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Ex-Little Leaguer Almonte throwing in Frontier League

MLB

He pitched like a pro in the 2001 Little League World Series before being exposed as too old to compete. Now, he is a pro.

The Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League announced on Monday night that they have signed left-handed pitcher Danny Almonte.

Almonte pitched his Bronx, New York, team to a third-place finish in the 2001 Series, tossing a perfect game along the way. Documents later revealed that Almonte was 14 years old at the time of the competition, two years too old for the tournament. His records were removed and his team stripped of their finish.

Almonte went on to help James Monroe High School in New York win two Public School Athletic League championships. He was named MVP of the 2004 title game.

"Danny is a nice addition to our pitching staff," Miners manager Mike Pinto said. "Two different major league scouts, whose opinions I value greatly, gave me excellent reports after seeing him throw recently. There are not too many young lefties with his quality of stuff sitting out there. He has a 90s-plus fastball and an excellent slider. From our conversations, Danny is a quiet and shy young man who just wants a chance to showcase his talents. This will just be the start to his professional career."

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