Miguel Tejada received

his greatest accomplishment

today, November 12,2002.

The American League

Most Valuable Player.

A most deserved MVP trophy

for the Dominican shorstop.

¡Felicidades Miguel!

By Amaury Pi-González“No creo que hay nadie más feliz en la

tierra que yo en este día”

(“I don’t think there can be anymore

on earth more happy than me right now”)

-Miguel Tejada, Nov 12, 2002

Dominican Republic-

Those were the words of Miguel

Tejada when he got the news of

his election as the 2002 American

League MVP at his home in the

Dominican Republic.

Minutes later Miguel was getting ready

for a reception in his name tonight

at the Presidential palace in Santo

Domingo, the capital of the Dominican

Republic. There Juan Marichal, the

only Dominican in the Hall of Fame

in Cooperstown, the President of

the Dominican Republic and other

dignataries will render honor to

the Oakland A’S shortstop.

Miguel will earn an extra $100,000

for this honor, adding to the $3.5

million per year salary. He will be

a free agent after the 2003 season.

Just like Jason Giambi who won

the MVP with the A’S and next

season left to the Yankees,

Tejada’s reign in Oakland is in

danger.

The price for Miguel Tejada went

up a few million dollars today.

He could be seeking an $18 million

per year deal for 10 years.

Can the Oakland payroll handle

that ? That is the next big

question for the budget-constrained

Oakland A’S organization which

admitted to having lost money

in the 2002 season.

Tejada who had his best season

with a .308 34 HR and 131 RBI

helped the A’S to win the division

with 103 victories is the third

Dominican player to get the

award: George Bell(Toronto)

in 1987 and Sammy Sosa(Cubs)

in 1998 the other two.

When the Athletics won their

20 games in a row(longest streak

in 67 years)Tejada was one of

the main ingredients. Miguel hit

a three-run homerun in the ninth

inning for Oakland’s 18th straight

win. The next night he won the

game with a bases loaded single.

Tejada received 21 first-place votes,

followed by Texas Alex Rodríguez

with 5 first-place votes and also

Dominican Alfonso Soriano(NY)

with 2 first-place votes finishing

third.

Of the 10 players receiving votes

for American League MVP, 6 are

Latinos: Miguel Tejada, Alex

Rodríguez,Alfonso Soriano,

Magglio Ordoñez, Manny Ramírez

and Bernie Williams.

Miguel is a shy but very intense

player that by winning this

award has elevated his name

and solidified his position as

one of the very best shortstops

in the business.

Everything started for Miguel,

when then A’S manager Art

Howe inserted him as the

#3 hitter in the line-up,

replacing the previous #3

Jason Giambi. Tejada showed

everybody he was ready to

hit third and today he is an

MVP. The second big award

for an A’S player in 2002,

Barry Zito won the Cy Cyoung.

I have seen Miguel play in

the Dominican Winter League,

but this season he might just

relax and prepare for Spring

Training 2003, which is less

than 100 days away.

There is an old saying “good

things happen to those who

wait”. Miguel Tejada came

to the A’S, waited for his

turn and given the opportunity

he became an MVP.

Let’s hope he can stay in

Oakland after 2003. Only

one word will dictate that,

d-i-n-e-r-o = m-o-n-e-y.

————————————————————

Amaury Pi-González finished his eight season

as Spanish Play by Play Announcer

for the SF Giants. Previosuly for

17 seasons worked as Play by Play

in Spanish with the Athletics.

Amaury will be covering his third

Caribbean World Series of Baseball

on Febraury 2003 to be held in

San Juan,Puerto Rico as play by play

in English for Fox Sports.

Amaury’s biography will appear

on the 2003 Marquis Who’s Who

In America book.

He is the VP of the Hispanic

Heritage Baseball Musem, a

non profit organization founded

in San Francisco.

His articles are also available

in both languages in varios

publications around the country

as well as on: www.latinobaseball.com