Opinion: Tejada's Words Tangled In Spin

[ThomasTomasz]

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. // Miguel Tejada uttered the words Orioles fans and officials wanted to hear during yesterday's news conference at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. "I don't want to be in this situation that I [was] in the offseason," said Tejada, the Orioles' star shortstop who demanded a trade request in December and rescinded it in January. "I feel really embarrassed because I am not that kind of man. I'm not that kind of person to make some trouble. Everything is over, everything is straight."

Phew. Over. Time to move on. Fantastic.

Except for one thing.

It's impossible to believe nearly anything Tejada says these days.

It was bad enough he kept changing his mind this offseason - he told one reporter he wanted a trade, another that he didn't and a third that he stood by his original comments before stressing to club vice president Jim Duquette in January that he wanted to remain in Baltimore.

But it got downright silly yesterday when Tejada explained everything away in a series of wacky contradictions and miscommunications that rivaled a Three's Company episode.

Here are some highlights: The reason he originally asked for the trade after the winter meetings, Tejada said, was because players, like former closer B.J. Ryan, were signing with other teams and "at the same time I didn't see the Orioles getting any players."

However, when Tejada was reminded that his request directly followed news that the club had signed catcher Ramon Hernandez - supposedly one of his best friends - pending a physical, Tejada offered a muddled explanation about how a tough week led to his original demand.

"That was a day when a lot of people came to my house. ... They didn't let me spend some time with my kids when they go to sleep," Tejada said. "So in my mind I was confused and that's why I come up and say I want to be traded."

As soon as he made the demand in early December he was sorry and embarrassed, he stressed yesterday. But he conveniently disregarded the fact that he reiterated those requests a second time three weeks later.

By the way, he also said, "I feel happy with the team the way it was before [the trade demand], too. I am always happy."

Cleared up enough for you? There are more headshakers.

Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo tried to phone Tejada twice during that tumultuous period and the shortstop never returned the calls. Perlozzo said he didn't bring that up to Tejada during their five-minute, closed-door meeting yesterday. Tejada, however, said he did offer an explanation to Perlozzo yesterday.

You see, Tejada told reporters, the cell phone he uses in the Dominican sometimes gets poor reception and he didn't hear Perlozzo's messages until he left the country. That's a fine excuse, except that Tejada talked to at least four of his teammates during the winter, including one who called on the same day as Perlozzo with a number provided by the manager.

The contradictions don't stop there. Tejada told a reporter in January that he would continue to take B-12 as an energy boost because it was legal. He was adamant yesterday that he wouldn't. He also said last week that he was going to address his Orioles teammates as a group when he got here. By yesterday, he had changed his mind and said he'd talk to everyone individually.

Truthfully, though, his teammates don't care.

"If he wants to come up to me he can, but I don't think he needs to," outfielder David Newhan said. "We're all behind him."

The common theme within the Orioles' clubhouse is that Tejada can spin things however he wants so long as he returns to being the Miggy they need.

"It's over with. I've talked to him on the phone since then so I don't really need to hear anything from him," said second baseman Brian Roberts. "It's long over with. I've never thought about it twice."

Some Orioles are still defending his statements back in December.

"He did that because he wanted the team to get better," outfielder Luis Matos said yesterday. "What do you prefer? A guy that worries about the team and wants to get the team better or do you worry about a guy who is going to be here six years and he is going to get in his pocket $72 million and he don't care about winning or anything? ... It's just he wanted the team to get better and that's what he thinks he needed to do so they'd do something."

After the news conference, Tejada came into the clubhouse and sprawled onto the carpet in front of his locker, joining a group of players including Melvin Mora, Hernandez and Matos.

Tejada laughed and joked in Spanish. Business as usual for the popular star.

Yet, after his performance in the news conference, it's difficult to think this is really over. What happens the next time Tejada has a bad week? Or if the team continues its losing ways into the second half of 2006? The trade demands could resurface - and no one really would be surprised.

Tejada is the Orioles' most dependable player on the field, their most erratic off it. That's a combustible combination.

One that could still blow up at any time.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/b...ports-baseball

[ThomasTomasz]

Before I comment, I would like to hear what others think about this, and the article I posted a few minutes before. Apparently, I didn't know the whole Tejada story, according to this article.

[RockSports17]

Really, I think anybody could be frustrated with the situation in Baltimore. That's exactly what has happened to Tejada. He's frustrated, point blank. Everything he says, I'd forgive. He's a great player, probably one of the best arguably for the Orioles. Hopefully he sticks out with Baltimore, because they'd be a lot more horrible than they already are.