When last we heard from former Oakland A’s shortstop Miguel Tejada, he was in hot water. An arrest warrant had been issued in the Dominican Republic for the former MVP due to bad checks that he had written, although everything had been quiet since that report.
That is no longer the case. According to Hector Gomez, Tejada was detained at Las Americas International Airport in the Dominican Republic due to that previous warrant for fraud.
Former Oakland A’s star Miguel Tejada goes from penthouse to jailhouse
Tejada had been a superstar during the early part of his career. The 2002 AL MVP, he was a six time All Star and won two Silver Slugger awards over his 16 years in the majors. He had posted a .285/.336/.456 batting line in his 9205 plate appearances, hitting 307 homers and 467 doubles. Tejada was also one of seven players in MLB history to appear in at least 1000 consecutive games, a broken wrist ending his run of success.
But his career ended with a whimper. He had originally been named as a PED user by Jose Canseco in his infamous book ‘Juiced,’ leading to a congressional investigation. In 2009, it was discovered that he lied to Congress at the hearing about his steroid usage. He was later suspended for amphetamine use in 2013, leading to the end of his major league career.
Tejada had other issues as well. It was discovered that he had lied about his age and was two years older than he claimed. His son had been considered a top international prospect in 2018 but tested positive for PEDs, causing the White Sox to pull their offer.
This fraud warrant, and his being detailed in the Dominican, is just the latest chapter in what has been a stunning fall from grace. In the end, Tejada has brought it upon himself, his actions destroying what could have been considered a Hall of Fame caliber career.
Former Oakland A’s shortstop Miguel Tejada has reportedly been detained for fraud in the Dominican Republic. His fall from grace is complete.