Almonte, who turns 21 next month, is seven years removed from the infamy of the 2001 Little League World Series, when it was discovered he was two years older than his 12-year-old peers.

He had an outrageously successful high school career, endured the frustration of not being drafted, was cut a month into his pro baseball career from the Frontier League and has resurfaced on the dusty diamond of Western Oklahoma State College in Altus.

And through it all, Almonte's name has never been far from the headlines. That's why, his junior college coach said, he doesn't want to give any interviews.

"He just can't concentrate," said Kurt Russell, head coach at Western. "It was just constant for him, all through high school. It's tough. He just wants to be a kid right now and not have that media around him."

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Almonte moved with his father, Filipe De Jesus Almonte, to New York, where he played for the Bronx Little League club Rolando Paulino (named after the club's founder, who also was given a lifetime ban by Little League Baseball).

As Paulino's All-Stars stirred national pride with a third-place finish in the '01 Series in Williamsport, Pa., Almonte threw the first perfect game in the 44-year history of the tournament.

But it was soon revealed that the handwritten birth certificate Almonte's father provided was bogus. An investigation by the Dominican government uncovered that Almonte was actually 14. His perfect game, Paulino's finish and the club's win total were stricken from Little League Baseball records.

Stephen D. Keener, president and CEO of Little League Baseball in Williamsport, said in 2001, "Clearly, adults have used Danny Almonte and his teammates in a most contemptible and despicable way."

Still, people's fascination with Almonte never waned.

"His environment," said Russell, "has always been in the spotlight."

At New York City's James Monroe High School, Almonte's record as a left-handed ace was 34-1. He was a two-time all-city player and was the 2004 Public Schools Athletic League player of the year. He averaged more than 10 strikeouts per game, posted an earned run average below 1.00, batted .485 and hit 27 home runs in his prep career.

In 2006, at 19, he married a 30-year-old Manhattan hairdresser, which also made Big Apple headlines.

But Almonte's baseball career wasn't taking off. With a fastball in the upper-80s, Almonte wasn't among some 1,600 picks in the 2007 draft. He signed with the newly formed Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League, where he was 0-1 on the mound with a 5.28 ERA in six appearances. He was released soon after and, Russell said, eventually took advantage of a clause that allowed him to begin exploring junior college opportunities within 90 days of signing.

"I've known (Almonte) since the ninth grade," said Russell, who hails from Boston and has extensive connections with Latin players throughout the Northeast.

In Western's first 10 games, Almonte is hitting .550 with one home run and is 1-0 with nine strikeouts in six shutout innings (two starts).

"He's got the potential," Russell said. "I think he can handle pressure because he's played in several pressure situations. . . . I think he really likes it. He's a shy kid. Great kid. Works hard, great locker room guy with all the other guys."

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com