Miguel Tejada admitted to the Houston Astros on Thursday that he was, in fact, 33 years old and not the 31 listed in the team’s records. The “clerical error” dates back to Tejada’s initial signing with the Oakland Athletics when he told officials that he was 17 years old and was 19. Tejada cites advice from a coach in the Dominican Republic for the mistake, one that he surely made to pull himself and his family out of poverty.

The optimist in all of us can’t blame the guy for wanting the best possible chance of making a fortune to provide for his family. A quick route to the majors would have a huge impact on their livelihood, and he was “a poor kid” as he told the Associated Press. Read more »