No one doubts boy pitcher Danny Almonte could become another Pedro Martinez. Playing for the US, he led the Bronx team to win the third place in the Little League Baseball World series. But the same outstanding performance that made him the star of the recently ended series also put the spotlight on an investigation that shows he has two different birth certificates. One puts him at 12, the correct age to play in the Little League, another makes him two years older. Sports Illustrated magazine was first to publish the existence of an earlier birth registration. In the Dominican Republic, Hoy and Listin Diario newspaper investigations seem to agree that he is 14. Hoy the birth certificate that shows he is only 12 was wrongly issued. But an annulment of the birth certificate could only be done by court order. Listin Diario also confirms there are two birth certificates. The first one, registered years after his birth, shows that Danny de Jesus Almonte was born 7 April 1987, son of Sonia Margarita Rojas Breton and Felipe de Jesus Almonte. The second declaration of birth, the one that was used to secure Danny’s passport, shows he was born on 7 April 1989. The Listin Diario says it is most likely the second certificate will be invalidated. Danny Almonte won the three games he played in the World Series, and pitched one perfect game. Yesterday, New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani gave him the key to the city for the performance of the Bronx team in the Little League World Series. For subject has been discussed on the Sports Illustrated, CNN, ESPN web sites among others. http://espn.go.com/page2/s/almonte/010828.html http://espn.go.com/moresports/llws01/s/2001/0825/1243905.html The topic has been also discussed on the DR1 Message board. See http://dr1.com/board/index.cgi?read=64027
