04/25/24
May 23, 2006
Danny Almonte, Now 19, Gets Married to 30-Year-Old Woman: The former Bronx Little League pitcher whose being two years over the maximum age invalidated his team's Little League World Series run is now a 19-year-old pitching prospect likely to be selected in the baseball amateur draft, scheduled for June 6-7. He's also a recently married man -- and to an older woman.
posted by L.N. Smithee to baseball at 02:29 PM - 69 comments
If you don't like this, why don't you also question the motivations of the man?
posted by qbert72 at 02:51 PM on May 23, 2006
Are you sure he's just 19, you know, legally? Did we ever get that birth certificate? And for the sake of argument, he is 19 and marrying his 30 year old girlfriend. So? He's 19. He's legal and of sound mind, aka an adult in the eyes of the law and society. He can fight for the country, he can buy smokes, he can vote, he can see R rated movies, he can serve time as an adult for crime. That means he makes his own choices and suffers consequences as an adult. He's married to someone also of age, they seem to be in love, so what. Let's all be glad the tables aren't turned and he's not out diddling 15 year old girls from MySpace and getting caught by Dateline. I know it involves a sports figure but isn't this more SocialFilter than SportsFilter? It has all the potential to turn into the "women are conniving sperm thieves" like the Randy Johnson lovechild thread.
posted by jerseygirl at 03:03 PM on May 23, 2006
If you don't like this, why don't you also question the motivations of the man? Besides being in love with her, what would you suggest? That Danny wants free haircuts?
posted by L.N. Smithee at 03:11 PM on May 23, 2006
He's married to someone also of age, they seem to be in love, so what. Let's all be glad the tables aren't turned and he's not out diddling 15 year old girls from MySpace and getting caught by Dateline. If I must choose one from either column A or B, I guess the current situation is the one I would choose. I know it involves a sports figure but isn't this more SocialFilter than SportsFilter? It has all the potential to turn into the "women are conniving sperm thieves" like the Randy Johnson lovechild thread. Sorry. I got this from ESPN.com, not E!Online, or something.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 03:18 PM on May 23, 2006
"women are conniving sperm thieves" What? Why would they steal what so many men will give it away? Since the Little League scandal five years ago, Almonte, a left-hander, has pitched for Monroe High School in New York City. Guess that explains the scholarship to NMJC.
posted by tselson at 03:20 PM on May 23, 2006
Maybe she's really 45 instead of 30. She isn't stupid. She is banking on his future making the big bucks. Then we'll see what her motives are/were.
posted by dbt302 at 03:29 PM on May 23, 2006
She is banking on his future making the big bucks. She'd have to be because all women are gold-diggers.
posted by bperk at 03:34 PM on May 23, 2006
She isn't stupid. She is banking on his future making the big bucks. Then we'll see what her motives are/were She would be stupid if she thinks that he's a sure-thing to make millions of dollars in the majors. He's much more likely (say, 95% of the time) to be stuck in some minor-league hell-hole for the next 6 years of his life. That's assuming he doesn't blow out his arm and ruin his career before it even gets started. As of May 11th, USA Today reported, Almonte was 9-0 with 0.45 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 47 innings. High school pitching prospects are the flakiest draft investment in the game. Does the name "Brien Taylor" ring a bell? In Bill James' most recent historical abstract, he noted that high school pitching prospects drafted in the first round are 4 times as likely to never appear in the majors as any other type of prospect that gets drafted in the first round.
posted by grum@work at 03:44 PM on May 23, 2006
The misogynist, sexist comments about gold-digging and sperm-stealing should have been rejected by the webmaster of this site. Similar comments about any racial group would be clearly repulsive and the same is true about generic put-downs of women in general. The plain FACT is that nobody writing in has any knowledge of the people or facts involved. So, nobody should have an opinion. The simple rule is: IF YOU'RE IGNORANT, KEEP YOUR MOUTH (AND KEYBOARD) SHUT!
posted by hexagram at 03:49 PM on May 23, 2006
Two Words: Get Prenup- she'll take half IF he ever goes pro. But anyways, I dont see anything wrong with marrying someone 11 yrs older than yourself. If he was 40, and she was 51, I bet nobody would give a rats ass, no matter who they were. People make a big deal about nothing. If he wanted to bang an 80 year old, why shouldn't he? (I'm sure he could do better), but still- its not a huge issue.
posted by redsoxrgay at 03:53 PM on May 23, 2006
To each his own .
posted by alvinthefirst at 04:00 PM on May 23, 2006
The kid's always played older than his age. Good luck to the newlyweds.
posted by Termite at 04:27 PM on May 23, 2006
The misogynist, sexist comments about gold-digging and sperm-stealing should have been rejected by the webmaster of this site. Well jerseygirl and bperk you heard him, you should both know better than to write shameful, sexist comments on this blog. I am very, very ashamed of you both.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:30 PM on May 23, 2006
Way to go kid!
posted by luther70 at 04:42 PM on May 23, 2006
To keep this on sports, I think it would be ironic if Danny Almonte was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and was sent to their NY-Penn (short-season single "A") team. The irony would be that the team is located in State College, Pennsylvania, the team his Bronx LL team kept from from getting to the 2001 LLWS. To add even more irony, they could have his be the starter for their second game, which will be played in Williamsport, PA!
posted by Mike Juran at 05:06 PM on May 23, 2006
Me thinks Hexagram didn't see the RJ thread and wouldn't understand the tongue-in-cheek commentary from bperk and I.
posted by jerseygirl at 05:09 PM on May 23, 2006
And doesn't quite get how the comment posting process works.
posted by yerfatma at 05:14 PM on May 23, 2006
The plain FACT is that nobody writing in has any knowledge of the people or facts involved. So, nobody should have an opinion. We all have an opinion. That is why we post. We all read the same link so we share that same information. Sometimes someone has additional information and that's what makes this a fun site.
posted by Termite at 05:27 PM on May 23, 2006
No, wait, he's right. This site, and all sites like this, should not exist.
posted by chicobangs at 05:38 PM on May 23, 2006
grum@work: She would be stupid if she thinks that he's a sure-thing to make millions of dollars in the majors. Two words: Signing bonus.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 05:39 PM on May 23, 2006
But anyways, I dont see anything wrong with marrying someone 11 yrs older than yourself. If he was 40, and she was 51, I bet nobody would give a rats ass, no matter who they were. People make a big deal about nothing. If he wanted to bang an 80 year old, why shouldn't he? (I'm sure he could do better), but still- its not a huge issue - redsoxrgay You said it Perfectly Why the hell are all of you guys getting in his personall life its his choice now let him live with it Why would all of you care if he married a 10 year old or a 50 year old? Its his choice You may not like it but its his choice
posted by houston2006 at 05:56 PM on May 23, 2006
Geez, Mike J--are you a frustrated mystery writer? Your post has more plot turns than an episode of 24. Tick...tick...tick...
posted by Termite at 05:59 PM on May 23, 2006
No, wait, he's right. This site, and all sites like this, should not exist. But... what would become of us? Mazel Tov you crazy romantic kids of indeterminate age. 
posted by jerseygirl at 06:00 PM on May 23, 2006
jg, I thought your hair was CVS midnight black. Not that I don't like the new color.
posted by Termite at 06:03 PM on May 23, 2006
I wish I was marrying Danny Almonte! Think of the millions! Not to mention if I "accidentally" get pregnant and sue him for child support! Woo!
posted by jerseygirl at 06:05 PM on May 23, 2006
It's funny to watch people get so worked up about message board posts about a former little league ball player who got married. Termite seems to have the most cogent statement. It's fun to anonymously poke fun at people in the public eye. Why did the SpoFite post on the message board? Because it was there.
posted by THX-1138 at 06:18 PM on May 23, 2006
houston2006: Why would all of you care if he married a 10 year old or a 50 year old? I hope you are kidding about a 10-year-old.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 06:20 PM on May 23, 2006
jerseygirl: I wish I was marrying Danny Almonte! Think of the millions! Not to mention if I "accidentally" get pregnant and sue him for child support! Woo! Uh....you'd sue your husband for child support?
posted by L.N. Smithee at 06:23 PM on May 23, 2006
Dude, forget it. It's a joke that's apparently going over your head.
posted by jerseygirl at 06:24 PM on May 23, 2006
I don't think so. It's more like a bouncer in front of the plate.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 06:26 PM on May 23, 2006
alvinthefirst: To each his own. You mean "their own."
posted by L.N. Smithee at 06:28 PM on May 23, 2006
Let's all be glad the tables aren't turned and he's not out diddling 15 year old girls from MySpace and getting caught by Dateline. Damn, woman, I think I love you. Unfortunately, I'm old and have no fastball.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 06:47 PM on May 23, 2006
Smithee, can't be 'to each their own' as 'each' would take a singular object, his or her. Now, if you want to avoid the PC bug (which poked its head up in this thread) and NOT be mysoginistic and thus castigated (or castrated as the case may be) you could say 'to all their own' but that would imply that everyone had an opinion and wanted to keep it, and perhaps even share it with the rest of us. OR you could use the abomination his/her, or just do as people have done back to the days of spoken Latin and use the male pronoun when the target is of indeterminate or combined gender (after all, very few women's groups objects to alumni, insisting that you make it alumni/alumnae). (quickly runs off to hide tongue-in-cheek and waits for the aftermath)
posted by elovrich at 07:25 PM on May 23, 2006
Two words: Signing bonus. Please, go haunt some other house. You only come around when there's some social issue you can enlighten us on. And you don't let facts get in your way: Almonte is playing for a team. After the first round, few kids (esp. those out of high school) see big signing bonuses in baseball. We get it. The world was better in the 1950s when women and children and minorities knew their place and the Third World was content to stay dirty and poor. Where's your outrage for Edward Furlong?
posted by yerfatma at 07:37 PM on May 23, 2006
elovrich, when I wrote "You mean 'their own,' I was referring to money. Get it now?
posted by L.N. Smithee at 07:38 PM on May 23, 2006
Why the hell are all of you guys getting in his personall life its his choice now let him live with it Why would all of you care if he married a 10 year old or a 50 year old? Its his choice Yeah, but we can still say "ew".
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:46 PM on May 23, 2006
elovrich, ahh....yeah....ummm....I a...ahh.... (thinks elovrich is really smart--wants to be like elovrich)
posted by Termite at 08:07 PM on May 23, 2006
L.N. Smithee doing John Lovitz as the devil-2006 version: Bill Clinton is still a bad President. Barry Bonds must join me in hell for cheating. I hid the WMD's in Iran. The world was better in the 1950s when women and children and minorities knew their place and the Third World was content to stay dirty and poor L.N. Smithee: Thats what I meant when I said, pimps up-ho's down. All of you out there in spofi land, worship me, worship me.
posted by Bishop at 08:11 PM on May 23, 2006
Does the name "Brien Taylor" ring a bell? damn you grum. damn you to hell.
posted by goddam at 08:12 PM on May 23, 2006
yerfatma: Please, go haunt some other house. You only come around when there's some social issue you can enlighten us on. Booga-booga-booga! Apparently, I don't bother you so much that you will resist replying to me. What you say is not completely true, because there is no prequisite for whichever thread I feel like commenting on. Excuuuuuse me for thinking that sports doesn't exist in a vacuum that protects it from larger societal topics. And you don't let facts get in your way: Almonte is playing for a team. After the first round, few kids (esp. those out of high school) see big signing bonuses in baseball. Speaking of facts, here are some facts fresh from earlier this month. From a Seattle Times piece on local HS sports star Jake Locker:
The right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.40 earned-run average and 50 strikeouts in 39 innings. Locker, who consistently throws 91 to 93 mph and has been clocked as high as 96, has struggled with his control, walking 19 and hitting six batters. At a recent game, one National League organization sent its director of amateur scouting, in addition to the usual local scout, a telltale sign the team is serious about Locker. Locker is hardly the first high-school athlete to face this decision. In fact, he's far from being the first Washington quarterback recruit to consider baseball. In 2000, a Cascade of Everett senior named Grady Sizemore was being touted as the successor to Marques Tuiasosopo at Washington. He was a big, fast kid with a bright future in football until the Expos offered him $2 million to sign with them. Sizemore is now the starting center fielder and a budding star for the Cleveland Indians, and before the start of this season signed a six-year, $23.45 million contract extension. Four years later, it was Matt Tuiasosopo who chose baseball over UW, signing with the Mariners after they offered a $2.29 million signing bonus, a record for a third-round draft pick.As the ESPN article says, Almonte is ranked as high as SEVENTH among prospective draftees. If he signs out of JC, he may not be an instant millionaire, but he will make Mrs. Almonte at the very least a few thousand dye jobs richer. We get it. The world was better in the 1950s when women and children and minorities knew their place and the Third World was content to stay dirty and poor. Where's your outrage for Edward Furlong? No, you don't "get it." First of all, as a minority myself, I don't believe that's true. You don't want to get me started on why the Third World (where my "roots" are) is still dirty and poor. And I was outraged about Edward Furlong, as I am still about Mary Kay Letourneau, the convicted child rapist, and Vili Fualaau, the convicted drunk driver. People magazine and Entertainment Tonight shelled out signing bonus-money to cover their nuptials, making their crime pay. At least Rosy Perdomo waited until Danny was legal. Furlong, however, learned a hard lesson, and is no longer with the movie-set tutor who seduced him at the age of 14. That liaison ruined his chance at stardom. Hopefully, Almonte's marriage won't.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 08:18 PM on May 23, 2006
Bishop, take your meds.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 08:21 PM on May 23, 2006
Does anyone have a shovel?
posted by T$PORT4lawschool at 08:57 PM on May 23, 2006
Bishop, take your meds. Anyone know where I can get a cheap replacement irony meter?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:15 PM on May 23, 2006
The difference between a 40 year old marrying a 51 year old and a 19 year old-30 year old match-up is HUGE. The leaps and bounds in maturity from 14 to 15 or 18 to 19 can be enormous. An 11 year age difference is much more significant for him at his age than for her. Methinks there might be a little NYSE speculation going on here, like getting in on the ground floor for Microsoft of Google!
posted by weeklyguy at 11:01 PM on May 23, 2006
When I was 19 I was involved with a woman who was 29. Then a year later with one who was 45. My wife is nearly 14 years older then I am. I see nothing wrong with a younger man enjoying a relationship or marriage with a woman who is older and probably wiser. Some I'm sure don't want such a relationship because of a personal preference for a woman "their age" or even younger and that's fine. Some however avoid them because they feel threatened by a woman who has more life experience and wisdom then they do. If they're happy with each other then more power to them and best wishes for a long and happy marriage.
posted by commander cody at 11:18 PM on May 23, 2006
I was engaged to a 32 year old when I was 21. It didn't work out in the end. I got really REALLY screwed over by her. (At one point she lied about being in hospital in a coma to cover up that she was cheating on me. I'm not making that up.) So unlike those condemning her, I've actually been in a relationship with that age gap that flamed out and went horribly horribly, spectacularly wrong. And I don't regret a thing. So best of luck to this kid. If he makes it to the majors and she's riding his coat tails and gets half... Well it'll be SO hard to live on $20 million rather than $40 million, won't it... I highly doubt she's hitching her wagon to a horse who MIGHT make it in the majors. I mean c'mon, you lot are supposed to be sports fans. How many great prospects have made it to the majors and then crashed and burned? A LOT! Yes, some women are scum, just like some men are. But the fact is, most are decent, and there's nothing to indicate she's out to take him for a ride. (Other than the kind he wants anyway:)) As someone who has been loves bitch on many occasions, best of luck to both of them, and may they live happily ever after.
posted by Drood at 11:41 PM on May 23, 2006
Whose job is it to change the SportsFilter when it becomes clogged with debris?
posted by mjkredliner at 01:26 AM on May 24, 2006
Whose job is it to change the SportsFilter when it becomes clogged with debris? I think this is sports related. After all it seems as if we're always being presented with stories of young sports figures who are given multi-million dollar contracts but still end up broke, in prison somewhere or, at best, door greeters in some Vegas casino. If he's become involved with an older, wiser, more mature woman who only has his best interests at heart because she loves him, then maybe she'll guide him to better ways to spend, invest and control his money. Maybe more young rich athletes should follow his example.
posted by commander cody at 01:39 AM on May 24, 2006
Just kind of thought there was quite a bit of flotsam. I guess Enquiring minds do want to know about this, myownself included, apparently. And just maybe, Commander, the opposite of all that feel good crap is true. I'm still not sure what was supposed to be commented upon here. He's also a married man--and to an older woman. The intrigue! The scandal! That shameless hussy!
posted by mjkredliner at 03:34 AM on May 24, 2006
Whose job is it to change the SportsFilter when it becomes clogged with debris? It's nobody's job. It's your job, and mine, and everybody else's, not to chuck the debris there in the first place if we don't like it -- or if we are going to contribute to the pile, perhaps we shouldn't complain about other people's contributions.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:47 AM on May 24, 2006
Glad to see he found someone is (real) own age!
posted by Knop at 06:52 AM on May 24, 2006
The best Danny Almonte could get from college is a scholarship offer from New Mexico Junior College. Maybe this is about love and free haircuts, not gold-digging mantraps. I'm happy for these kids, though the "you're a minor I could get into trouble" anecdote is a bit disturbing. Does anyone know where they're registered?
posted by rcade at 07:24 AM on May 24, 2006
You are correct, lbb. I acknowledge my part in this. NMJC is an average JC, and belongs to the WJCAA, which has an impressive list of ex-players in MLB. A list of prospects that were drafted recently from NMJC alone! I wish Mr. Almonte well, in baseball, and in matters of the heart....His marriage is none of my business.
posted by mjkredliner at 08:49 AM on May 24, 2006
grum@work: She would be stupid if she thinks that he's a sure-thing to make millions of dollars in the majors. Two words: Signing bonus. Unless he's a top 5 pick, his signing bonus probably won't break $2,000,000. At that point, if he gets injured or just flames out, he won't be getting a second contract for any big money. So that $2,000,000 will have to last him for the rest of his life, as he'll be nothing more than a high school graduate with no discernable skills and probably a family to raise. At the same time, he'll have started living a lifestyle above his means BECAUSE of the "big" signing bonus. That means he'll probably be burning through the $2million faster than a regular person would, so that money might disappear quicker than he'd hoped. I'm pretty sure it's a very bad gamble to marry an amateur sports star and expect them to make the big bucks in the future(especially in a team game).
posted by grum@work at 09:42 AM on May 24, 2006
grum@work: I'm pretty sure it's a very bad gamble to marry an amateur sports star and expect them to make the big bucks in the future(especially in a team game). I agree. But it's not unheard of. And the converse is true, as well -- some young athletes figure they will be on Easy Street eventually, so they figure they can spread their seed around without worry, thinking the only price they might pay are drops in a bottomless bucket. Who can forget the 1998 Sports Illustrated article about deadbeat dads like Shawn Kemp?
posted by L.N. Smithee at 11:35 AM on May 24, 2006
People who didn't read it. Anyone born after 1998. Amnesiacs. Heavy drinkers.
posted by yerfatma at 11:54 AM on May 24, 2006
Let me know when you've managed to mangle, beat and finally squeeze this topic, this stupid story about a younger athlete marrying a slightly older woman, into something worthy of social outrage. Also let me know when Dateline covers it as part of an expose how she met him on Myspace for diddling purposes.
posted by jerseygirl at 12:11 PM on May 24, 2006
I can sum up this story in one word: Meh!
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:11 PM on May 24, 2006
If only "The Enquirer" carried box scores!
posted by mjkredliner at 01:13 PM on May 24, 2006
Also let me know when Dateline covers it as part of an expose how she met him on Myspace for diddling purposes. I was wondering why some 12 year-old named StoneRPhillips was so quick to add me as a friend.
posted by yerfatma at 01:28 PM on May 24, 2006
It's a diddle trap. Watch out!
posted by jerseygirl at 01:30 PM on May 24, 2006
huh, you said 'diddle'
posted by garfield at 01:37 PM on May 24, 2006
Let me know when you've managed to mangle, beat and finally squeeze this topic, this stupid story about a younger athlete marrying a slightly older woman, into something worthy of social outrage. Slightly older? She's 57.89% older than him! /unnecessary stat usage
posted by grum@work at 02:23 PM on May 24, 2006
I remember when I was 7. I had a relationship with a woman who was 59. Ahh, she was the love of my life. I used to hide her dentures as a joke. We would just laugh and laugh! We would free-base little Geritol rocks and then have wild sex for minutes. But something came between us. Little league. I thought I couldn't find a more powerful love than my old lady, but I did. I went from wearing wife-beater t-shirts and working at the factory to second grade and hitting .550 and winning my double A league. But I'll always have the memory of dating an older woman.
posted by Desert Dog at 03:01 PM on May 24, 2006
But when she's 70, she'll only be 16% older. While perusing the Dateline site, I happened to notice that one of the accused sexual predators was only 35% older than his Dateline victim. While this percentage seemed acceptable, it was then duly noted that he is only twenty. I also learned that the bed bug is something I should worry about, Burger King is the grossest and bagged lettuce is dangerous. I also looked up diddle.
posted by tselson at 03:39 PM on May 24, 2006
Ya know tselson I was going to say you must have too much time on your hands, but then I realized that I was spending my time reading the posts here so.....
posted by commander cody at 04:32 PM on May 24, 2006
I know I read those links, and now I am going home to make sure I don't have any bed bugs or e coli infested lettuce.
posted by bperk at 04:36 PM on May 24, 2006
But when she's 70, she'll only be 16% older. This all reminds me of a joke from Who's the Boss. And I'd like to thank everyone who made that possible.
posted by yerfatma at 06:56 PM on May 24, 2006
Danny Almonte has a great future and as long as this girl is good for him it doesnt bother me that she is 30.