Miguel Tejada

Tejada with the Kansas City Royals

Shortstop

Born: May 25, 1974 (age 42)
Baní, Dominican Republic

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

MLB debut

August 27, 1997, for the Oakland Athletics

Last MLB appearance

August 10, 2013, for the Kansas City Royals

MLB statistics

.285

2,407

307

1,302

Teams

Career highlights and awards

6× All-Star (2002, 2004–2006, 2008, 2009)
AL MVP (2002)
2× Silver Slugger Award (2004, 2005)
MLB RBI leader (2004)

Medal record
Representing Dominican Republic
Men's Baseball
World Baseball Classic
	2013 San Francisco	Team

Miguel Odalis Tejada (born Tejeda, May 25, 1974) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop. Tejada played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals.

Tejada spent his first six seasons in MLB with the Athletics, where he began a streak of 1,152 consecutive games that ended with the Orioles on June 22, 2007. He is a six-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. In 2002, he won the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, and he was the 2005 All-Star Game MVP.

Tejada's nickname is "La Guagua", which means "the bus" in certain Spanish dialects, as Tejada was known for his ability to drive in runs. On February 11, 2009, he pleaded guilty to one count of perjury for lying to Congress in his testimony on whether or not Rafael Palmeiro lied about his steroid use.

On August 17, 2013, Major League Baseball suspended Tejada for 105 games for violating the organization's drug policy. It was the third longest non-lifetime suspension ever issued by MLB for a drug-related violation.

Tejada grew up in extreme poverty in Baní, a city approximately 40 miles (65 km) southwest of Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. He grew up idolizing the Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. Tejada's rise from the slums of Baní through the minors and into the Major Leagues is chronicled in the book Away Games: The Life and Times of a Latin Ballplayer by Marcos Breton and Jose Luis Villegas. Away Games describes the struggles of Dominican players in general and Tejada in particular as they arrive in the U.S. speaking very little English often in small towns playing for minor league teams with dreams of making it big.

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Wikipedia