KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The scourge of drugs and baseballclaimed its third former MVP in a
month when Miguel Tejada wassuspended Saturday for 105 games after testing positive for
anamphetamine.The Kansas City Royals infielder drew one of thelongest penalties handed down by Major
League Baseball. His ban cameafter Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games andBrewers
star Ryan Braun got a 65-game penalty that will keep him off thefield for the rest of the season.All
three stars have been dogged by doping allegations in the past.Aperson familiar with the situation told
The Associated Press thatTejada tested positive for Adderall, a substance the 39-year-old hasused to
treat Attention Deficit Disorder. The person spoke to the AP oncondition of anonymity because those
details were not made public."Iapologize to my teammates, the Royals organization and to the
KansasCity fans," Tejada said in a statement released by the players’association. "I have a
medical condition that requires medication totreat. I took that medication while re-applying for a
Therapeutic UseExemption. Under the requirements of the Joint Drug Program, I made amistake in doing
so."MLB’s medical staff grants therapeutic-useexemptions that allow players to use drugs such as
Adderall to treatADD. But the substance has become a popular performance-enhancer,accounting for 10 of
the 11 positive stimulant tests in the major leagueprogram in the year ending with the 2012 World
Series, according to theannual report of the Independent Program Administrator.Thereport, which was
released in November, said that medication for ADDaccounted for 116 of 119 therapeutic-use exemptions
granted by MajorLeague Baseball.Tejada, who was already on the 60-day disabledlist with a calf injury,
previously tested positive under the league’samphetamine policy. That subjected him to a 25-game ban for
a secondtest and an 80-game suspension for a third. He is not challenging thepenalties.Tejada will miss
the remainder of this season, whichexhausts his contract with Kansas City. If he signs for next season,
hewould miss about two months before becoming eligible to play."Itdoesn’t matter if you’re MVP or
king of the world. If you’re going to dothings that are illegal, you’re going to get caught for it and
you’regoing to get suspended," Royals pitcher James Shields said. "It’s ashame because I
really like him a lot as a teammate."Tejada’ssuspension is one of the longest non-lifetime bans in
baseball history.Along with Rodriguez’s suspension, Pascual Perez was banned for the 1992season for a
positive cocaine test and Dwight Gooden barred for the ’95season for violating his drug after-care
program.Rodriguez andBraun received their penalties for their connection to the Biogenesisclinic in
Florida that has been accused of dispensing banned drugs.A-Rod was among 13 players suspended 12 days
ago by MLB, while Braun waspenalized earlier this year."I think it’s another positive signthat the
testing continues to work and that those players who commitinfractions against the drug policy are being
penalized accordingly,"Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie said. "It’s unfortunate when it’s a
friendof yours and a teammate but the testing is there for a purpose, andthis is another indication that
it’s working and serving its purpose."Royalsshortstop Alcides Escobar said that many of Tejada’s
teammates learnedof the suspension while watching TV in the clubhouse before their gameSaturday night in
Detroit."Maybe he made a mistake. I don’tknow," Escobar said. "That’s a good guy, a
really good teammate. That’sone of the best guys in here. Yeah, I was surprised."A six-timeAll-Star
and the AL MVP in 2002, Tejada’s prodigious talent has beencalled into question more than once by doping
allegations that havecropped up throughout his career.The first significant mention ofhis name came in
the Mitchell Report on steroids use in baseball. Thenin February 2009, he was charged with lying to
Congress aboutperformance-enhancing drugs in the game. Tejada pleaded guilty to thecharge and received
one year of probation.Tejada made his bigleague debut in 1997 with the Athletics, where he spent the
best yearsof his career. He hit .308 with 34 homers and 131 RBIs during his MVPseason, and then was even
better in 2004 with Baltimore, when he .311with 34 home runs and a career-best 150 RBIs, which led the
AL.Tejadaalso spent time with Houston and San Diego before struggling two yearsago in San Francisco, and
then was unable to latch onto a big leagueteam last season.The Royals took a chance on him after
watchinghim play in the Dominican Republic’s winter league, signing him to adeal worth $1.1 million if
he made the major league roster. He wound upbecoming an everyday player, hitting .288 with three homers
and 20 RBIsin 53 games.Just as valuable as his performance, though, was hisveteran influence. The Royals
have one of the youngest rosters inbaseball, and Tejada became a mentor to several players on the
team."Hewas amazing for this clubhouse," Shields said. "Every day he came in,he was a
great teacher. He helped out a lot of our young guys, not onlyour Latin guys, but everybody. He really
taught a lot these guys how toplay the right way as far as how on the field goes."Tejada hurthis
calf last Saturday while diving for a ball in the seventh inning of aloss to the Red Sox. He wound up on
the DL, and was transferred to the60-day disabled list — effectively ending his season — when the
Royalsacquired utility man Emilio Bonifacio earlier this week.If he’sunable to latch onto a team next
season, that game against Boston willturn out to be the last time Tejada sets foot on a big league field
as aplayer."It would definitely be a tough way to go out. There’s nodoubt," Shields said.
"But he made the decision and he’s going to haveto live with that."___AP Sports Writer Larry
Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.