Notes&Links: Miguel Tejada Admits His Real Age (+2 Years), Forbes: NY Yankees Worth $1.3 Billion, UCLA’s Kevin Love Enters the NBA Draft and More
Posted by Alan Hull on April 18th, 2008
In what has been a part of baseball in Latin America for many years, Houston Astros SS Miguel Tejada has admitted that he is actually 33 years old, almost 34, rather than 31. This story first came out when ESPN confronted Tejada about his age in an interview, to which he responded that he was “32,” which is neither his real age, nor the age he was listed as. The interviewer then showed Tejada a copy of his birth certificate and he was forced to admit the truth: “I was a poor kid. I wanted to sign a professional contract, and that was the only way to do it. I didn’t want or mean to do anything wrong. At the time, I was two years older than they thought.”
The mainstream media has given Tejada a pass on this, saying it’s just a part of the game and that many young Latin American players do this because they’re trying to get signed with a team to help themselves and their families. I really do understand that and hell, I would do the same. What I do have a hard time with is once a player establishes themselves in the Major Leagues, why not come clean?
Major League Baseball has said they would offer immunity to any players who came forward from being punished by their big league clubs and I don’t see why they don’t. Well, I do see why and it goes a little something like this: $$$$$$$$$$$. If Tejada had not been confronted, he would have gone along having everyone believe he was really 31 and his current $75 million contract would have expired and he would have signed another multi-million dollar contract with another club. At what point is what he’s doing not just about his family and is more about himself? I’m pretty sure $75 million goes a long way in the Dominican Republic.
Anyways, I’m sure Tejada is a nice guy and I’m sure he gives back a lot but I’m not so quick to buy into giving him a free pass for being caught misleading every organization he has every played for.
Larry Brown uncovers Julio Franco, Orlando Hernandez and Vladimir Guerrero’s real ages.
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Forbes magazine assesses the worth of Major League Baseball franchises and the New York Yankees, unsurprisingly, come in first place at $1.3 billion. The New York Mets came in second at $824 million and the Boston Red Sox third at $816 million. (Sports Illustrated)
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Kevin Love, we hardly knew thee. A Tribute. (Gutty Little Bruins)
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Early MLB season awards. Joe Crede for MVP? Makes perfect sense, have you seen the guy hit? (Flotsam Media)
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Why the Tampa Bay Rays should sign Barry Bonds. (Big League Stew)
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