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02-12-2009, 12:08 AM
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3899481
WASHINGTON -- Dressed in a defendant's dark suit instead of an All-Star's crisp uniform, Miguel Tejada became the first high-profile player convicted of a crime stemming from baseball's steroids era, pleading guilty Wednesday in federal court to misleading Congress about the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Under a plea agreement with the same prosecutors pursuing a perjury indictment against Roger Clemens, Tejada admitted he withheld information about an ex-teammate's use of steroids and human growth hormone when questioned by a House committee's investigators in August 2005.
Legal reaction
The charge that Miguel Tejada lied to congressional investigators about steroids is a clear signal to ESPN.com legal analyst Lester Munson that the government still has Roger Clemens in its sights. Story
Tejada -- the 2002 American League MVP with the Oakland Athletics and a five-time All-Star shortstop now with the Houston Astros -- also acknowledged he bought HGH while playing for the A's, but said he threw the drugs away without using them. Prosecutors said they have no evidence to contradict that.
"I just want to apologize," Tejada said as he fought back tears hours later at a Houston news conference, where he did not take questions. "I made a mistake, and now I know how serious of a mistake that I made for not answering a question about another teammate."
The misdemeanor can lead to as much as a year in jail. Federal guidelines call for a lighter sentence, and one of his lawyers, Mark Tuohey, said he thinks Tejada will receive probation.
Astros general manager Ed Wade expects Tejada to be present when players report for spring training Tuesday in Florida. Wade also said Tejada still plans to play in the March 5-23 World Baseball Classic.
WASHINGTON -- Dressed in a defendant's dark suit instead of an All-Star's crisp uniform, Miguel Tejada became the first high-profile player convicted of a crime stemming from baseball's steroids era, pleading guilty Wednesday in federal court to misleading Congress about the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Under a plea agreement with the same prosecutors pursuing a perjury indictment against Roger Clemens, Tejada admitted he withheld information about an ex-teammate's use of steroids and human growth hormone when questioned by a House committee's investigators in August 2005.
Legal reaction
The charge that Miguel Tejada lied to congressional investigators about steroids is a clear signal to ESPN.com legal analyst Lester Munson that the government still has Roger Clemens in its sights. Story
Tejada -- the 2002 American League MVP with the Oakland Athletics and a five-time All-Star shortstop now with the Houston Astros -- also acknowledged he bought HGH while playing for the A's, but said he threw the drugs away without using them. Prosecutors said they have no evidence to contradict that.
"I just want to apologize," Tejada said as he fought back tears hours later at a Houston news conference, where he did not take questions. "I made a mistake, and now I know how serious of a mistake that I made for not answering a question about another teammate."
The misdemeanor can lead to as much as a year in jail. Federal guidelines call for a lighter sentence, and one of his lawyers, Mark Tuohey, said he thinks Tejada will receive probation.
Astros general manager Ed Wade expects Tejada to be present when players report for spring training Tuesday in Florida. Wade also said Tejada still plans to play in the March 5-23 World Baseball Classic.
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