LOS ANGELES -- Anaheim Angels right-hander Ramon Ortiz is reportedly three years older than he claims.

	Ramon Ortiz Starting Pitcher Anaheim Angels Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM W L Sv K ERA 32 13 11 0 135 4.36

That means Ortiz, considered one of the team's best up-and-coming pitchers, will turn 29 on March 23, instead of 26.

The discrepancy was revealed when the U.S. consulate in his native Dominican Republic discovered the birth date given in Ortiz's passport differed from that of his official birth certificate, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

Ortiz provided the team with a fraudulent birth certificate when he was signed as a free agent in 1995, Angels' general manager Bill Stoneman said. The age on that document was used for his passport.

Stoneman said his age won't change the team's dealings with the 6-foot, 170-pound pitcher.

"He's going to take a lot of ribbing from his teammates, that's for sure," Stoneman said. "But in terms of how we look at him, we're a performance business, so how he does between the white lines will answer any questions from players or fans."

Calls to Ortiz and his agent were not immediately returned.

Ortiz, at 13-11 with a 4.36 ERA last season, may have changed his age to make himself more attractive to major league teams, said Jose Gomez, a former Angels scout who signed Ortiz in 1995 when he was thought to be 19.

"The American teams like players to be 17 and 18 when they're prospects," he said. "A director of scouting doesn't like to sign players who are 21 or 22."

The problem may have gone unnoticed before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Stoneman said.

"The government is scrutinizing anyone who wants to come into the U.S. more than ever," he said. "Players are starting to realize that if they fib about their age, they may not get away with it anymore."