Miguel Tejada
From BR Bullpen
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 170 lb.
[edit] Biographical Information
Miguel Tejada won the home run derby at the 2004 All-Star Game in Houston, TX, with a short-lived record of 15 in one round.
Tejada played in his 1,000th consecutive game on July 1, 2006, becoming the 7th player to accomplish the feat. His streak ultimately ended on June 22, 2007 when he was placed on the disabled list with a broken wrist. In his final game, he bunted into a force play, then left for a runner in the top of the first inning (Broke wrist previous day). At the time, Tejada had played in 1,152 games, the fifth longest streak in Major League Baseball history. By a quirk of fate, Hideki Matsui of the Yankees, who holds the major league record of 519 consecutive games to start his career also did not complete the top half of the first inning of the final game of his streak, on May 11, 2006, when he broke his wrist trying to make a diving catch.
Tejada batted .208/.296/.542 as the DH for the Águilas Cibaeñas in the 2008 Caribbean Series. He tied Jose Bautista and Roberto Saucedo for the Series lead with two home runs but had the lowest OBP of any starter on the Águilas. He still somehow led the team with 6 runs. Tejada has hit 13 home runs in the Caribbean Series, breaking the record previously held by Tony Armas Sr..
On April 17, 2008, Tejada announced that he was in fact born in 1974 and not in 1976, making him two years older than everyone had thought. A much bigger lie came to light in 2009 - back in 2005, Tejada had told the US Congress that he had never talked to any players about steroids. Adam Piatt later confessed that Tejada had discussed steroids with him. On February 11, 2009, Tejada admitted lying to Congress. He became the first star player found guilty of a crime related to steroids.
Tejada originally agreed to play for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic but then withdrew when they announced plans to use him at first base. After Alex Rodriguez got injured and Adrian Beltre withdrew, a slot opened up for Tejada at third base and he agreed to play. He went 3 for 11 with a walk in the event and hit a solo homer off of Sidney Ponson for the first Dominican run in a 3-2 loss to the Dutch national team. Tejada had a chance to give his club the lead in the 5th, coming up with the bases loaded and one out against Rob Cordemans but he grounded out into a double play.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 6-time All-Star (2002, 2004-2006, 2008 & 2009)
- AL MVP (2002)
- 2005 All-Star Game MVP
- 2-time AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (2004 & 2005)
- AL Doubles Leader (2005)
- AL RBI Leader (2004)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1999-2006)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 4 (2000-2002 & 2004)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 6 (2000-2004 & 2006)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 4 (2000-2002 & 2004)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 3 (2002, 2004 & 2006)
| AL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Ichiro Suzuki | Miguel Tejada | Alex Rodriguez |
