He’s still dominating

NEW YORK — Danny Almonte recalls a moment on the mound in his first preseason game for James Monroe High School that still brings a smile to his face.

A boy eager to show his gratitude to the infamous young pitcher ran out and hugged him.

“I’m so happy you’ve come to Monroe,” the boy said, according to Almonte.

Almonte hugged him back, a clear demonstration that he was welcome despite his troubled past.

“I like that story,” said Almonte, who enjoyed a remarkable freshman season for the Monroe Eagles.

It’s a very different story from 2001, when Almonte was the focus of scandal in the Little League World Series after the Dominican Republic native was found to be two years older than the age limit of 12.

He was banished from the World Series after throwing a no-hitter in the regional final and a perfect game in the World Series. His team, the Rolando Paulino All-Stars, was stripped of its third-place finish. Almonte’s perfect game, the first in the 44-year history of the World Series, was erased from the records.

Almonte’s father, Felipe de Jesus, was banned for life from Little League activities and was charged with falsifying Danny’s birth certificate. He was sent back to the Dominican Republic.

Paulino, who still acts as a surrogate parent for Almonte in the Bronx, also was barred from Little League. Almonte was invited to participate in the following World Series, but in the senior division.

“He was a 14-year-old kid doing what his father told him,” said Lance Van Auken, spokesman for the Little League organization. “No question, it was the fault of the adults involved.

“We certainly don’t hold grudges against the kids and we wish him success,” Van Auken said. “The embarrassment Danny went through is punishment enough.”

The Little League organization now requires that a player’s birth certificate must be registered within one year of birth. If a player does not have his birth certificate, then he must present four other documents, such as school records or a passport, that prove his age.

It also requires teams to carry with them at all times proof of each player’s age and residency and a map showing the league’s boundaries. Players who live outside the boundary must have an appropriate eligibility waiver. Previously, teams had to provide such documentation at the start of the international tournament, then again if they reached the regional tournament.

Although he remains a celebrity, Almonte doesn’t talk about the events that brought him into the national spotlight. He’s more comfortable discussing his vast talent on the mound.

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