Today’s feature is something I don’t remember hearing, but I don’t normally follow baseball or Little League news. Danny Almonte was born in the Dominican Republic, and in 2000, he moved to the Bronx in New York. He started playing on a Little League baseball team, and his father (who had been in New York for six years already) was the creator of a youth baseball league. Because little Danny had such a fantastic fastball, he earned the nickname “Little Unit.” In 2001, his prowess sent his team to the Little League World Series, and he even threw the first perfect game in Little League since 1957. It was in that Little League World Series that he helped his team (the “Baby Bombers”) to third place, and they earned all sort of accolades.
Unfortunately, following this amazing honor, scandal erupted. There had generally been concerns that little Danny was not the twelve years old he claimed to be. Investigations began to make certain that the entire team fit the age range of eleven to thirteen. On this date in 2001, it was discovered that Danny Almonte was fourteen years old–two years older than he claimed–and thus ineligible to play. The team forfeited their win, and his father was banned from Little League for life.
Since that time, he had a rocky marriage (and separation) with a woman who was thirty, was no drafted by a professional baseball team, and is now an assistant high school baseball coach.
For more information:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/now_danny_almonte_starting_over_PXOCRWkR7ZMAReNqjkUJVI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Almonte
http://famousdaily.com/history/little-league-world-series-hero-14-yr-old.html
