Stand By Your Man
Houston,Tex – Houston Astros general manager Ed Wade staunchly defended his starting shortstop Wednesday, just hours after Miguel Tejada pleaded guilty to misleading Congress about performance-enhancing drug use in baseball.
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With a plea agreement in place, Tejada admitted in federal court in Washington that he withheld information about a former teammate’s use of steroids and human growth hormone when questioned in August 2005.
He also acknowledged buying – but not using – HGH when he played in Oakland.
“I thought Miguel handled things with a high level of class today,” said Wade, who acknowledged Tejada met with him and Astros owner Drayton McLane last weekend to inform them the plea would be made. “He’s fessed up and understands the ramifications of the mistake that he made and he’s prepared to take whatever punishment is forthcoming.”
The misdemeanor can lead to as much as a year in jail. Federal guidelines call for a lighter sentence, and one of his lawyers, Mark Tuohey, said he thinks Tejada will receive probation.
ter his plea, Tejada returned to Houston and held a news conference to apologize for his actions.
Fiddling with the collar of the white button-down shirt he wore under his suit, the five-time All-Star absentmindedly fingered a scrap of paper near his microphone as he waited to address the media.
“I just want to apologize,” Tejada said. “I made a mistake, and now I know how serious of a mistake that I made for not answering a question about another teammate. I take responsibility … and I’m very sorry for what happened. I’m sorry to my family, to the Congress, to the Houston Astros, the Orioles, the major leagues.”
When asked to give a statement in Spanish, the Dominican-born Tejada repeated many of the same sentiments but broke down when addressing his fans in the Dominican Republic, shaking his head and slumping his shoulders.
Wade said he expects Tejada to be present when players report for spring training Tuesday in Florida.
“The fact that Miguel recognized the mistake he made in not throwing a teammate under the bus and living with the results, I think it’s commendable on his part,” Wade said. “He’s been honest and sincere and (is) prepared to go forward.”
ars older than the team believed him to be.
He was solid in his first season with the Astros, finishing with a team-high 179 hits with 38 doubles and 66 RBIs.
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Posted: 2/12/09 1:02PM ET
