The 2001 Little League World Series
During the 2001 Little League World Series, a team from the Bronx in New York City captivated the interest of the United States as a whole, thanks in large part to a young phenom pitcher by the name of Danny Almonte. The Dominican-born pitcher, who had moved to the US just a year prior, earned the nickname “The Little Unit” (in homage of Randy “the Big Unit” Johnson) because of his ability to throw as hard was 76 miles per hour fastballs, and having thrown the first perfect game in the LLWS in over 20 years.
But suspicions of parents on opposing LLWS teams led to an investigation that determined that Almonte’s father, Felipe Almonte had ultimately misled LLWS officials about Almonte’s age — he was two years older than he was made out to be, and thus not able to compete per the age restrictions. Ultimately, his Mid-Atlantic team was forced to forfeit their wins in the tournament as well.