we thought it was something wrong with the engine so we were all freaking out. Fortunately, it was just the air conditioning -- something had blown in the air conditioning and filled the cabin with smoke. But we thought it might be a crash landing.

SI:Which city has the most rabid fans?

Teixeira:I would say probably Philadelphia. I played there a bunch when I was with the Braves, and their fans are nuts.

SI:Do you like playing in that environment?

Teixeira:Love it. It's a great environment to play in because the fans are always into the game, they love their team and it's one of the loudest places to play in.

SI:Which city has the most passive fans?

Teixeira:I wouldn't say passive, but may the most chill and relaxed fans are in Los Angeles. For both the Dodgers and Angels. The fans are great in L.A. I loved playing with the Angels. The fans were always having a good time, they were singing in the stands, and they would cheer but they wouldn't really boo too much, they wouldn't really get on you if you were playing badly. They're just happy people. It's great to live in L.A.

SI:Which city has the best-looking women?

Teixeira:I'm not gonna answer that one.

SI:What kind of music do you listen to on the road?

Teixeira:Everything. I listen to everything from country to classic rock, I listen to some rap and hip-hop. I listen to it all.

SI:Do you have a favorite artist?

Teixeira:I don't know if I can pick out one favorite, but right now I've been listening to a lot of Jack Johnson. Probably my all-time favorite country music singer is George Strait.

SI:What hotel movie do you regret watching?

Teixeira:I don't know.

SI:Do you have a favorite one then?

Teixeira:Actually, the last one I saw in a hotel was Tropic Thunder, and it was pretty good. Pretty funny.