Tejada won't play in World Classic -- especially not at 1B

KISSIMMEE, Florida -- Miguel Tejada will not play for the Dominican Republic in next month's World Baseball Classic.

Tejada and Houston Astros manager Cecil Cooper said the Dominican team's request that the shortstop play first base during the tournament was a major factor in the decision.

"They've never seen me play first base," Tejada said on Wednesday. "I prefer to be sitting the bench and wait for a chance to play short or another position, but not first base."

Tejada hates to let his Dominican fans down by skipping the Classic, but knew it was the best decision for him.

"It's really disappointing because I wanted to represent my country," Tejada said. "But if I don't get a chance to play it's not worth going."

Cooper was understanding.

"Here's a guy who has never done it before," he said. "It's tough to work out for three or four days with a team then go and jump in playing first base. It's not easy. Everybody thinks it's easy to go over there. It's a tough position. You're involved in every single play. You have all these different moves. It's a lot different than shortstop."

This month, Tejada became the first prominent Major League Baseball player to be convicted of a crime related to the use of performance-enhancing drugs when he admitted lying to U.S. congressional investigators about steroid use. Tejada is facing prison time and deportation but is expected to avoid both. He is to be sentenced March 26.