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NEW YORK (CBS) ― Danny Almonte had it all -- poise, a blazing fastball and a forged birth certificate.

Back in 2001, Almonte garnered national attention for his prowess on the pitching mound. He led the Bronx's Rolando Paulino All-Stars into the Little League World Series. The team's memorable run ended with a third-place showing in South Williamsport, Pa., and brought happiness and notoriety to New York City's northern borough.

But as quickly as he rose to fame, Almonte fell into obscurity. The joy in the Bronx turned into a nightmare as the positive media spin surrounding the team's impressive run was immediately replaced by sharks in the water looking for blood.

All because Almonte's family and friends had lied about his age.

Rise To Stardom

Almonte's fastball was consistently clocked around 75 mph, which made him the ultimate weapon at the youth level. No one could touch him. The left-hander quickly started to dominate every lineup he faced, earning the nick-name "The Little Unit," an homage to professional star Randy Johnson.

Almonte threw a no-hitter in the 2001 Mid-Atlantic Regional finals against State College, Pa., sending his Bronx club to the Little League World Series. Then four days later. Almonte pitched the first perfect game in Little League World Series competition in 44 years, shutting down Apopka, Fla.

Bronx All-Stars Reflect On Finishing 3rd At LLWS

Of the 72 batters Almonte faced in the tournament, he struck out an amazing 62 and allowed just three hits as the Bronx team finished third. Ironically, the one game he didn't pitch -- a rematch with Apopka -- the Bronx lost.

Despite the loss in the U.S. Championship game, the "Baby Bombers" returned to New York conquering heroes. They became media darlings, were honored before a Yankees game and given keys to the city by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Giuliani Gives Bronx All-Stars Key To NYC

Bronx 'Baby Bombers' Return Home From LLWS

1989 or 1987?

Almonte was said to be born in the Dominican Republic on April 7, 1989, which would have made him 12 at the time of the Little League World Series, then open to only 11- and 12-year-olds. However, his physical dominance and 5-foot-8 frame put questions about his eligibility under the microscope.

Suspicious Little League officials from Staten Island and Pequannock, N.J. launched separate investigations into finding out if Almonte was indeed 12, as his parents and officials from the Bronx team insisted. However, those probes did not find anything.

Investigation Into Pitcher's Age Heats Up

It wasn't until the mainstream media started its own investigation that things started to turn sour for Almonte and the Bronx team. Sports Illustrated found notations in Dominican documents that suggested Almonte was actually born in 1987. Dominican officials did their own investigation after the tournament ended that eventually found Almonte's 1989 birth certificate to be a forgery and that he was actually born in 1987, making him 14 and entirely too old to play in the Little League World Series.

New Yorkers seemed split on the findings, with many saying adults should just leave things alone, while others insisted adults were the problem.

Bronx Parents Fight To Clear Little League Team's Name

Ugly Aftermath

Little League officials declared Almonte retroactively ineligible, forcing the Bronx team to forfeit all of its wins in the tournament. In addition, all of the team's statistics were wiped from the books.

Almonte's father, Felipe Almonte, and Bronx league founder Rolando Paulino were banned from Little League Baseball for life.

Dominican prosecutors filed criminal charges against Felipe Almonte for falsifying a birth certificate. Danny Almonte, who did not speak English at the time, apparently knew nothing about the falsified documentations, and was cleared of wrongdoing.

But the damage was clearly done. Bronx residents were devastated, especially those in the Hispanic community. Some felt unnecessarily targeted by the various probes.

The Bronx team was forced to show compliance with age regulations prior to competing in regional competition in 2002.

Danny Almonte, whether he knew of his guilt or not, became the poster boy for the troubling issue of age falsification that has been well documented as a route many Central and South American parents take to give their children a chance at a better life in the United States.

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