Young baseball "prodigy" nearly became legend until his secret was discovered
It's June 2008, and Danny Almonte is starting to despair. Regarded at the time as a promising prospect, the 21-year-old pitcher sits as quiet as his phone as the MLB draft continues. His mind races: what happened? Where did he go wrong? But Danny knows it: August 30, 2001. That day, an unspeakable secret nearly lost him completely.
"Little Unit"
At the time, Danny was known as: "Little Unit", a nod to Randy "Big Unit" Johnson, the Hall of Fame pitcher. This nickname was appropriate. Standing six feet tall, Danny was a 12 year old kid who shouldn't be bothered.
Professional prowess
But the place where people dreaded seeing him the most was not at school, but on the pitch, at his pitcher's position. After all, he had in his repertoire the kind of tricks you only see in the pros, including a skillful slider and a fastball at 120 km / h - which equates, at that distance, to a throw of 160 km. / h for the pros.
A phenomenal pitcher
The batsmen in front of him were almost unable to recover Danny's throws. Throw after throw, strikeout after strikeout, the Dominican from the Bronx had quickly become the next phenomenon in the Little League.
The big stage
With the "Baby Bombers" - the nickname coming from the fact that their field is located in the shadow of Yankee Stadium - Danny dominated the circuit towards a qualification for the Little League World Series, achieving in the process a "no-hitter" at the during the Mid-Atlantic Regional Finals in 2001. The "Almighty Almonte" looked unstoppable - but the LLWS was going to be a tall order.
Go down in history
But Danny wasn't afraid of the pressure, and in front of a crowd of over 20,000, he had the perfect first Little League World Series game since 1979. His next opponent - a team from Oceanside, Calif. - looked just as easy. to beat, but an 11-year-old boy, 1.50 meters tall and weighing 40 kilograms, disagreed.
David vs. Goliath
This boy was called Matthew Cerda, and what he lacked in height he made up for with his baseball intelligence. In addition, his batting skills were remarkable for a child his age. When he crossed the field to confront "Little Unit" he was ready.
Blink
But before Matthew could blink, he was eliminated. Danny's throws seemed almost supersonic, they zipped and landed perfectly in the glove. It almost looked like it was an adult throwing.
Still in play
When it came time for Matthew's second round, three shots were enough for Danny to send the 11-year-old back to the sidelines once again. Even though the Oceanside drummers were dropping like flies, the Baby Bombers were still only a little ahead when the last drummer faced Danny.
Matthew's moment
It was of course Matthew who wanted at all costs to avoid being once again on the sidelines. Finally, Danny brought out his slider technique, sending the ball full speed towards Matthew, who struck with all his might ...
Fates intertwine
And was eliminated again. The Bombers rushed onto the field to celebrate, and Matthew retired to the team van to mourn his missed opportunity. Nonetheless, something happened at that moment that shifted the cosmic balance. The fates of these two boys were about to change.
The new hope
As Matthew disappeared into the quiet comfort of his Oceanside backyard to continue training after the loss, Danny was becoming a real celebrity. Baseball analysts touted him as one of the top prospects in decades, and several pro clubs even began trying to recruit him.
A hero at home
He's also become something of a hometown hero, with the Yankees inviting him to games and Mayor Rudy Giuliani giving him a key to the city. Danny was savoring his newly acquired fame, but he hadn't anticipated that the spotlight would uncover the one thing he had been hiding for years: the truth.
In search of a scandal
Shortly after his run in the Little League World Series, several rival teams brought in private detectives to dig into Danny's seemingly blameless past. Initial investigations didn't yield much, but after two Sports Illustrated reporters traveled to the Dominican village where the pitcher was born, Danny's secret was uncovered.
Fraud
While Danny's "birth certificate" listed 1989 as the year of birth, he was actually born in 1987, making him 14 at the time of the LLWS - and thus rendering him ineligible. This scandal rocked the world of baseball, but it was Danny himself who paid the highest price.
Everything collapses
After his father was extradited to the Dominican Republic to be sued for forging his birth certificate, Danny found himself on his own. Lacking willpower and motivation, his pitching skills deteriorated, and in order to regain some stability, he married a 30-year-old hairdresser shortly after his 18th birthday.
A brief career
While considered a safe bet for the draft, Danny was sidelined in 2006 and eventually signed a contract with the Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League. In six appearances, he posted an efficiency average of 5.29 before being fired - his professional career lasted just 34 days. But he still hadn't given up on his dreams.
Bounce
Danny has managed to bounce back dramatically after joining the Western Oklahoma State junior college team, giving up his slider to perfect his other throws. With his arm and bat white hot, Danny led his team to the Juco World Series - his dreams of playing in the big leagues were always within reach.
Nothing but silence
In fact, the Kansas City Royals had expressed interest in him during the 2008 MLB selection. But on that fateful day in June, the phone never rang for 21-year-old Danny Almonte, unlike that of a another star of the Little League.
Working hard pays off
After his ill-fated appearance in the LLWS, youngster Matthew Cerda had been training tirelessly to prove that he was more than just a hitter knocked out by Danny Almonte. Then six feet tall and weighing 80 kg, the young player broke Oceanside records to become one of the country's most promising prospects and, soon after, a professional baseball player.
The best revenge is a great success
As Danny's phone went silent, Matthew received a call from the Chicago Cubs, who recruited him in the fourth round as a catcher. For five years, Matthew slaughtered his opponents but, after missing a season with injury and changing positions several times, the 23-year-old decided to hang up his boots for good.
Without regrets
Danny ended up being an assistant baseball coach at his old high school. Believe it or not, the former prodigy said he was happy that his secret had been revealed: during all this turmoil, he had been researching. And he wasn't the only teenage athlete to have made a name for himself in the sports world. Young Australian track and field star Michelle Jenneke rose to fame after a video was released of her doing something unusual at a track and field competition, and until today she can't seem to forget this video!
A little athlete
Australian athlete Michelle "Shelly" Jenneke, who turns 27 in 2021, has spent her entire life moving her body. Whether it is dance or football, she has been playing sports since her earliest childhood. However, it was not the kicks, the swings or the spikes that fascinated this muscular young girl, but the hurdle race.
The hurdle race
“I've always been a very athletic kid,” Michelle told Stellar magazine in 2017. “Just about every sport I could try, I played. When I was 9, I signed up for Little Athletics. didn't train that year, I was just competing. The hurdles have always been my favorite event, although I wasn't particularly good at the time. " She trained and trained ...
Pure talent
She ended up getting good, really good. Her family supported her passion, and she began professionally training hurdles at the age of 10, at least once a week at first. "It wasn't until I first joined the Australian Youth Olympics team in 2010, at the age of 17, that I realized I could compete professionally." , she said.
Stack titles
But in fact, Michelle was already talking about her in her sport at only 15 years old. She won fourth place at the Australian National School Championships for two consecutive years, and placed second in the 100m hurdles at the New South Wales School Championships, with a remarkable time of 13.07 seconds.
A local star
And to think that she was still enrolled at Hills Grammar School in New South Wales! She was already very good, and there was still a lot of room for improvement. But things really started to move when she won a silver medal at the Youth Summer Olympics in 2010. The local Hills Shire Times newspaper immediately turned its attention to her.
Inflated and enthusiastic
Hills Shire Times reporters couldn't help but notice Michelle "was almost jumping and dancing behind the blocks before the start." It was so adorable that they wanted to question her about it. “I wasn't nervous, I was just excited and felt good warming up. It makes a big difference to have familiar faces in the crowd,” Michelle replied.
Enjoy the experience
Having fun and feeling good are themes that seem to be part of Michelle's approach to becoming a star athlete. On the 2010 Youth Olympic Games website, she stated as "advice to becoming a top athlete" to just "have fun". She was wiser than her age, and it got her in trouble.
Go fast
In 2011 Michelle took first place in the Under-20 category at the Australian Junior Championships, and third place at the 89th Australian Track and Field Championships. Seeing Michelle cross the finish line just behind Sally Pearson, Olympic gold medalist in hurdles, was nothing short of breathtaking! When you consider that Sally is, according to her website, "one of the fastest 100m hurdles runners in history," it was obvious that Michelle was rising to the top of the world. hurdle race.
The cameras are rolling
Not only was Michelle improving her stroke more and more, but the attention paid to the teenager only kept growing. In fact, there were loads of journalists at the 14th World Junior Championships in Barcelona in 2012. And Michelle had worked hard to make it happen. As she did before all her races, she did her own warm-up before the 100-meter hurdles event. And it wasn't long before the cameras started to turn on her.
A last minute warm-up
Her last minute warm-up at the start line was a little different from the other girls as they were sticking to the basics, jumping and stretching their legs. But Michelle's was more ... theatrical. With her big smile, she caught the attention of the cameras and established herself as the main character of the race.
Wriggling
The cameras caught Michelle doing some sort of dance right before her big run. She was bouncing and swaying her hips, wiggling her fingers, kicking her legs, like she had a song in her head. It was adorable, and we weren't the only ones who thought so. This became even clearer after the video was uploaded.
Media recognition
Even though she hadn't qualified for the 2012 Olympics in London, she had become an internet celebrity, thanks to the warm-up she had been practicing since 2009. In the video that went viral, her dancing is actually rhythmic by the 1980s pop song "Boys", by Sabrina. She was so bright that Business Insider even called her "hypnotic." USA Today went on to highlight Michelle's positivity: "You can only love someone who is having so much fun."
A sports star
The young woman, who was then 19, was considered a "sex symbol", which was open to criticism. In any case, she was quick to get sponsorships with big brands like Coke and Puma, and also took part in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . She was a true sports star and the opportunities were quick to pour in.
Sports Illustrated Model
Knowing that she was appreciated not only for her dynamic demeanor, but also for her girlish demeanor like any other, the modeling world welcomed the brown angel with open arms. Michelle landed a coveted spot in the February 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit , which was no small feat. “I looked at the photos and I was like, wow, is that really me?” Michelle said of the shoot.
A decisive turning point
Everything was going for the best for the young Australian, who managed to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. Her magnificent face was even displayed on billboards all over Brazil! But what goes up ... also falls.
Michelle's fall
Indeed, Michelle's small body was struggling to keep up with her sympathetic reputation as a champion. She prepared for the 100-meter hurdles, an event she knew so well, but came in 37th place with a time of 13.26 seconds. Ouch.
Disappointed journalists
As you can imagine, Michelle was overwhelmed by her result, so much so that she refused to respond to several reporters who asked her to do the viral warm-up dance for them. If she was unable to run fast and refused to perform her warm-up dance like a monkey, then what was it for?
Coach Craig Hilliard
She was already feeling bad, and it didn't help when head coach Craig Hilliard commented publicly on Michelle's performance. “You can tell [the outside distractions] might explain the situation. This is something I need to discuss with her and to explore with her… she certainly didn't come here in the physical condition that she did. should have been his, "according to AARP .
Heartbreaking remarks
“If you don't do everything you need to do, why invest in yourself? I can't explain that,” the coach continued. Phew. Shortly after these heartbreaking remarks, Athletics Australia (Australia's national sports organization) unfortunately cut its grants.
Not his only project
Michelle's world started to fall apart, but since she was never the “oh how miserable” type of person, she held her head up high. After pointing out that she believed her poor performance could be partially attributed to the fact that competitors were not allowed to warm up on the track, she told news.com.au : “I'm still young, I still live at home, I still feel very good there, I am still in university, so at the moment athletics is not my only project ".
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Looking back
In 2017, the then 24-year-old began studying mechatronics engineering at the University of Sydney and reflected on her experience in the limelight. “People can easily value you and just as easily bring you down, but they don't know what's going on behind the scenes. They only see when you're on the track. But there are many factors that affect them. performances, ”she told Stella Magazine .
Disregard noise
“People think I'm trying to draw attention to myself by doing my dance. I don't. I do it when I'm at the start line. I'm not going to change who I am or what I am. I do because people see it one way or another, ”she continued. "If I'm happy with myself and my preparation, then I try to ignore what people are saying so I don't lose my focus."
Tips for young athletes
In 2018, Michelle shared her advice for young athletes at The Beast. "I think the best advice I can give them is just to have fun and enjoy your sport. That's really what I did. That's why I'm still in this sport, just because I love him." Here is a wise woman.
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