Miguel Tejada, 2007 Upper Deck SP Authentic Power #AP-36

So the Orioles have survived a brutal 11-game, 11-day West Coast road trip with a strong 7-4 record. Their reward is a nice long...three game homestand? Then they go to Minnesota for three games, then back home again? What sort of half-crazed, gibbering primate put together this schedule? Baseball, man.

Anyway, the Royals are coming to town tomorrow night, which means a reunion of sorts with former O's Jeremy Guthrie (Thursday night's scheduled starter), Bruce Chen, and Miguel Tejada. This may be our last chance to see Miggi play in Baltimore, as the 2002 American League MVP is weeks away from his 39th birthday and clinging to a utility role in Kansas City. He's only appeared in eight games thus far (four starts), with predictable results: .313 (5-for-16) with a walk and a double.

If you ever rooted for Tejada, and especially if his gradual decline and his highly emotional nature frustrated you, I would recommend reading the long-form profile by former Washington Post reporter Jorge Arangure, Jr. that was recently published on Sports on Earth. It draws a more complete picture of the man and the athlete than I've ever come across before. It's a reminder that what we see on the field and what we read in sound-bite quotes is usually only skimming the surface.