A fe days ago, Miguel Tejada admitted that he lied about his age when he was first drafted. He was 19 at the time, but claimed to be just 17.
Was anyone "injured" by his misrepresentation?
1. The team that drafted him: Oakland A's
Oakland scouts no doubted evaluated his skills relative to his age. He had a high level of skill for a player so young. But if they knew he was really 19 years old, they would not be as impressed. Baseball skills (especially for a middle infielder) typically improve a lot between age 17 and age 19. They probably would not have drafted him as high if they knew the truth.
2. The team that owns him now: Houston Astros
Until last week, the Astros believed he was 31 years old -- with perhaps two or three more "prime years" left in his career. NOw that they know he is really 33, their expectations for his future performance are much reduced.
Would the Astros have acquired Tejada if they knew the "truth" about his age?
Or was there really any "injury" at all? Perhaps age is a trivial matter when judging a baseball talent. What do you think?
Was anyone "injured" by his misrepresentation?
1. The team that drafted him: Oakland A's
Oakland scouts no doubted evaluated his skills relative to his age. He had a high level of skill for a player so young. But if they knew he was really 19 years old, they would not be as impressed. Baseball skills (especially for a middle infielder) typically improve a lot between age 17 and age 19. They probably would not have drafted him as high if they knew the truth.
2. The team that owns him now: Houston Astros
Until last week, the Astros believed he was 31 years old -- with perhaps two or three more "prime years" left in his career. NOw that they know he is really 33, their expectations for his future performance are much reduced.
Would the Astros have acquired Tejada if they knew the "truth" about his age?
Or was there really any "injury" at all? Perhaps age is a trivial matter when judging a baseball talent. What do you think?
Comment