Buzz
Age manipulation is rampant in the world of sports. Athletes might inflate their age to appear old enough for a contract, or reduce it to be seen as a promising prospect, or even to meet specific age criteria for event participation. Compiling an exhaustive list of those who've fabricated their ages could take longer than Orlando 'El Duque' Hernandez’s pitch to home plate, but here are seven notable cases of individuals who adjusted their age to their advantage:
1. Danny Almonte
When Danny Almonte threw the first perfect game in Little League World Series history in 44 years in 2001, the most pressing question on everyone’s mind was, 'Who is this kid?' However, the more important question should have been, 'How old is he?' Less than two weeks after Almonte, the tall left-hander from the Bronx, struck out 18 out of 21 batters with a fiery fastball and a wicked slider, a Sports Illustrated reporter presented an affidavit revealing that Almonte was actually born in 1987, not 1989 as the official Little League records stated. This meant he was 14 years old, while Little League rules stipulate that players must be 13 by August 1 of the season in which they play. It was later revealed that Almonte’s father, Felipe, had registered a false birthdate for his son shortly before their move from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx a year earlier. As a result, Almonte’s team, the Rolando Paulino All-Stars, was disqualified, and all their victories were forfeited. A year after the scandal, Danny Almonte admitted he knew he was 14 but only found out after the tournament began. He played high school baseball but was not drafted. He briefly played for the Southern Illinois Miners in an independent league, appearing in six games before being released.
2. Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo
On July 2, 2006, the Washington Nationals made headlines by awarding a $1.4 million signing bonus to 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez, the largest in team history. Fans eagerly anticipated seeing the talented switch-hitter, nicknamed 'Smiley,' playing alongside Ryan Zimmerman on the left side of the infield. Nationals general manager Jim Bowden hoped the move would create a strong pipeline of Dominican talent for the franchise. 'We want every young boy wanting to be a Washington National,' Bowden said at the time. However, it was soon discovered that Esmailyn Gonzalez wasn’t a young boy at all. In fact, he wasn’t even Esmailyn Gonzalez. A report from Sports Illustrated revealed that the Nationals’ once-promising prospect was actually 23 years old and his true name was Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo. This revelation, along with an ongoing federal investigation into the potential skimming of signing bonuses for Latin players, has cast a shadow over Bowden’s future with the Nationals.
3. Rafael Furcal
In June 2000, Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal found himself in trouble when he was arrested early one Saturday morning for DUI and underage drinking. A later report clarified that Furcal wasn’t guilty of the second charge, but he was guilty of lying about his age. The report revealed that Furcal was actually 22 years old, not the 19 he had led everyone to believe. This made him the youngest player on the team, contrary to what fans and the media had assumed. Initially, Furcal denied the accusations but admitted to the truth during spring training in 2002. 'I’m now 23,' Furcal told reporters. 'Nothing changed in my life because I have to play like I play every day.' Furcal explained that a coach from his Dominican youth league had suggested altering his age to boost his chances of being signed by a major league team.
4. Miguel Tejada
During an April 2008 episode of E:60, an ESPN reporter confronted Tejada with a copy of his birth certificate and asked him to explain the difference between his official birthdate—May 24, 1974—and the one he had given when signing his first major league contract in 1993: May 24, 1976. Tejada, frustrated, removed his microphone and walked off the set, ending the interview. However, he later admitted to lying about his age. 'I had no intention of doing anything wrong,' Tejada said, explaining that he was actually 19 when he was signed. 'I'm a poor kid who wanted to be a professional big leaguer.' Similar to Furcal’s case, Tejada was encouraged by a local coach to alter his age to boost his chances of being signed. Recently, Tejada confessed to telling an even more serious lie, pleading guilty to making a false statement to Congress during an investigation into whether his former teammate, Rafael Palmeiro, lied about using steroids.
5. Tom Shaw
Athletes aren't the only ones who adjust their ages. Tom Shaw, a professional golfer, joined the PGA Tour in 1963 at the age of 25, but he shaved four years off his birthdate. Why? Shaw admitted years later, 'Everybody was lying about their age, so I thought, why not do it earlier and lie in my 20s, and nobody would catch on.' He considered it just another part of the fun. Shaw didn't correct the fabrication until he set his sights on joining the Senior Tour, which had a minimum age requirement of 50. In 1989, at the age of 50, Shaw contacted the Senior Tour's administrator to clarify the situation. Unlike the administrator who had altered his birthdate in 1963, this one was skeptical and requested proof. Shaw submitted his passport, driver’s license, and birth certificate before finally being accepted onto the tour. Shaw went on to win The Tradition tournament in 1993.
6. Kim Gwang Suk
The controversy surrounding the Chinese women’s gymnastics team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was just the latest chapter in a sport where younger, smaller athletes have a competitive edge. In 1989, North Korea’s Kim Gwang Suk sparked controversy when she won the world championships at just 4-foot-3 and 62 pounds, missing her two front teeth, which her coach claimed were lost in an uneven bars accident. North Korean officials originally listed her birthdate as October 5, 1974, making her eligible for competition. However, two years later, at the world championships, her birthdate was changed to February 15, 1975. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, it changed again, this time to February 15, 1976. U.S. coach Bela Karolyi openly questioned her age, stating, 'Her milk teeth are still falling. When she's 14 or 15, she's going to be a nice little gymnast.' While Kim's true age was never officially determined, the North Korean team was banned from the world championships in 1993.
7. Marv Levy
In January 2006, when Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson rehired former head coach Marv Levy as the team's general manager and vice president of football operations, there was some curiosity about whether Levy was truly 80 years old or possibly 83, given his youthful appearance. During his introductory press conference, Levy, who holds a master's degree in English from Harvard, addressed the question of his age. 'I came out of the closet on it, I guess,' Levy joked. 'Back when I was hired in 1986, I was 61, and it seemed too old, so I said I was 58 instead. Eventually, I cleared that up. I guess as I got older, I realized it wasn’t that important. It’s what you do that matters.' Levy’s official birthdate was changed from 1928 to 1925 in 1996, after he had already guided the Bills to four Super Bowls. After stepping down as general manager, Levy became the second head coach in NFL history to be 72 years old (the first being George Halas) before retiring following the 1997 season. Interestingly, Levy’s father also lied about his age to enlist in the Marines during World War I.
