May 4, 200323 yr Credit: NY Daily News Tejada ready for a change By SAM BORDEN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Miguel Tejada is the Oakland A's shortstop right now - an MVP one, in fact - but that doesn't mean he couldn't be the Yankees third baseman next season. "Who knows?" Tejada said before last night's game at the Stadium. "I won't say that (it's not possible). Right now I want to play shortstop, but in the future, I can't say that will happen for sure. (Playing third) could happen." The Yankees would be ecstatic if they could land Tejada, who will be a free agent at the end of this season. Derek Jeter is locked in at shortstop, but Robin Ventura is playing out a one-year deal, the Bombers are already planning on finding a third baseman for 2004 - and Tejada would be the ultimate prize. During spring training, A's owner Steve Schott said that Oakland would not offer Tejada a long-term deal, and the 26-year-old has tried to avoid commenting on his contract status ever since. But as he dressed in the visitors' locker room yesterday at the Stadium, Tejada grinned as he talked about how much he enjoys New York, saying, "I like it here because I can see all my friends and they can watch me play." He then spent several minutes filling out a list of free tickets to be left for last night's game. Tejada hit .308 with 34 homers and 131RBI last season, but has started much more slowly this year. His struggles at the plate prompted manager Ken Macha to drop him to fifth from third in the batting order on Thursday in Chicago. Promoted to cleanup last night, Tejada went 1-for-4 and is hitting .167. The lineup change clearly troubled Tejada, who suggested to reporters on Thursday that his slump could get him traded. Although Schott and GM Billy Beane have insisted they don't plan to deal their star hitter, Tejada reiterated his thoughts last night. "Maybe there are other teams that would want me to play for them," he said. Jason Giambi was in a similar situation after the 2001 season, and left Oakland after the Yanks aggressively pursued him. Giambi has said that he thinks Tejada would be a perfect fit as a Yankee, even if he has to make a position change. However, he understands Tejada's mixed emotions about leaving. "I'm sure there's disappointment," Giambi said yesterday. "He wanted to stay with one team his whole career, just like I did, and it probably won't happen for Miguel, either." If the Yankees were to add Tejada, one can only imagine how the rest of the league would react. Red Sox president and CEO Admin Lucchino called the Yanks an "Evil Empire" after they signed Jose Contreras in the offseason, but once Yankee management targets a player, landing him is usually a foregone conclusion. Tejada has never played a major-league game at third base, but that surely wouldn't prevent the Yankees from pursuing him. He has a strong arm and .964 fielding percentage at shortstop for his career. So moving to third should not be difficult for him. The question, of course, is will it happen? "I remember my approach was I'd enjoy every moment of the year because it could be my last," said Giambi, referring to his final season in Oakland. "And it was." Perhaps it will be for Tejada, too. Originally published on May 3, 2003
May 4, 200323 yr Good god! We musn't let this happen! Sign a petition call the guard to arms! This can't be happening! If this does happen the Yankees will be as good as the Tigers are bad! :o :banghead But who would play SS....Jeter or Tejada?
May 4, 200323 yr Yea that'll be good for the yanks to get him but its going to be a big difference moving from SS to 3rd. Your throw is diffrent and more to an angle. They are going to get rid of Ventura probaly and maybe he can fill in Mike Lowell's spot at 3rd if we trade him to the Cubs...
May 5, 200323 yr Author Yea that'll be good for the yanks to get him but its going to be a big difference moving from SS to 3rd. Your throw is diffrent and more to an angle. They are going to get rid of Ventura probaly and maybe he can fill in Mike Lowell's spot at 3rd if we trade him to the Cubs... Ventura on the Marlins? Cabrera will be on 3rd..
May 5, 200323 yr And the yanks will probably want vlad too. god if they got both.... 1B Giambi 2B Soriano 3B Tejada/Jeter SS Tejada/Jeter LF Matsui CF Williams RF Guerrero C Posada DH Johnson gotta feel bad for the Red Sox's.....
May 6, 200323 yr And the yanks will probably want vlad too. god if they got both.... 1B Giambi 2B Soriano 3B Tejada/Jeter SS Tejada/Jeter LF Matsui CF Williams RF Guerrero C Posada DH Johnson gotta feel bad for the Red Sox's..... that lineup will never happened to bad for u yankees fan BUT YANKS SUCK ! 1st they will not get Vlad 2nd Miguel will not play 3rd nor will boston let yanks get him. i have feeling red sox will do what yanks did to sox with colon
May 6, 200323 yr how? vlad and miguel are free agents.... unless boston were to sign them, there is not much they could do.....remember we were talking about a player already under contract......apples and oranges.
May 6, 200323 yr Author And the yanks will probably want vlad too. god if they got both.... 1B Giambi 2B Soriano 3B Tejada/Jeter SS Tejada/Jeter LF Matsui CF Williams RF Guerrero C Posada DH Johnson gotta feel bad for the Red Sox's..... that lineup will never happened to bad for u yankees fan BUT YANKS SUCK ! 1st they will not get Vlad 2nd Miguel will not play 3rd nor will boston let yanks get him. i have feeling red sox will do what yanks did to sox with colon masterchief aian't a yankee fan.. stop insulting user because you don't agree with their comments.. this is a Message Board.. it's suppose to be a friendly place... quit it before you get banned..
May 9, 200323 yr Can you even IMAGINE if the Yankees got Tejada AND Vlad? :banghead Honestly, though, the Yankees need to focus more on healthy YOUNG pitchers than more bats. Let's look at our current lineup, shall we? Soriano Jeter Giambi Bernie Godzilla Posada Ventura Mondesi NJ Mondesi is a number EIGHT hitter in this lineup? That's pretty sick. How much would Tejada and Vlad REALLY help? Now look at this rotation: Clemens [retired at the end of the year] Mussina Wells [just turned 40] Pettitte Weaver Hitchcock [still on dl from surgery] Bottom line, we have 3 pitchers going in to next year. As great as Mussina is - Mussina, Pettitte, Weaver just doesn't sound like an intimidating 1-2-3. Oh well, maybe we'll grab Mulder or Zito or Hudson in a couple of years... :mischief2
May 9, 200323 yr Author Bottom line, we have 3 pitchers going in to next year. As great as Mussina is - Mussina, Pettitte, Weaver just doesn't sound like an intimidating 1-2-3. Oh well, maybe we'll grab Mulder or Zito or Hudson in a couple of years... :mischief2 I'll just say, Mussina, Pettitte, and Weaver is good enough to win a division... :mischief2
May 13, 200323 yr vlad and miguel are free agents.... Vlad is in Florida next year... Next topic... yeah....for spring training :cool :lol
May 13, 200323 yr Author vlad and miguel are free agents.... Vlad is in Florida next year... Next topic... yeah....for spring training :cool :lol I heard in an interview once that Vlad was a guy who hates the media, press, interviews.. PPS most of the time has no one in it and almost everyone (99% Montreal ) hate the Marlins.. I think Vald will like it in Miami... :mischief2
May 15, 200323 yr However strange this may sound...I think the odds are: 50% Yankees 25% Red Sox 15% Padres 10% Marlins I could see Loria dropping a pretty penny in Vladdy's wallet.
May 16, 200323 yr I could see Loria dropping a pretty penny in Vladdy's wallet. Exactly. We have signed a lot of players to one year deals for a reason... :mischief2 Think bout it: 1: S. Florida, a latin community 2: S. Florida, needs a big name. 3: Could move Encarnacion to Left or Center, Pierre to Left? 4: We will have plenty of open payroll if we choose. 5: he said he doesn't care about the money as much as he should, and that if a team he liked tendered him a contract big ENOUGH, he would go...
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