Do I care? Only marginally...Houston's not my team.  Who should care? The Astros (and their current fans), the Orioles, maybe the A's. Age is a vital part of a baseball player's qualifications for playing time - this is rather unique to pro sports, where an age difference of two years is vitally important, but there's no denying that there is a HUGE difference between a 31 year old SS and a 33 year old SS, especially in contract negotiations. Tejada knowing lied for 15 years about his age, and meanwhile took performance enhancing drugs. He's a shameless liar who should be given no credit for owning up to his lies once faced with proof of them. Houston should be given the opportunity to void their contract.

As for the comparison to Punk'd, I don't see it at all (it wasn't an elaborate lie for cruelty/humour, it was an extended chance to come clean before being confronted with truth). Sports "journalists", who earn those sarcastic quotes almost without fail, should be doing more of this sort of thing (investigation, exposing lies), not less. Does anyone doubt that dozens, perhaps hundreds of beat writers in all the major sports knew/know many who were cheating with drugs? Or that with a little more digging, they could "discover" another half dozen guys like Tejada with a creative birthday?

Houston probably doesn't make that deal in hopes for a rebound season from Tejada if they knew this information. 

Wow, did Baltimore ever unload a timebomb at the right time.

I'm not going to defend what Tejada did, but all of his personal documents apparently had his true date of birth printed on them.  It sounds like the Astros (as well as the Orioles and Athletics) could've verified his true age rather easily had they chosen to do so.

The question is, regarding this two-year gap in Miggy's life ...

Is what was he doing? ("A tour of Soviet shipyards was the official explanation...")

MLB should verify d.o.b info by insisting that legal documents be provided before any player is allowed to play in a major league game. This information should be in an official registry, and be accessible to the public.

I find it hard to believe a team could sign a player to a $100 million deal and not know this.  It seems like basic due diligence--nothing to onerous... "Hey Miggy, can we take a peek at your drivers licence."  I guess I really don't know how these things work.

I imagine this won't help Tejada's credibility when he gets indicted for perjury.