Miggy's back!

Miguel Tejada, perennial all-star and MVP candidate, came back to Oakland with the visiting Baltimore Orioles today. Not only can he hit for power, hit for average (.324 this year), drive in runs (he's leading the major league with 113), field his position well, and come up with big hits, he's also a genuinely good guy. It's hard to find this type of guy in professional sports nowadays. Somebody's either beating up his wife, doping up, corking his bat, holding out, fighting with management, retiring to avoid drug suspension, talking on a cell phone after a touchdown, or berating a member of the media. Not Miggy. When he returned to the A's clubhouse, he greeted all of his former teammates, and they embraced him. He was the heart and soul of the Oakland A's the past five or so years. When Tejada was in a major slump, he gave all of his bats to the fans in the front row. When the A's were down by 3 runs in the 8th, Miggy was the first guy to fashion his hat into a rally cap. He always a had a smile on his face, and he welcomed his fans, young and old alike. I was incredibly proud to see him win the Home Run Derby this year, even though I hate the premise of the contest. And even though he wasn't wearing the yellow and green of Oakland, I cheered him mightily. Today, I cheered for him, along with 25,000 other fans in the coliseum. Mind you, I was in the comfort of my own living room and no one was there to hear me, other than my dogs who gave me that dog head tilt, which in dog-body language means, "I told you that motherfucker was crazy." But you know what takes the cake? A couple of local reporters interviewed him today, and he said that he owes his entire career to the Oakland A's organization. As a poor young kid playing ball in the streets of the Dominican Republic, the A's gave him a chance. How many professional athletes do you know thank their old teams for doing this? None that I can think of. He plays the game with such enthusiasm and fun. He plays the game for all the right reasons; not for the money or the fame, but for the fun of it, the comradery, and the chance to show his tremendous skills off. It's only fitting that he is a Baltimore Oriole shortstop now, and that he has the most consecutive games played streak of 700+. Cal Ripken was a class act, and an iron man, to boot. But I would argue that Miguel Tejada is a man of steel, with a heart of gold.