MLB ALL-STAR GAME

July 12, 2004

Paula Bowen

John Greenleaf

Tom Kunz

Miguel Tejada

MIGUEL TEJADA: No, you know, I never think that I'm going to be in the Home Run Derby in my life. I know I can hit home runs but I never think that I am a home run hitter. After they told me last night, you know, I just look at my family's eyes, they are just coming around, so happy to see me do that. Just going to take two, never know when I'm going to have the opportunity to be in the Home Run Derby and I'm going to enjoy it.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, after I won, my heart went down. I say, "Oh my God, I'm winning the Home Run Derby." I usually watch it from my house, usually watch it on TV, and now the chance to be in there and winning is unbelievable. It's unbelievable, something that I'm never going to forget.

MIGUEL TEJADA: They are two years old, Miguel Tejada Junior and this is Elesa, whatever I do, I just do it for them.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Two and four.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, it's feeling good, feeling good. Imagine my position, like today, I just enjoy the moment, I'm enjoying the moment. When I take the first swing, I just say inside my heart, I say, "Miggy, you're not going to win, there's so many home run hitters that you're not going to win." I just say, try to enjoy the most you can, make your family happy to be here and, you know. First moment I step up to the plate, just say I want to hit at least one. I was just really happy.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, winning the Home Run Derby, it's great, but I think it's more important that she get a house and it's unbelievable. You know, I'm really happy to see people win a house because of the job that I do, and it makes me very happy to do it.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, you know, I think I passed the first round and the first five swings my first round, I was just kind of nervous a little bit; not because I'm nervous, but first time being in the home run contest. You know, after that, I just, every swing that I made, I just record it because I'm so happy to be there.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Yeah, I take batting practice today; he's the one that throws in my group. We had another guy that they were going to be throwing to me and I just said, "Tony, you'd better be throwing to me because I think I would be a better hitter if you throw to me. I think that we both together win the home run contest."

MIGUEL TEJADA: You know, it's great to see Raffy hit a home run, and I think the today is the day they are going to hire both me and Raf in the second half, because every player from the last team, they are going to believe they are two guys, how old we are, we can push and go where we are. I think it's going to be great for me and Raf the second half, especially for him, he's the kind of guy that he hits a lot of home runs. He didn't have a great first half, but today, the swings he made, they had better be ready for him.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Like I said, I saw those guys walking in front of me, I just get shivers because it's unbelievable. I never think I'm going to have these guys close to me. I know growing up in the big leagues, being so close to these guys, it's unbelievable. I don't think I'm going to forget this day today.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, on each home run, he just told me, calm down, don't get too hot, take it easy on the swing, don't try to hit it out of the ballpark, and I listen to him. David Ortiz, he's the kind of guy that we've been playing in many, many years, the same thing, and he's great, you see him, he's touching me (indicating patting face with towel), I'm sweating and I love that. I think he's part of the win, too.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, you know, I never think that I'm going to be in the situation that I am today. After the first one that I see Thome hit it, I just say, oh, two 500 home run guys went out. And I just said, okay, I get a chance to do better in the second round. And I think in the second round, I see Sammy and Thome, they lose in the first round, it's not easy to be those guys in the home run contest.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Probably, probably it would be different. Those guys, you don't want to compete against those guys, it's really hard.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Yeah, only one time. I won in the Dominican Republic the same thing, I compete with Ortiz, too, a couple of guys. From that time I don't hit many home runs, not too many.

MIGUEL TEJADA: I think that was 2001, 2000, and it's amazing, it's amazing, it's unbelievable. I never think that I'm going to be in this situation right now.

PAULA BOWEN: It's just amazing. I was just thinking, oh, my goodness, this is actually happening.

PAULA BOWEN: Oh, you bet. (Laughter.)

MIGUEL TEJADA: I will be there, that's great.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, it's not made for me, it's made for right-handed hitters, you know. That's the great part, I'm going to enjoy it. I hit many more off the wall out there, line drives. You know, when you've got a chance to hit in a ballpark like that, you've got to take advantage. When you go to Detroit or you go to the big ballpark, it's not easy.

MIGUEL TEJADA: Well, for me, you know, when they get a first round, I just try to hit the ball over the fence. After they open the roof, I didn't enjoy the balls I hit. I just enjoy the balls Berkman hit on the street. The balls I hit, I didn't even see it. I just enjoy more the balls that Berkman hit because he's the one that hit many more far out there.