Age ain't nothing but a number, unless you're Miguel Tejada.
The Houston Astros shortstop told the Oakland Athletics when he was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 1993 that he was 17. But he was actually 19, meaning he is now 33, two years older than his listed age in the Astros' media guide and other baseball records.
The shortstop made his admission after being approached Tuesday by ESPN.
E:60 correspondent Tom Farrey presented Tejada with a copy of a birth certificate, filed by his father in his hometown of Bani, that showed he was born on May 25, 1974. The document was acquired by a Dominican law firm hired by ESPN after clerks at the town hall in Bani declared -- improperly -- that his records were confidential.
When asked if the birth certificate E:60 acquired was the real one, the former American League MVP said "probably" and walked out of the interview. He said he considered the information "personal."
E:60 plans to air its report on Tejada as part of its April 22 show (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
"I'm a poor kid that wanted to sign," Tejada told the Houston Chronicle about how he followed a coach's advice in shaving two years off his age. "I'm feeling free now. It's something that I had in my mind."
The Astros' media guide lists Tejada's birthday as May 25, 1976. However, in addition to the birth certificate produced by ESPN, the Chronicle reported that Tejada's green card, driver's license and other legal papers in the United States list his actual birthday as May 25, 1974.
The strangest thing about the Tejada story? Rob Neyer wonders why it took so long to break. Story Insider
"Fact of the matter is that he plays like he's 25, so I don't think it really matters a whole lot," Astros GM Ed Wade told the Chronicle. "We're still trying to figure out Jose Cruz Sr.'s age."
Tejada was signed out of the Dominican Republic by Juan Marichal, but he said that the Hall of Famer had nothing to do with the age change.
"The thing is I didn't want Houston to find out from somebody else," Tejada told the Chronicle. "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," he said.
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