Tejada Charged With Lying to Congress

Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada has been charged with lying to Congress concerning testimony he gave with respect to conversations he had with Adam Piatt, a former teammate with the Oakland Athletics from 2000 through the middle of the 2003 season.

Piatt admitted in the Mitchell Report to using steroids and supplying them to others. Tejada had written two checks to Piatt worth nearly $10,000 for steroids, HGH and testoterone during spring training in 2003. Tejada had previously denied he ever used performance enhancing drugs and claimed to have no knowledge of anyone else's involvement the latter of which got Tejada into trouble. He is due to appear in federal court tomorrow having agreed to a plea agreement. He could face up to a year in jail.

Tejada's name first came up when back in 2005 Rafael Palmeiro claimed that Tejada had provided him with a B-12 shot which resulted in a positive test. Months earlier Palmeiro had testified in front of Congress that he never used performance enhancers.

The 34-year-old Dominican born Tejada has played in the bigs since 1997. Tejada has played with the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros. He joined the Astros prior to 2008 season in a trade that sent outfielder Luke Scott and three other players to the Orioles. In 2002, Tejada won the American League MVP. With A-Rod's admission, Tejada becomes the second AL MVP to admit wrongdoing with regard to performance enhancing drugs.

At this hour, Tejada is holding a press conference at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

What a way to begin spring training.