Miguel Tejada is actually 33 years old, not 31.

[DirtyKash]

Albert Pujols will be the next guy to reveal that he's actually older than everyone thinks.

Tejada two years older than Astros thought | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

PHILADELPHIA — Saying he wanted to unburden himself, Miguel Tejada approached general manager Ed Wade and asked to correct misinformation he gave the Oakland A’s when he signed in 1993. The Astros’ new shortstop is actually 33, two years older than he’s listed in the club’s media guide and other baseball records.

Tejada was actually 19 when he signed as a kid out of poverty-stricken Bani, Dominican Republic. At the time, he says, a local coach encouraged him to say he was 17.

"I'm a poor kid that wanted to sign," he said. "I’m feeling free now,” he said. “It’s something that I had in my mind.”

Tejada was signed out of the Dominican Republic by Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, but he was clear that Marichal had no part in the deception. Moreover, Wade and Tejada both said the shortstop’s green card, driver's license and other legal papers in the United States reflect his actual birthday, May 25, 1974.

The Astros’ media guide lists his birthday as May 25, 1976.

“The thing is I didn’t want Houston to find out from somebody else,” he said. “I wanted to find out just from my face. I’m a man and I’m responsible for everything. That’s why I prefer to come to them and say, ‘You know what? That’s the way it is and we’re moving forward.’

“I was feeling like I had something to say in the last three days. That’s why I waited for today to do it.”

Tejada, a former American League Most Valuable Player, has been well chronicled since before he reached the majors with the Oakland A’s. A book was even written about him, but his actual age is barely coming out now.

“Fact of the matter is that he plays like he's 25, so I don't think it really matters a whole lot,” said Wade, who indicated the age discrepancy first came out during the course of a media interview. “We're still trying to figure out Jose Cruz Sr's age.”

[rockin500]

he plays like he is 25?

[love_that_reefer]

I guess Pujols started this whole lie when he was 12 years old then.

[ljshorty89]

It wasn't a surprise to any of the teams that he played for. All of his US legal records had his REAL date of birth, so the odds are that the A's, O's, and Astros all knew...

[Tedc]

How old was Jack Benny?

[GiantsFanatic]

2 years older than your age really make a big deal? I mean why is this even a story?

Because of paperwork screw up back home, my cousin is considered one year younger than what he really is. This stuff happens.

[love_that_reefer]

Its a big deal when you lie about your age and forge documents like this. His contract is up after 09. If this story didn't come out, GMs would think they were paying for a younger player and the amount of years on the contract would be a big deal.

[brewersfan19]

That is exactly why teams need to find a better way of documenting the players they draft and sign that are not from the U.S. They lie about their age so they can get more years on their contracts, which means higher wages for a longer amount of time...

[DirtyKash]

Um, okay ESPN

[love_that_reefer]

He's playing likes he's 31.