Miguel Tejada Quotations

We are going to show that the Dominican Republic has a great talent for baseball.

Whenever there is a chance to represent the country, they can count on me.

Right now I'm in shock. I've never given anybody steroids before. I've been checked out three times already, and I'm clean. I've been clean all my life.

I have been with the Orioles for two years and things haven't gone in the direction that we were expecting. So I think the best thing will be a change of scenery.

because we have to clean up this sport.

I don't think about streaks. I mean, it's great to be playing so many games when I play the way I play. I'm really proud. It's not easy to do.

For us, this means a lot. We are a baseball country. I think this tournament will show who we are, how good at baseball we really are.

Today is my lucky day. When you face Randy Johnson, you have to be ready. He's so good. He can beat you with any pitch, like today.

He's always been tough. He didn't play around with nobody today. You (were) lucky to get a hit.

his players have been out of reach for us.

He just told me that he felt pain and was tired, ... He was telling me he wasn't hitting very well. I told him that in the Dominican when we're feeling like that we take B-12 and we don't feel like that anymore.

He just said he brought up my name because he told them everything he was taking. I'm not mad at him because I didn't do anything wrong.

I think the best way to keep fit is playing ball. I don't know how to do anything else and I don't like anything else but baseball.

I think the whole world is surprised to see that the USA lost. I mean, everybody knew that they had a good team . . . I think the whole world wants to see the USA and the Dominican Republic as the last two teams playing.

It doesn't bother me because I'm not guilty. I've done nothing wrong. I just gave him B-12, and B-12 is legal. You don't get caught for B-12.

I think he has a lot of energy and a lot of talent. He struggled last year but I think he could come back and play two or three more years.

I'm here because Melvin is a good friend of mine and a teammate of mine. It's a good cause, and anything I can do to help the community here, I will. Venezuela has been like a home to me. It is my second home.

That was my bad. I didn't think Byrnes was going to throw the ball to me. I thought he was going to throw home. I just threw the ball late.

We would go out to eat, and I would never pay. They would buy me clothes. They tried to show me the major league way. I try to do the same thing for young players.

We keep getting better and better because we're getting an opportunity to play this game, ... Teams are signing a lot more of the good prospects because they've invested money in places like the Dominican.

When you face Randy Johnson, you always have a tough day. He can beat you with any pitch. He's tough.

We just do it for our country. Now we play for our country. We know there are a lot of people just watching the games and a lot of people believe in us. That's why we just came up and we were a little nervous. We're nervous just because we want to do something for our country.

There will come a time when my children will start growing up and they'll need more attention, but they understand that this is what I like to do.

It was the same. In the Caribbean Series, you've got to play hard every inning and every out is important.

Randy Johnson from one side, Rivera from the other side. It's hard to face them. The good thing is we got beat by good pitching.

Now, I am more upset than when I requested the trade because it's been a month and they haven't done anything.

They're supposed to do that. When you play for something, you got to take advantage of all the mistakes. That's what they do right now.

It was a weird hop. I went one side and the ball went in the other direction. I don't like to make excuses. But what can I do? I'm not a superman.

For me, I think God is the one that decides if I have to take a day off, ... Right now, I feel fine and I'm going to keep playing every day.

It's already bigger (than the Caribbean World Series). It's going to be for the fans. I think there's going to be no traffic in the Dominican (today) because everybody's going to watch this game.

It's a very good experience. I think the whole world is happy. I think we're all going to enjoy it because it's something that hasn't ever been seen. I'm not inside the heart of the American or the heart of the Japanese, but I know we're all excited. I can't speak for other countries. I can only speak for the players we have here. What I see and what I feel is that the whole world here has harmony.

It's unbelievable what he did. I don't think I can do it. I mean, I've played in a lot of games, and I'm not even close.

It's not good for anybody because I don't know what people think about me now, ... I didn't do anything wrong. I just gave a B-12 to one of my friends to help him out. I don't give any steroids.

The ball took a weird hop, ... I just went to the side and the ball went in the other direction. I don't like to pull an excuse. What can I do? I'm not a Superman.

It was just like the playoffs. Every at bat, every pitch means something. The whole tournament is going to be that way. There is going to be that kind of intensity because you're playing to prove that your country is the best in the world.

This is just a hint of what the games between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela will be during the World Baseball Classic.

The key to playing the whole major league season and then playing winter baseball is working out hard and not being careless for a second.

I'm going to play. I don't have anything broken back there. I'm going to be in the lineup. I hope the manager isn't worried tomorrow, because I'm hoping I'm going to be able to play at 100 percent. I'm going to try.

I just want to be in the lineup every day. I can forget what happened the day before. I love being at the ballpark and love playing the game. It's not about a streak. It's just about me wanting to play.

I know that I can't play defense and I've got to do something for the team, so I do it with my bat.

I'm okay. I'm the same man. I didn't do anything wrong. I don't have nothing to worry about. The only thing I worry about is about the way we're playing. We're not winning. Something else I don't think about.

I'm working on conditioning my body and think I'll be able to play in the final games of the regular season.

If the Orioles don't do anything, I want them to trade me because I am tired of losing.

I only gave him B-12 vitamins. (Baseball officials) checked it out and everything was cleared.

I know I'm clean. I'm not guilty. I use the same thing, and I've been checked for steroids three times.

I have to (play) not only for me but for my family.

He's so good, he can beat you with any pitch. He didn't play around with anybody today and had that killer instinct.

I couldn't concentrate on the game. The only thing I could think about was what had happened to him. He's the last guy you want to see that happen to. He's worked so hard.

I don't want to say anything bad that can hurt my teammates, but look at Toronto, they have strengthened themselves and we haven't done anything.

I don't want to hang around doing nothing at home.

He and I were fine. I'm never going to have a problem with Sosa. As a Dominican, he's a symbol of our baseball.

Of course I think a 10-year investment would be in a team's best interest. Look at Cal Ripken Jr., that guy was around until he was like 40... Not that I'm going to be in my 40s at the end of the 10-year deal or anything.

I've worked hard with my body, just in case someone needs me to play third or short. I'm happy to go back to short, it's my natural position. I'm here to help and here to do whatever the manager wants me to do.

I like people recognizing me.

I don't care what any writer says about me ... I just want to play my game.

I don't think there can be anyone on earth more happy than I am right now. Inside, I feel fulfilled.

I've never given anybody steroids before. I've been checked out three times already, and I'm clean. I've been clean all my life.

The Cubans all could be major leaguers, they all could be good major leaguers.

The Caribbean Series is just a prelude of what's to come.