Tejada Makes Strong Case to Be Included Among Elite

NEW YORK —  Oakland Athletic second baseman Randy Velarde is one of baseball’s most chiseled players, a muscular infielder whom Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina once looked at and marveled, “His body is corked.”

But even Velarde, who has so little body fat he needs to wear a jacket in the clubhouse to stay warm, is in awe of Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada, a 5-foot-9, 188-pounder who hit 30 home runs and drove in 115 runs this season.

“I’m bigger than this guy--how does he generate so much torque in his swing?” said Velarde, who had 12 homers and 41 RBIs. “I was talking to Bob Alejo [strength and conditioning coach] about that. He’s got amazing power, and he’s not hitting all his homers to left field. He hits to right field too.”

Derek Jeter is the most decorated shortstop in this American League division series between Oakland and New York, which resumes with pivotal Game 3 in Yankee Stadium tonight, and there are several other shortstops--Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra, Omar Vizquel--with bigger reputations.

But at the rate he’s going, Tejada, a 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic, will join Jeter, Rodriguez, Garciaparra and Vizquel on the marquee. In a little less than three big league seasons, Tejada has 64 homers and 254 RBIs, and his average has risen from .233 in 1998 to .251 in 1999 to .275 in 2000.

While he may not be as flashy defensively as Vizquel or have the cannon-like arm of Rodriguez, he has excellent range and an outstanding arm, and his instincts seem to improve every month.

Tejada had three hits, including a double, in eight at-bats in the first two division series games at Oakland, and he sent Yankee right fielder Paul O’Neill to the wall with a fifth-inning drive in Game 2 Wednesday night.

“For Miguel, it’s a challenge to be mentioned with those other shortstops, but you have to be respectful of the incredible consistency they’ve shown over the years,” Oakland General Manager Billy Beane said. “Miguel keeps getting better and better, though.”

Beane is not as surprised by Tejada’s power. Tejada hit 20 home runs at Class-A Modesto in 1996 and 22 homers at double-A Huntsville in 1997.

“If Miguel grew up in Los Angeles he would have played cornerback at USC or UCLA and then gone on to play for the Rams,” Beane said. “He’s a specimen for his size.”

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New York seized momentum in the series with Wednesday night’s 4-0 victory in Game 2, the sagging Yankees’ first win in 10 days, but Oakland has its two best pitchers lined up for Games 3 and 4 in what figures to be a hostile environment for the young A’s.

Oakland right-hander Tim Hudson, the split-fingered fastball specialist who went 5-0 with a 1.69 earned-run average in five September starts en route to a 20-6 record, will oppose Yankee right-hander Orlando Hernandez, who is 5-0 with a 1.02 ERA in six career postseason starts, in Game 3 tonight.

Barry Zito, a 22-year-old left-hander who went 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA in six September starts and finished 7-4 after his July recall from triple-A, will start Game 4 Saturday against Yankee right-hander Roger Clemens, who will be pitching on three days rest for the first time since 1993. Clemens hasn’t won on three days rest since 1990.

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Oakland closer Jason Isringhausen, who spent six rocky seasons with the New York Mets, will return to Yankee Stadium for the first time since he and the A’s suffered their most stunning defeat of the season.

Isringhausen took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning on Aug. 8 and threw only two pitches. Both were hit for home runs, by Bernie Williams and David Justice, for a 4-3 Yankee victory.

“I don’t really want to think about that right now,” said Isringhausen, who threw a perfect ninth to save a 5-3 A’s victory in Game 1 Tuesday. “I really would like to put all that behind me.”

THE SERIES

Game 1: Oakland 5, New York 3

Game 2: New York 4, Oakland 0

Today: Oakland (Hudson 20-6) at New York (Hernandez 12-13), 5 p.m., Channel 4

Saturday: Oakland (Zito 7-4) at New York (Clemens 13-8), 4:30 p.m., Channel 4

* Sunday: New York at Oakland, 5 p.m., Channel 11

* If necessary All times PDT