Tejada

The Orioles announced via their communications department's Twitter account that Tejada will wear uniform No. 9 this season. Tejada, who had been No. 10 in his first stint with the Orioles, said Tuesday he wasn't concerned about getting it back from Adam Jones, who had joked earlier in the week that Tejada could have it for a Rolex watch. Tejada had worn No. 4 with the Oakland A's, but the Orioles retired that number in honor of Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver.

Buck Showalter doesn't bite often on the “big win, good win” questions. It's a 162 game season, after all, and Showalter is a big believer in one game doesn't mean much more than the other. But he's also talked about how difficult it can be to come back from a long road trip and not be flat in the first game at home. So how important was it to keep the momentum going on Tuesday night at home? “It wasn't more important [than the road trip], that was an important road trip for us. Any time you go to the West Coast and play that many games in a row,” Showalter said.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Miguel Tejada uttered the words Orioles fans and officials wanted to hear during yesterday's news conference at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. "I don't want to be in this situation that I [was] in the offseason," said Tejada, the Orioles' star shortstop who demanded a trade request in December and rescinded it in January. "I feel really embarrassed because I am not that kind of man. I'm not that kind of person to make some trouble. Everything is over, everything is straight."

Kansas City Royals infielder Miguel Tejada, who spent five seasons with the Orioles, was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday for the first time as a visitor since 2008 when he was with the Houston Astros. “I'm excited, and not just because it is against my old team, but because I am playing,” said Tejada, who entered Tuesday hitting .313 (5-for-16) in a limited role. “I'm happy to come back here, to say hi to my old people and I'm happy with the way the team is playing, too.” Tejada, 38, played with the Orioles from 2004 to 2007 and again in 2010.

New York -- It happened before the bottom of the fifth inning Wednesday night, as the Orioles were trying to mount a comeback against the Cleveland Indians. His team down by four runs, manager Sam Perlozzo heard a voice that used to be a mainstay at such times. It belonged to Miguel Tejada, the Orioles shortstop who has kept a low profile this season after his tumultuous 2005 campaign, topped by his offseason trade request. However, Perlozzo and several of Tejada's teammates have noticed the All-Star shortstop returning to his old form, both in the dugout and the clubhouse.

WHEN Miguel Tejada was asked yesterday, in yet another victorious Orioles clubhouse, if he had ever hit home runs in four straight games before, he replied that he hadn't, and added, "I surprise myself." Congratulations to Tejada, then, for being the only person in the Western Hemisphere surprised by anything Tejada does. His manager, Lee Mazzilli, watched him from the opposite dugout as a Yankees coach for four years, has watched him from his own dugout for a year and a month - and now responds to every question about Tejada's greatness with a shoulder shrug and the phrase, "Miggy is Miggy."

THREE YEARS ago, there was almost no chance of Miguel Tejada being recognized as the best shortstop in the American League. His competition included Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra - major market superstars - and Alex Rodriguez, the highest-paid player in the major leagues. But Tejada kept playing and excelling, and the baseball world now views him differently. He isn't a caddie for his better-known rivals; he is widely regarded as the AL's best shortstop and one of the game's best players, period.

Let us begin the 2004 baseball season with words of gratitude: Thank you, Tony Batista. The dance-stepping third baseman may be gone from Camden Yards, but he's not forgotten. It was Batista who repeatedly told Miguel Tejada that Baltimore was the place Tejada should seriously consider going when Tejada became a free agent. Thank you, too, to Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. The A's saved their hard-earned pennies to sign Eric Chavez to a long-term deal this spring. Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi and Tejada were allowed to leave, but the A's held onto Chavez, believing the third baseman was the one homegrown position player worth making a cornerstone of the franchise.

There really are only two ways to go with the Miguel Tejada saga. Either the Orioles are in denial about their superstar shortstop, or the rest of us should never again believe our eyes. Tejada is leading the team in batting average, home runs and RBIs, so there's certainly no reason to panic, but the change in his demeanor over the past year has been so obvious that it's difficult to understand why club officials don't think it's anything to worry about. "He's doing what he's supposed to be doing," manager Sam Perlozzo said yesterday.

Someone needs to duck down and peer under the bus. You see Miguel Tejada down there? Good, pull him out, march him to the Orioles' warehouse and let everyone with a tie and cuff links know that it's probably time to make a big trade. Many fans and observers started suggesting the Orioles dish Tejada when he first voiced displeasure with the organization last year. Call me a late convert, because it didn't become as clear to me until this week how much this trade might be needed - by Tejada and by the Orioles.

The newest Oriole, 30-year-old infielder Omar Quintanilla, arrived in Cleveland on Saturday afternoon with his New York Metsduffel bag slung over his shoulder. He'll be getting a new bag from the Orioles, who acquired the career .218 hitter for cash Friday. He made his debut Saturday night in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement at second base. The guess is he may get his first start Sunday or Monday in Cleveland. Here's an interview with Quintanilla conducted shortly after he arrived in the Orioles' clubhouse What's the last week been like?

Infielder Miguel Tejada is reporting to Triple-A Norfolk today. He will be eligible to play Sunday. Tejada had been in extended spring training with the Orioles. Here are tonight's lineups: Orioles Andino 4 Hardy 6 Markakis 9 Jones 8 Wieters 2 Betemit 3 Tolleson 5 Avery 7 Hammel 1 Nationals Lombardozzi 4 Harper 9 Zimmerman 5 LaRoche 3 Desmond 6 Ankiel 8 Maldonado 2 Bernadina 7 Detwiler 1

The return of former Oriole Miguel Tejada still has several steps to overcome before coming to fruition, according to Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. Tejada will report to the team's spring training facility on Monday to meet with Chris Correnti, who oversees the organization's rehab and conditioning. The 37-year-old former AL MVP will have a physical there and if he passes will then be signed to a contract to play in extended spring training, Duquette said.

Miguel Tejada, once the franchise player of the Orioles organization, could be near his third stint with the team. Tejada is slated to report to the Orioles spring training facility in Sarasota on Monday and work out with the organization's extended spring training team, a club source confirmed. If the club likes what they see in the 37-year-old former AL MVP, they could pursue a contract. He would add a solid defensive glove at third base and a right-handed bat, and it's likely any deal would be a minor-league deal.

I’m glad Major League Baseball has changed its stance on sharing video, because I wouldn’t have been able to pass along this video of a Cubs fan trying to gun down Miguel Tejada at home plate after a home run. I know, Tejada, now with the Giants, couldn't be tagged out because he smashed the ball into the bleachers -- and because fans can't throw players out -- but check out the throw as Miggy is rounding the bases. [ Via Deadspin ]

Accompanied by his mother and a lawyer, Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon, suspected of killing a man during a New Year's Eve party, surrendered Monday to police in the Dominican Republic and said the shooting had been an accident. Police said Simon, in blue jeans and a dark purple shirt, handed over a gun used in the incident, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old man and the wounding of his 17-year-old half brother. Authorities said Simon fled after the 4 a.m. shootings Saturday and later they issued an arrest warrant for him. A spokesman for the National Police, Lt. Gonzalez Mateo, told The Baltimore Sun that the case remained under investigation and that any possible charges would have to await the detectives' conclusion.

WASHINGTON -Former Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada issued a tearful apology at a news conference in Houston yesterday, hours after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of misleading Congress regarding his knowledge of steroid use in major league baseball. "I made a mistake, and now I know how serious a mistake I made," Tejada said, according to the Houston Chronicle. "I take responsibility, and I'm very sorry for what happened." Tejada took no questions during the news conference at Minute Maid Park.

Colleges East Carolina commits to Military Bowl in D.C. East Carolina is headed to the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium. The school said Tuesday that it had accepted an invitation to play in the Dec. 29 game against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent to be announced Sunday. The Pirates (6-6, 5-3 Conference USA) went 1-2 against the ACC this season, beating North Carolina State and losing to North Carolina and Virginia Tech. East Carolina is making its fifth straight bowl trip, the longest streak in school history, and seventh since 2000.

Now that they know manager Tony La Russa, pitching coach Dave Duncan and batting coach Mark McGwire all are coming back, the Cardinals are shifting their focus to upgrading their infield. Miguel Tejada is on their radar as they look to improve at two of three spots among second, short and third. … Retirement talk by Bengie Molina (right) isn't being taken seriously by many people, although the Rangers catcher insists he doesn't know if he will play in 2011.