Tejada Time

I admire Miguel Tejada. I say this with hesitation because I don't know how appropriate it is to admire, or idolize, professional athletes. There are too many bad seeds. Take Latrell Spreewell, for example. Athletes like Tejada, though, are different. They're ego-less, self-effacing, team-oriented individuals who deserve respect from players, coaches and fans alike. Why do I like Tejada? It's simple. He wanted to be a difference maker.

Too often, pro athletes take the easy way out. They sign with the convenient team. And their post-signing press conferences all contain the same response as to why they've signed in a particular place: "I wanted a chance to win a championship." They hide behind this guise of the "ultimate goal" because they don't want to work toward something. They want it handed to them. For older athletes, like Randy Johnson, this is fine. Their time in a sport is fleeting, and they do need to try to win now. But for younger athletes, this response is unacceptable. They will have years to learn the game, cultivate their talent and turn a team around.

Tejada signed with the Baltimore Orioles last season to make a difference. He came to a team that had struggled -- to put it modestly -- the past six years intent on reversing the organization's fortunes. And, while he didn't do it singled-handedly, he was the main reason the Orioles finished with 78 wins, a far cry from their previous seasons. Carlos Delgado recently had a chance to join the Orioles. His powerful left-handed bat would've fit nicely into the Orioles right-handed power heavey lineup. He could've sparked a change in a crestfallen organization. Instead, he went to the Florida Marlins because it's more convenient. It's closer to his home, and it has a better chance of winning now. Delgado is only 32. Had he joined the Orioles, he may not have won a World Series this season, but by next year, he would be on a team in prime position to make a darkhorse run for the title.

When we judge an athlete's impact on the game, we need to look at where they signed and what their intentions are. These are intangibles beyond statistics. Teams become winners when premier players believe they can help fan the flames of losing and stoke the fire of victory.