NEW YORK -- The mother of a Bronx all-star pitcher has
grounded out so far in her efforts to make it to the Little League
championship games in Pennsylvania.
Sonia Rojas, 27, of Moca, Dominican Republic, applied for a
non-immigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo early
Wednesday and hoped to be on a plane heading for Pennsylvania by
afternoon.
But her hopes were dashed after officials asked her to provide a
birth certificate for her son, 12-year-old Rolando Paulino pitching
ace Danny Almonte. The certificate would document that she is his
mother.
The problem is the boy's birth certificate appears to be in
South Williamsport, Pa., where the Little League World Series is
being held.
Lance Van Auken, a spokesman for the Little League, said teams
often bring original birth certificates to prove their players'
age.
There has been grousing that Almonte, who is scheduled to pitch
Thursday night in the semi-finals, is too advanced in his playing
skills to be 12.
"Because of the controversies surrounding things, they brought
(his birth certificate) with them," Van Auken said.
Almonte has been living in the Bronx with his father, Felipe
Almonte, who is estranged from Rojas.
The effort to get Rojas a visa turned up another problem for the
ace pitcher, according to the New York Post: the youngster's own
12-month visa had expired.
Almonte's father disputed the charge. But Almonte's uncle,
Manuel Rojas, told the Post that officials in the Dominican
Republic said the young pitcher's visa had expired.
Van Auken said Almonte's immigration status had no impact on his
eligibility. The Little League requires only that the child be of
age and that a parent or legal guardian live in the community he
represents.
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