1 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,559 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm 2 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: your host, Jay Harris. I've had over twenty years of 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: experience as a journalist and sportscaster, hosting a variety of 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: ESPN shows from Sports Center to Outside the Lines. I'm 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: also a serious juicer, taking the key ingredients of motivation, daring, 6 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: and voyeuristic interest and blending them up into succulent scandals 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: for all of you to enjoy. Hm mug. Okay, here's 8 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: the thing about juicing. Sometimes you mess up the ingredients 9 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: and it doesn't taste all that great. A little too 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: much lemon juice, getting over zealous with the turmeric root, 11 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: going little gaga with the ginger and dead. In our 12 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: last episode, I told you this story we're into really 13 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: tugs at my heartstrings. That it's a tough scandal to 14 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: swallow because of the undeniable innocence of the kid at 15 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: the center of the whole thing, Danny al Monte, the 16 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: first kid to pitch a perfect game in the Little 17 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: League World Series. Yeah, he turned out to be fourteen 18 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: years old instead of twelve years old, but he sure 19 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: didn't know he was breaking any rules. Living and training 20 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: under the manipulation of his father Felipe Almonte and coach 21 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: Rolando Poulino in South Bronx, and regardless of his age, 22 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: he worked hard, really hard, breaking through destitution in the 23 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic and assimilation challenges in the United States to 24 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: achieve an athletic feat that eludes even most Major League pitchers. 25 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: We humans drink up scandals, swirling around baddies, the philanderers, 26 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: the murderers, heck, even the fraudsters like Greek gods guzzling ambrosia. 27 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: But when a kid is involved, a kid like Danny 28 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: who doesn't even know he's involved because he doesn't understand English, 29 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: well that's a tale that stings even the least discerning palettes, unless, 30 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: of course, there is some redemption for the innocent. So 31 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: of course that's what I'm going to serve up. It's 32 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: time to pour a fresh glass of juice, one with 33 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: all the right ingredients for Danny Almonte's redemption. Swill up, 34 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: and let's find out what happened to the people who 35 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: did play dirty, Felipe Almonte and Rolando Paulino. Let's start 36 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: with Felipe de Jezus Almonte, Danny's dad, who immigrated to 37 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: America six years before Danny moved in with him and 38 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: his coach, Rolando Paulino. What is with this guy using 39 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: his super talented son as a pawn. The scale of 40 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: his deception is hard to rationalize, even in light of 41 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: his family's impoverished beginnings. Maybe he leaned on the famous 42 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: Dominican proverb, if fate throws a knife at you, of 43 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: catching it by the blade or by the handle for justification. 44 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: The truth is that none of us can ever know 45 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: exactly what was going on in Felipe's head or the 46 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: exact tipping point that motivated him to do what he did. 47 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: He's quite a character. If you ask Felipe why he 48 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: lied about Danny's age, he swears he did it only 49 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: for his son to help him get ahead in life. 50 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: But it's hard to imagine that Felipe's actions were entirely selfless, 51 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: especially given Danny's perspective. Two decades after the Little League 52 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,399 Speaker 1: World Series scandal. They always say that I'm the cheater guy, 53 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: Danny says in the ESPN thirty for thirty documentary about 54 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: his life. That's Danny the cheater, and they don't know 55 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: the whole story. I think that my dad and coach 56 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: Paulino took advantage of me and it made me feel bad. 57 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: Whatever he was thinking, Felipe dragged his young son's reputation 58 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: through the mud under the glare of relentless international media attention, 59 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: and while he and Danny's mother, Sonya Rowhaus Brettone were 60 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: long separated, he managed to get her on board when 61 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: it came to playing dirty two. When the Associated Press 62 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: visited her in her tiny cinder block house in the 63 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic, they found Sonya, a proud twenty eight year old, 64 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: firmly behind her ex husband Felipe's story amidst the clutter 65 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: of Danny's old goal plate at baseball trophies. What did 66 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: she make of Victor Romero, the head of the National 67 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: Public Records Office in the Dominican Republic, declaring that their 68 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: nation's official position was that Danny had been born in 69 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty seven. The AP reporter asked, I don't know 70 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: why those people are lying. Sonya replied firmly. They must 71 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: envy Danny. He's always wanted to play, ever since he 72 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: started batting a bottle cap with a broomstick. I gave 73 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: birth to him in my own house. I know where 74 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: and when he was born, regardless of what people say. 75 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: She admitted that she and Felipe hadn't officially registered Danny's 76 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 1: birth date with the Dominican authorities until the year two thousand, 77 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: but showed the visiting reporter a handwritten birth certificate in 78 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 1: her possession, a relic that claimed Danny's birth happening at 79 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: a town close to her home called Jamoah with the 80 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: assistance of a midwife in nineteen eighty nine, just as 81 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: her ex husband Felipe had stated. Sonya further insisted that 82 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: there were witnesses who signed that nineteen eighty nine birth certificate, 83 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: so there only. It didn't end there, not by a 84 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: long shot. Asop's famous words, united we stand, Divide it 85 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: we fall just didn't hold true for the Amante family 86 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: in the least, despite the fact that their stories were 87 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: perfectly aligned by the time. Felipe Amante made a defiant 88 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: stand on Good Morning America, reaching approximately fifteen million viewers 89 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: with his proclamation that he hadn't cheated anyone, insisting again 90 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: that Danny was twelve and blaming the Dominican government for 91 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: any paperwork mix up that had occurred. His fate was 92 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: sealed because you see, Victor Romero of the Dominican Republic's 93 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,119 Speaker 1: National Public Records Office was absolutely not going to stand 94 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 1: for any malarkey. Felipe had made things personal by trying 95 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:09,799 Speaker 1: to peck his families escalating scandalon in competence by Dominican officials. 96 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: Beyond feeling insulted, Dominican officials, aware that their reputation, as 97 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: well as the reputation of one of their country's biggest 98 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 1: exports baseball players, was hanging in the balance, had to 99 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: take decisive action. Victor Romero personally oversaw the investigation and 100 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: can you guess what his first steps were into unraveling 101 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: Felipe Almonte's public accusations of the Dominican Republic's national incompetence 102 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: while checking up on the alleged witnesses whose signatures adorned 103 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: the nineteen eighty nine version of Daniel Monte's birth certificate. 104 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: Of course, in a twist that added more fire to 105 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: this fuel packed juice of a scandal, these witnesses vehemently 106 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 1: denied even knowing Felipe and sonya Let alone signing their 107 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 1: son Danny's birth certificate. There are a number of contradictions 108 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: in the second birth certificate, Victor Romero said, referring to 109 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: the document Sonya had produced listing the nineteen eighty nine date, 110 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: neither the witnesses, the hospital, nor the local authorities could 111 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: confirm Danny Almonte was born in Jamoa. Ramon Morel Cerda, 112 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: the president of the Dominican Electoral Committee, further confirmed that 113 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: the witnesses denied knowing the family or having signed the 114 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: birth certificate. Talk about decisive, corroborated, and convincing evidence against 115 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: Felipe's story. Victor Romero held this up as proof and 116 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: officially declared Danny's age to be fourteen, per the Dominican 117 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: Republic's National Public Record Office. The fallout was swift and 118 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: severe for Felipe, who ESPN's Jim Capel dubbed the worst 119 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: stereotype of the Little League parent sprung to life. Felipe 120 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: Almonte was formally charged with falsifying a birth certificate to 121 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: make his son appear to be twelve when he actually 122 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: was fourteen and thus too old for participation in Little League. 123 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: And there was more. According to Victor Romero's investigation, even 124 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: if Danny had been eligible for participation in Little League. 125 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: There was no way that Danny could have played in 126 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: the required six Little League games to qualify for participation 127 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: in the World Series. This is because it turned out 128 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: that Danny immigrated to New York after June two thousand, 129 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: rather than earlier in the year two thousand. How did 130 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: Victor Romero figure this out? Because Danny Almonte finished seventh 131 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: grade on June fifteenth, two thousand, in the Dominican Republic. 132 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: According to Boulevard de Luna Gomez, vice president of the 133 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: Andres Bellows Primary School in Moca, we can't lie, Gomez 134 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: told the Associated Press, he was here and the records 135 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,079 Speaker 1: show this. It is the truth, and if authorities ask 136 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: us to turn the documents in, we are ready to 137 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: do so. This meant that there simply there weren't enough 138 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: qualifying Little League games for Danny to have played in 139 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: between his immigration to the United States and the time 140 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: he took to the Pitcher's Mount and wowed the baseball 141 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: world in two thousand and one. This was damning evidence. 142 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: Joan dal Mao, the spokeswoman for the Rolando Paulino All 143 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: Stars team, tried to defend the Baby Bomber's Little League 144 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: World Series win doubling down on the lies by denying 145 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: that Danny had lived in the Dominican Republic until June 146 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: two thousand. I saw him in May here in the 147 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: Bronx playing in a regular season game. Del Mao said, 148 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: so there was no way he was in the Dominican 149 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: republican June, but Victor Romero and the Dominican Republic officials 150 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: refuted del Mao's claim in support of Felipe's account, confirming 151 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: that Danny Almonte had absolutely been in a Dominican school 152 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: until June. It helped Victor Romero's cause that the people 153 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: nearest and dearest to the Almonte family also started to 154 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: turn on Felipe and Sonya in an effort to keep 155 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 1: the stink of scandal as far from themselves as possible. 156 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: Jose Rojas, Danny Almonte's uncle, who initially supported Felipe saying 157 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: that Danny had been in the United States for nearly 158 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: two years, retracted his earlier statement, saying it was possible 159 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: he was in Mocha, Dominican Republic until June. As Victor 160 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: Romero's investigation claimed, what did all these findings shake out to? 161 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: Danny had been ineligible for the Little League World Series, 162 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,680 Speaker 1: not just because of his age, but also because he 163 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: hadn't played in the six Little League games required for qualification. 164 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: Lies upon lies, Felipe de Jesus Almonte will be arrested 165 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: as soon as he sets foot in this country, said 166 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: Victor Romero at the conclusion of his investigation in the 167 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic. The arrest warrant was a real problem for 168 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: Felipe Almonte because the scandal breaking had very publicly ousted 169 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: him as living Indianiace States illegally under an expired visa. 170 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: Not only was he now one of the most public 171 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: illegal immigrants in America, but he was also being taken 172 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: to task by New York State for truancy. Remember how 173 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: Felipe lied about registering Danny for public school seventy in 174 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: the Bronx. Yeah, well, it turns out that New York 175 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: takes the deprivation of education pretty darn seriously. Under New 176 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: York's compulsory education laws, it's the responsibility of parents to 177 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: make sure their children go to school, and an offender 178 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: on Felipe scale who had kept this child out of 179 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: school for over a year could face jail time. So 180 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,559 Speaker 1: without a legal right to stay in the United States 181 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: and facing severe truancy charges in New York State, Felipe 182 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: had to flee back to the Dominican Republic. Even with 183 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: the Dominican officials intent on seeing him brought to justice. 184 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: Victor Romero made good on his threat. Dominican official handed 185 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: a warrant for Felipe's arrest to his second wife, Madisol 186 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: Maria Inoa Sanchez de la Monte, to ensure he didn't 187 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: slip through their hands. Upon returning to the country, Madisaul 188 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,839 Speaker 1: pleaded with both Dominican and US officials, including President Bush, 189 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: to pardon her husband, insisting that he should be forgiven 190 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: for his mistakes. We had to commit this little fraud 191 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 1: to give this opportunity to this child, Madisol Maria Inoasanchez 192 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: told The New York Times, But the officials did not 193 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: have forgiveness on their minds. On his arrival in the 194 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic, Felipe was charged with falsifying public documents, and 195 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: not just Danny's birth certificate either Twist Twist Twist People. 196 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: Felipe was also charged with having tried the exact same 197 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:52,559 Speaker 1: scheme with Danny's older brother Juan. Apparently, Felipe had forged 198 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: Wan's birth certificate to make him appear two years younger 199 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: so that he too could play Little League baseball in 200 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: New York. Sure, Wan didn't garner the same headlines as 201 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: his younger brother, and so this deception had managed to 202 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: fly under the radar. But now it was out. The 203 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: fact that the Dominicans had proven Felipe to be a 204 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: double offender of the same scheme made it extremely unlikely 205 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: that Danny's false age had been any sort of mistake. 206 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: Felipe Almonte remained defiant even as the truth of his 207 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: cheating came to life, saying, if I'm arrested, I will 208 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,079 Speaker 1: go tranquility. My heart will not beat one beat faster 209 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: because I know I was trying to create opportunities for 210 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: my son. But would a selfless father have muddied his 211 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: son's reputation for a moment in the spotlight, a moment 212 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: that almost certainly would have arrived anyway without rule breaking, 213 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: given the level of Danny's talent. Hmm, sour tasting juice 214 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: all around when it comes to Felipe's behavior. Felipe wound 215 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: up with warnings and fines rather than prison time in 216 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,839 Speaker 1: the Dominican Republic, but he did get a lifetime ban 217 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: from Little Legan and a national and he had lost 218 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: the last thread of his son's trust. When La Times 219 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: reporter Jerry Crow visited with Danny Almonte in two thousand 220 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: and four, three years after his perfect game and the 221 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 1: ensuing storm, he wrote that Felipe Visa expired, returned to 222 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: the Dominican Republic shortly after the scandal broke, and Danny Almonte, 223 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: stung that he was left alone in an unfamiliar place 224 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: to face its aftermath, has only recently started speaking to 225 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: him again. That means that, for more than two years 226 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: after Felipe abandoned him for a second time, this time 227 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: on the other side of the Atlantic, with insufficient English understanding, 228 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: and in the midst of debilitating media scrutiny, Danny refused 229 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: to communicate with his father. Felipe Cordova, one of Danny 230 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: Almonte's closest friends and confidence in New York after the 231 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: Little League World Series debacle, says that Almonte is naturally 232 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: quiet and shy, but that he grew ever more inward 233 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: when the scandal broke. Once they left the country and 234 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: Danny finally understood what had happened. He cried, stung by 235 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: the international criticism born of his parents and coaches betrayal. 236 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: Everything was on him, Cordova says. He was here by himself. 237 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: All the weight fell on him. Everybody else was gone. 238 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: That's when he felt lonely. I can only imagine how 239 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: devastating and traumatic that must have been for Danny. Of course, 240 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: not everybody else was gone. When Felipe Almonte fled back 241 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,479 Speaker 1: to the Dominican Republic, young Danny, with his career opportunities 242 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: put on ice and no means of going anywhere else, remained, 243 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: living with his coach, Rowando Paulino, Paulino's wife Carmen, and 244 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: their daughter in the South Bronx Projects. Their fourteenth floor 245 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: apartment with no elevator access, must have been stifling for 246 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: Danny as he grappled with his parents and his coach 247 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: turned guardians deceit. Even as Rolando Paulino housed their son Danny, 248 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: he publicly distanced himself from fully and Sonya Almonte. Film 249 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: star Elizabeth Taylor once said that you find out who 250 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: your real friends are when you're involved in a scandal. 251 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: So true, and for the Almantes it became crystal clear 252 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: that Orlando's history of friendship with Felipe, spanning over decades 253 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: from the Dominican Republic to New York, was worth less 254 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: than a penny. Under the glare of negative international press. 255 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: With a baseball diamond as his stage, Orlando Paulino declared 256 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: the father and mother of Danny. They lied to us. 257 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: I had a visa and a passport handed to me. 258 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: I was going by the documentation the father provided. Well, 259 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: Orlando Paulino's words just didn't taste right. Wouldn't you say, 260 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: like a big old spoon full of castor oil when 261 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: you're sick. Yeah, when things taste off, let's get real. 262 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: It's because they usually are. And no one was drinking 263 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: Paulino's version of events up and letting him off the hook. 264 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: The tab had come due for this guy. Little League 265 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: Baseball took tough, decisive action. Daniel Monte, the wonder kin 266 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 1: of the Bronx Baby Bombers, was retroactively declared ineligible the 267 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: championship wins that the team bearing Rowando Paulino's name had achieved. 268 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: The victories that had echoed through the cheers of the 269 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: Bronx Faithful, were mercilessly erased from the books. The Rowando 270 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 1: Paulino All Stars had to forfeit all their wins and 271 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 1: tournament play, a bitter pill to swallow for the kids 272 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: and certainly for their baseball obsessed coach, but the repercussions 273 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: didn't stop there. Under Little League rules, it is the 274 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: coach of the team who is the gatekeeper of player 275 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: eligibility and in the realm of fairness. Rowando Paulino was 276 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: therefore held responsible for the Daniel Monte age falsification scandal, 277 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: had alongside his once best friend Felipe Almonte. Lance van Aukin, 278 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: the Little League director of Media Relations, expressed his dismay 279 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: at Orlando Paulino's negligence, saying he couldn't recall a case 280 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 1: of age tampering in the history of the Little League 281 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: World Series, and Little League President Stephen D. Keener was 282 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 1: even more biting in his indictment of Orlando and Felipe, 283 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: saying anyone who would knowingly undermine the trust in Little 284 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: League is guilty of doing serious harm to children, and 285 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: that their exploitation of Danny had been contemptible and despicable. 286 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,640 Speaker 1: Things went from bad to worse for Orlando Paulino, as 287 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 1: the Little League investigated the other claims coming to light 288 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: about his coaching. First, it was uncovered that Paulino had 289 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,240 Speaker 1: a history of cheating, having been previously stripped of a 290 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: title with a Dominican team all the way back in 291 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty eight because he had six overaged players six 292 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: y'all six. Then a New York Times investigation uncovered that 293 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: another player on the same team as Danny Catcher, named 294 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: Francisco Pana, shouldn't have been eligible to play in the 295 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: two thousand and one Little League World Series either. According 296 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: to the Times, Penya had been brought in directly from 297 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: the Dominican Republic just before the start of the series, 298 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: like a ringer, someone with special and specific skills was 299 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 1: brought into Phillis specific purpose without other people knowing, which 300 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: is a big no no. Certainly didn't give him enough 301 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: time to participate in six Little League games prior to 302 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 1: the championship just like Danny, and would have acted the 303 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: team's winning record in and of itself. Yet there was 304 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:46,159 Speaker 1: no doubt about it. Coach Rolando Paulino had definitely played dirty. Fortunately, 305 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: Francisco Panna wasn't as marred by the scandalist Daniel monte Pena, 306 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: who had been dragged into the scandalous exposure, later on 307 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 1: seemed to float above it, going on to sign with 308 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: the New York Mets in two thousand and seven. When 309 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: asked about the whole old Little League World Series scandal 310 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: retrospectively by MLB dot Com, he said, my parents didn't 311 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: know how it worked. It was a messed up decision 312 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: our family got into. It was a crazy moment in 313 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: our lives. That crazy moment didn't haunt coach Orlando Paulino 314 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: as much as it maybe should have. While the two 315 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: thousand and one scandal got him a lifetime ban from 316 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: Little League International, to this day, he still coaches youth 317 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: baseball in the South Bronx, and he intends to until 318 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: his projected retirement after fifty years of coaching. In twenty 319 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: twenty seven. His league of twenty four teams still bearing 320 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: his name lega Paulino as approximately four hundred players and 321 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,199 Speaker 1: receives support from the Yankees. How is this possible for 322 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: someone proven guilty to continue to operate in youth baseball, 323 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: you ask, Well, it might sound crazy that a dirty 324 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,439 Speaker 1: player got to continue in the space, but let's break 325 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: it down. Youth baseball is not one organized, simplistic blog 326 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: moving as a perfect unit, like a dollop of slime 327 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: in the hands of a toddler. It is a complicated, 328 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 1: tangled web of independent leagues with very little oversight. I'm 329 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: talking blender not clicked into the base level chaos. This 330 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: lack of order in youth baseball is why coach Orlando 331 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: Paulino can be banned from Little League International and from 332 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: taking his teams to Williamsport for the World Series, yet 333 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,360 Speaker 1: still get New York City permits to bring all star 334 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: teams to the Caribbean and all over the United States. 335 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: Of course, the ban by Little League International has hurt 336 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: Orlando Paulino. He claims he even contemplated suicide, whispering to 337 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: the n ESPN reporter Dan Lebertard in one interview, I 338 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: was so depressed, I thought about taking my life, but 339 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: I wouldn't give them the pleasure. After all, no one 340 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,120 Speaker 1: knows better than Paulino does that the trail of youth 341 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: baseball glory ultimately has to travel through Williamsport, where TV 342 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: exposure has turned the nonprofit children's Little League World Series 343 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: tournament into a multi million dollar industry. For Paulino, who 344 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: works as a taxi cab driver to make ends meet, 345 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: to be excluded from a piece of that rich baseball 346 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: pie must be hard to bear. Paulino has set in 347 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: interviews that he has written letters to Williamsport requesting Little 348 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 1: League reinstatement, but never heard back. When The Daily News 349 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 1: looked into this claim, however, it turned out not to 350 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:24,640 Speaker 1: be the case, just another Rolando Paulino lie. Little League 351 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: International has not received any recent requests from mister Paulino 352 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: asking to be reinstated as an eligible coach in the 353 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: Little League program. The statement from Williamsport read, we remain 354 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 1: committed to the decision made in two thousand and one 355 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 1: by the Little League International Tournament Committee that removed him 356 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: from serving as league president and bans him for life 357 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 1: from volunteering in our program. As the matter was closed 358 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: in two thousand and one, we have no further comment 359 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 1: on the situation. Alex Perez, the vice president of Inwood 360 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: Little League in North Manhattan, strongly agrees with Little League 361 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: Internationals to sity to neither reinstate nor forgive Rowando Polino. Perez, 362 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: who says as teams of largely Hispanic players are still 363 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 1: stigmatized as a result of what Rolando Paulino enabled at 364 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: the two thousand and one Little League World Series. Is 365 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 1: outraged at the thought of it. When you cheat for 366 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:19,360 Speaker 1: so many years and so blatantly, what do you think 367 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: is going to happen? Says Perez, who has worked with 368 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: Inwood Little League since nineteen ninety seven. Nobody wants to 369 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,959 Speaker 1: play him. You're going to force people to play him 370 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: in your tournaments, and everybody is going to say there's 371 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 1: an issue here. Rowando Paulino's history will forever leave him 372 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: upolarizing figure both outside and inside the youth baseball community. 373 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: While some people in the Bronx still view him as 374 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: a hero getting youth involved in baseball instead of gangs, 375 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 1: is cheating over shadows his good works, because, of course, 376 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: the Paulinos cheating open the door for blanket discriminatory practices. 377 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: Pitcher Daniel Monte's falsified birth certificate, the biggest scandal in 378 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: Little League history, perpetrated by Rolando Polino and Felipe El Monte, 379 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 1: remains a source of animosity and justification for stereotypes, while 380 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: depressing ramifications still felt by Hispanic youth teams traveling outside 381 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: New York. Anytime you take a team out of New York, 382 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: that's good. And you go into the suburbs and you know, 383 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: play a bunch of white kids right away, it's is 384 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: this kid legal? Coach Alex Perez says that sure takes 385 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,360 Speaker 1: any sweetener right out of the juice for me when 386 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: it comes to Rolando Paublino's legacy. Of course, it's also 387 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: worth our taking a moment to consider if all the 388 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: blame can be laid at Rolando Paulino's feet for discrimination 389 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: in Little League baseball since the two thousand and one scandal. 390 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 1: I mean, why exactly was it that Danny was under 391 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: set scrutiny in the first place? For example, was it 392 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:45,879 Speaker 1: just because he was big and pitched de mean fastball 393 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: or was something uglier at work? Red Sox Starr and 394 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: Dominican native Pedro Martinez has his own theory about what 395 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: happened at the Little League World Series in two thousand 396 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: and one. It's just because Danny kicked everybody's ass that 397 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:02,920 Speaker 1: people complained from the Dominican Republic mountains, goes to New York, 398 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: gets the opportunity to play, and he gets all the 399 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:09,919 Speaker 1: crap America has to offer just because he's good. Ouch. 400 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 1: That's a pretty damning theory for Little League if it 401 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: holds any truth, and sadly it just might. Several Little 402 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,879 Speaker 1: League officials even admitted that Danny wasn't the absolute biggest 403 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: playing in Little League the year of the scandal. There were, 404 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: in fact, plenty of Anglo players who were bigger, but 405 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: nobody investigated their age or eligibility. Why not. I'm not 406 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: justifying Rowando Paulino's cheating at all. But when the embittered 407 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: coach Orlando Paulino said, our players don't have the blonde hair, 408 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 1: the blue eyes and the perfect English, this never happens 409 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:48,919 Speaker 1: if we have those things, maybe, just maybe, it's the 410 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,439 Speaker 1: most truthful thing he said. With the Bronx Baby Bomber's 411 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,920 Speaker 1: records wiped clean, the Little League world was left grappling 412 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: with the fallout of the dannielle Monte scandal. A prodigies 413 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: trajectory was abruptly brought to a halt. Danny's father was 414 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: facing the Dominican official's wrath. Coach Rolando Paulino had inadvertently 415 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 1: opened the door even wider for discrimination against Hispanic kids 416 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: in youth baseball by breaking the rules, and the credibility 417 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: of the beloved little league was left in tatters. Now, 418 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: everyone grab your glass and drink up in preparation for 419 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: the big reveal. I know you're all waiting for what 420 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,360 Speaker 1: happened to Daddy Almonte, the kid caught up in all 421 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: these adults dirty games, The kid who, in a twenty 422 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: fourteen ESPN documentary sadly acknowledged, even years after the scandal broke, 423 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 1: that the bad thing is my coach, Paulino and my dad. 424 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,199 Speaker 1: They knew what they were going to get into. I 425 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,479 Speaker 1: wish this never happened, but it happened to me, and 426 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: God knows what he does to me. Crushing words from 427 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: someone who really never knowingly did anything wrong but bore 428 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: so much of the brunt for others' bad behavior. Well, 429 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: here's some good news. At the beginning of this episode, 430 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: I promised that I'd helped clear your palette. Remember, having 431 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:21,119 Speaker 1: been exonerated of any responsibility for cheating. Danny's friends and 432 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: supporters came out in droves. In fact, a Bronx dentist 433 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: went so far as to sponsor Danny's coaching under Fred Cambria, 434 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: a forty dollars an hour pitching coach who used to 435 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: work for the San Diego Padres. Danny continued to train 436 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: hard while finishing out high school, but ultimately the little 437 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 1: unit didn't wind up making it to the bigs. Danny 438 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 1: entered the two thousand and six MLB draft but wasn't drafted. 439 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 1: So what does a kid do who has trained so 440 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: hard and come through so much adversity only to miss 441 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: the cut? Crumpled under disappointment? Unlikely, just as he stepped 442 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: up to the mound in two thousand and one and 443 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,400 Speaker 1: delivered a pitching perform It's exceptional for any age. Daniel 444 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: Monte kept going in pursuit of his dream to continue 445 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: his lifelong love affair with baseball, independent of anyone else's 446 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: string pulling or expectations. At heart, he was still that 447 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: kid who batted bottle caps with broomsticks for fun, and 448 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: he was still an ethical, clean player. I've got to 449 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: prove myself, danielle Monte said. Whatever happened in the past happened. 450 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: I've got to become a better man now. Danny pushed 451 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 1: on attending junior college and playing baseball in the Independent 452 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: Frontier League, which is a minor league, but hey, he 453 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: was still playing baseball and getting paid and having fun. 454 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: After junior college, Danny then got the chance to play 455 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: baseball at Western Oklahoma State College. He was able to 456 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 1: showcase his amazing fluid arm from the mound once again. 457 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: He also hit thirty two home runs in his two 458 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,959 Speaker 1: seasons there. This made him one of the leading hitters 459 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: in the country. In addition to seeing success on the mound. 460 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: Danny al Monte never made it to the majors in baseball, 461 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 1: but he did go back to his high school alma mater, 462 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: James Monroe High in Brooklyn, and he did become an 463 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 1: assistant coach there, passing on his love for the game 464 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: to the next generation. As far as this sports loving 465 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: juice aficionado is concerned, that is a major league winning 466 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: legacy for Danny Almonte. Let's drink to that, my friend, 467 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: join me for the next juicy scandal by subscribing to 468 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Until then, I'll be staying hydrated 469 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:43,320 Speaker 1: and minding my own business. Not Playing Dirty Sports Scandals 470 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions 471 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, 472 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: Nick Panela, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, 473 00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francie haigks My Egnctment 474 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: and Jennifer Claring.