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NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira knew this would be difficult. Twenty seconds after he started to speak, his voice cracked.That didnt take long, did it? he said.A three-time All-Star first baseman whose career has been interrupted by injuries for much of the last five years, Teixeira announced during a tear-filled news conference Friday at Yankee Stadium that he plans to retire at the end of this season.I gave you everything I had, he said to Yankees fans during the televised announcement, then stopping for 15 seconds to regain his composure. It wasnt always enough.The 36-year-old is batting .202 with 10 homers and 27 RBI, and his 404 home runs are fifth among switch-hitters, trailing only Mickey Mantle (536), Eddie Murray (504), Chipper Jones (468) and Carlos Beltran (415).A five-time Gold Glove winner, he is in the final season of a $180 million, eight-year contract. He is most proud of reaching 30 homers and 100 RBI in eight consecutive seasons from 2004-11.As the season went on, I just kind realized that my body cant do it anymore, Teixeira said as teammates looked on. If Im going to grind through seasons not being healthy, Id rather be home with my family. Id rather do something else. And I miss my kids way too much to be in a training room in Detroit rather than being at their dance recital or their school play.When he arrived at spring training in February, Teixeira said Id love to play five more years. My body feels so good. Why not play until 40?My neck hurts almost every day. The knee thing popped up, he said. Its been a struggle for me to stay on the field consistently the last three, four years now. And so it just all kind of dawned on me that thats not in the cards.He was slowed early this season by a bulging disk in his neck and was on the disabled list from June 4-25 with a right knee cartilage tear, an injury that has caused manager Joe Girardi to schedule repeated off days since his return.Teixeira first thought about retiring after he spoke to his father in San Diego at the time of his 400th home run on July 3. He finalized his decision when talking with his family during the All-Star break.He didnt want to hide his decision when asked in the next two months about possible trades by the rebuilding Yankees or impending free agency. He anticipated breaking down as he spoke about the end of his career.Teixeiras are criers by the way, so if you dont know that yet, he said.He was taken by Texas with the fifth overall pick in the 2001 amateur draft, made his big league debut with the Rangers two years later and, hoping to emulate Baltimores Cal Ripken Jr., played in 507 consecutive games during a streak that ended in 2007. He was traded to Atlanta that July, dealt to the Los Angeles Angels the following year and signed with the Yankees in January 2009.Succeeding Don Mattingly and Tino Martinez at first, Teixeira helped New York win a World Series title in his first season. He hit .292 with 39 homers and 122 RBI and finishing second behind Minnesotas Joe Mauer in AL MVP voting.I was like, oh, Yankees win the World Series all the time. Well probably win three or four more, he thought to himself. But you realize how difficult it is.Teixeira was limited to 15 games and a .151 average in 2013 after tearing the tendon sheath in his right hand while with the U.S. team at the World Baseball Classic. He had surgery that July 1 and missed the remainder of the season, then hit .216 with 22 homers and 62 RBI the following year, when the hand was still regaining strength and he was slowed by a hamstring injury.Fully recovered, he made the All-Star team again in 2015 but fouled a pitch off his right leg Aug. 17, played two more games in pain and then found out he had fractured his shin. He finished the season with a .255 average, 31 homers and 79 RBI.Greg Bird, a 23-year-old who missed this season following shoulder surgery, is expected back for the Arizona Fall League and is projected by the Yankees as Teixeiras possible successor. Girardi anticipates Tyler Austin, who turns 24 next month, also can challenge for the job during spring training.Teixeira hosted a show on the Yankees YES Network two years ago called Four Territory. He doesnt want to think about future jobs just yet.Ill miss hitting the home run, he said. I wont miss the early workouts in spring training. I wont miss leaving my family. I wont miss being on the training table getting treatment. Im not going to miss any of that stuff. But, yeah, from 7 to 10 oclock, Ill miss that time. But that will fade eventually. . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious.Christian Horner says it will be a great loss for Formula 1 if Ron Dennis leaves McLaren at the end of the season. Sky Sports understands Dennis is likely to leave his management role in December after more than 30 years at the helm of the Woking team amid long-running boardroom tensions.As leading figures at rival outfits, Horner and Dennis have been involved in several public spats down the years, but the Red Bull chief has showered praise on the McLaren chairman for his achievements in F1. I only have the utmost respect of Ron, Horner told Sky Sports News HQ.Weve gone head-to-head and fought over sponsors, engineers, drivers, whatever, but hes always played fair.It would be a great loss if hes not involved, certainly for McLaren and also Formula 1. Former Benetton and BAR Team Principal David Richards and Marc Priestley discuss whether Ron Dennis should leave McLaren Dennis is the most successful F1 team principal in history, winning a combined total of 17 Drivers and Constructors Championships before stepping down in 2009, and has since overseen the successful diversification of the McLaren Group.ddddddddddddWhile fiercely competitive, Horner says the 69-year-old has also been known to put the interests of F1 before those of McLaren.The Formula 1 Gossip ColumnWhat he has achieved in Formula 1 is quite remarkable, added Horner. What he has built McLaren into is an example to us all.Hes a passionate man and he argues for the right things for Formula 1, sometimes to the detriment of his own team.Dennis has yet to comment publicly on the speculation over his future but said via a McLaren spokesman last month he is not stepping down. The Englishman owns 25 per cent of McLaren but friction between fellow shareholders, long-time business partner Mansour Ojjeh and Bahrains sovereign wealth fund, is thought to have resulted in the decision not to renew Denniss contract as chief executive when it expires at the end of the year.McLaren driver Fernando Alonso said at the Mexican GP he was in the dark about the situation, but was keen to find out in the next few weeks what changes, if any, were afoot.We have been racing now quite constantly in the last three or four weeks, Alonso told SSNHQ. Now between Mexico and Brazil, or after Abu Dhabi, we will sit with the team and know exactly what is the truth behind all these things. So right now I cannot tell you much. Also See: Alonso wants to know truth Ron wont go until McLaren win The Formula 1 Gossip Column Watch Sky F1 on NOW TV ' ' '
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