From the “Where are they now?” department comes this update on former Little Leaguer Danny Almonte who once threw a perfect game in the LLWS when he was 14, pitching against 11 and 12 year-olds. Last we heard of Almonte, he was 19 and married to a 30-year-old hairdresser in NYC. He never got drafted and he got rocked in the Frontier League playing some low-level pro ball. And now? Well, turns out he’s playing some JC ball at Altus in Oklahoma. Additionally, he’s lucky he stunk so bad in the Frontier League because it allowed him the chance to exercise a clause within 90 days of signing to play junior college ball.
And how’s he doing, you ask? Looks like the kid can still bring it. He’s 1-0 in six scoreless innings spanning two starts, with nine strikeouts. And apparently he can swing it, too. Almonte’s hitting .550 with a dinger in 10 games. Not too bad at all. Matter of fact, he’ll be drafted if he keeps it up. The question after the lie was exposed was whether Danny Almonte dominated because he was supremely talented, or simply because he was older. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, as Almonte is clearly skilled, though not a stud. I’m guessing he doesn’t make it past AA ball, but I think he’s got a shot at getting drafted. After all, he still has the name, right?
