Danny Almonte

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Danny Almonte (born April 7, 1987 in Moca, Dominican Republic) is a former Little League baseball pitcher, the subject of a media circus in 2001. Considered a phenomenon as he led his Bronx, New York team into the playoffs, Almonte was revealed to have actually been born in 1987 instead of 1989, two years too old to play Little League baseball, even as his team, the Rolando Paulino All Stars, received third place in the Little League World Series.

The related investigation into Almonte's birth records produced two different certificates, one owned by his mother, stating his birth in 1989, and the town's official recorded copy, stating his birth occurred at Dr. Toribio Bencosme Hospital in 1987. His mother's copy stated that Danny's birth occurred at home with the aid of a midwife. Both of Almonte's parents, though separated, unilaterally insisted their son was born in 1989, condemning the other documents as false. His father, Felipe de Jesús Almonte, appeared on Good Morning America at the time of the investigation, proclaiming his son's innocence. However, Danny's Dominican elementary school records proved he was born in 1987.

In 2000, Danny moved, along with his father, to the Bronx, where he began playing Little League baseball. It was revealed that from 2000 to 2001, Almonte did not attend PS70 in New York, the elementary school that, according to Little League registration forms, Danny attended. Almonte threw the first perfect game in the Little League World Series since 1957, but his team was defeated by the Apopka, Florida team in the U.S. championship game (a game he could not pitch in under Little League rules, as he had pitched a complete game the day before). He finished the 2001 tournament, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with 46 strikeouts, giving up only three hits in three starts, and only one earned run. Almonte's personal pitching records have since been removed from the books by Little League Baseball, including the perfect game, due to his ineligibility. His team was also forced to forfeit their third place finish, and Rolando Paulino was banned from any future involvement with Little League Baseball.

Danny, who did not speak English at the time, apparently knew nothing about the falsified documentations, and was cleared of wrongdoing. After his father's visa expired, Danny remained in New York under the guardianship of Rolando Paulino, his league founder. He played, along with four of his former teammates, in the 2004 Public School Athletic League championship. In early 2005, Danny moved to the Miami, Florida area, where he did not play baseball. As of April 2006, he was back in New York and pitching for James Monroe High School in the Bronx.

There had been some reports that he would be selected in the 2006 Major League Baseball draft, however, that did not happen. He was at a major league tryout in October of 2006, at which it was rumored that he was going to be signed by the New York Mets later that month. After the draft he said he would play baseball for a college in New Mexico.

On March 26, 2007, Almonte signed with the Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League.

Danny Almonte was mentioned in a 2006 book Heat by Mike Lupica. A character in this book was suspended from playing Little League baseball because of no record of his Cuban birth certificate, though in the end his birth certificate was found and he was able to take his Bronx Little League All- Star team to the playoffs.

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