TAMPA — Mark Teixeira is determined to stop playing the role of the April Fool. The slugger hit a paltry .136 last April with a .259 slugging percentage. That led to a career-low .256 average and a .481 slugging percentage, only one point higher than the lowest slugging percentage of his career.
In 2009, Teixeira batted .200 in April with a .371 slugging percentage. In two Aprils as a Yankee, Teixeira is hitting .166.
The pattern must change. With the Red Sox reloading in a Green Monster way, adding Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, and the AL East a total beast, the heat is on Teixeira from the start. In Gonzalez, the Red Sox have their first-base answer to Teixeira.
“I don’t like being embarrassed. I don’t like going out and hitting under .200 in April,” Teixeira told The Post last night before the Yankees beat the Pirates, 4-2 at Steinbrenner Field.
Over his career, Teixeira is hitting .235 in April. The other five months, he owns a .294 average.
“I’ve shown that a bad April doesn’t ruin my season,” said Teixeira, who doubled in the first and is batting .368 this spring. “I’ve had a great career, but at the same time I want to have a great six months, not a great five months.”
For his career, Teixeira owns a .286 average and .563 slugging percentage. He needs to be that player, not the April Teixeira. Gonzalez is a career .286 hitter in April with a .518 slugging percentage. Last April, Gonzalez batted .288 for the Padres in April with a .536 slugging percentage.
That Red Sox challenge will be staring Teixeira in the face the second weekend of the season when the Yankees go to Boston for three games. That’s less than a month away.
Brian Cashman knew exactly what the Yankees were getting when they signed Teixeira to that eight-year, $180 million contract. April showers were part of the deal.
“That’s part of his history. [Don] Mattingly and Bernie [Williams] were the same way,” Cashman explained, adding that Teixeira and the Yankees are trying hard to change the situation.
Another poor start by Teixeira would put the Yankees behind the eight ball to start the season. This past winter, Teixeira worked hard to change the April tide, buying a pitching machine that he placed at Bobby Valentine’s sports academy in Stamford, Conn., a machine the young players there can use all year long.
“I hit more off the machine from 60 feet, six inches, throwing 90-95 miles per hour,” Teixeira said of his new routine. “Hopefully that will allow me to be better off in April. I’m trying to give myself a head start, make sure my swing is ready a little earlier this year.”
This has been a mental change as well as a physical one.
“I’ve always looked at a baseball season as a marathon,” Teixeira explained. “I trained a lot in spring training with weight training and conditioning and maybe because of that, maybe I have spent less time baseball-wise in the spring.”
Now he is focused more on baseball activities. He’s trying to hit more to the opposite field like last night’s double.
“I’m betting on this,” said Teixeira, who turns 31 on April 11. “It’s a calculated risk because I’ve always had great second halves and I’ve always finished the season pretty strong. Because of that, I stuck with my [old] spring training plan.”
Alex Rodriguez is impressed with the change.
“With seeing the way he’s worked, I’m expecting a big, big year from Tex,” A-Rod said. “We’re so lucky to have this guy.”
“This year, I think it’s important to get off to a good start,” Teixeira added. “We have a very tough division. You look at those teams, wow. Day 1 we get Justin Verlander, maybe the best pitcher in the American League. We’ve got to be ready from Day 1 and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Teixeira is betting on an April shower of base hits next month.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com