NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees will honor Mark Teixeira in a ceremony before the regular-season finale Oct. 2 against Baltimore.The 36-year-old first baseman announced in August his plans to retire after the season.Teixeira has played 14 seasons and has 406 home runs. Only four switch-hitters in major league history have more -- Mickey Mantle (536), Eddie Murray (504), Chipper Jones (468) and Carlos Beltran (419).A member of the Yankees 2009 World Series championship team, Teixeira led the league that year with 122 RBI and tied for the league lead with 39 homers. He finished second in the AL MVP vote.He has been injured much of this season and is hitting .198 with 12 homers and 37 RBI.Teixeira is a three-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger winner. He joined the Yankees as a free agent in 2009, signing an eight-year contract. He also played with Texas (2003-07), Atlanta (2007-08) and the Los Angeles Angels (2008).TEIXS REPLACEMENT?1B Greg Bird, sidelined all season following surgery in February to repair a right labrum tear, is taking batting practice with the Yankees instructional league team in Tampa, Florida and remains on target to face live pitching next week. Bird, set to play in the Arizona Fall League next month, and Tyler Austin are the two top in-house candidates to replace Teixeira in 2017. Were all fighting for a job, Bird said. The best players play. It will make both of us better I think, and thats what you want.HELPING ARRIVING SOON?OF Aaron Hicks (right hamstring strain) hit with Bird and feels game-ready. The Yankees havent ruled out Hicks rejoining the team during a three-game series at Tampa Bay that begins Tuesday night. CF Jacoby Ellsbury is day to day after bruising his right knee sliding into a bullpen wall trying to make a catch Saturday at Boston. Right fielder Aaron Judge is expected to miss the rest of the regular season because of a strained oblique. Yankees manager Joe Girardi watched part of Mondays instructional league workout. Ray Lewis Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Iman Marshall Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. http://www.customravensjersey.com/custom-marlon-brown-jersey-large-803d.html . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Marshal Yanda Jersey .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start. Qadry Ismail Jersey .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. While South Africa are no longer worried by Australias pace, they remain wary of an attack that will test their batsmen in home conditions, in what is expected to be a battle of the bowlers in the upcoming three-Test series.In terms of real, real pace, 150s-plus, guys like Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee [arent around], but there are still guys who hit great areas; quality bowlers, Neil McKenzie, South Africas batting coach, said. The aggression is still there. I dont know if the 150 is still there - Starc can get it up - but they are still a quality bowling line-up.With Australias squad yet to be announced, and several seamers still in contention for a place, South Africa cannot be certain who they will face, but they are studying all possibilities. They may even have a glance at the Sheffield Shield on television, if for no other reason than novelty, because South Africas first-class cricket is not broadcast, and no matter what they see, McKenzie is confident it will not intimidate them.He did not go as far as to say South Africa no longer see Australia as the final frontier, primarily because they have won their last two Test series there, but stressed that the batsmen have no need to be afraid, of either the bowlers or the conditions. I dont think they will be underrated, ever, especially Australia. We know theres a rich history, lots of tradition, and a lot of pride in their performances, he said. The bowlers are still quality, can still get you out and can still win Test matches, youve still got to respect whoever comes out there. But, I dont think its the fear factor. Most of the guys are worried about losing their wicket, not of the fear factor, and thats hhow it probably should be.ddddddddddddThe WACA is no longer the pacemens paradise it once was either and South Africa may even consider themselves on even keel going into the series opener. I dont think its the WACA of old, of 15 years ago, McKenzie said. Most of the guys are brought up on quick decks back home, so I think the adjustment there is easier.South Africas preparation for that match starts on Thursday, when, after a week spent on the pink ball, they play a two-day practice match with the usual red cherry. Their opposition is not as strong as an A side, but McKenzie said they want to work on fine-tuning skills. Its about getting mental preparation, getting the technique right and getting guys to feel good about their games.Some of South Africas players, like Quinton de Kock, who scored a century despite taking ill during the first practice match, and JP Duminy, will already be in a good space, but there are others who will want to spend time in the middle before the first Test. Their openers, Stephen Cook and Dean Elgar, made 71 runs between them in four innings in the first warm-up game, and Faf du Plessis, who also batted twice, totalled 28. McKenzie is hopeful they can improve on that. Ideally, you want everyone going into a Test match with a couple of runs under their bat, he said. We allow a lot of the guys individual preparation. A guy like Hashim, if he says he has had enough and he is in a good space, we will try and push him further down the order [in the warm-up games] or give him a rest so the others can get runs. ' ' '