Why fake ID?

[toadilyinsan]

16-year-old Damian Arredondo from the Dominican Republic just blew a chance to sign with the New York Yankees because he used a false ID showing he was just 16, he is older but why risk it? Here is a link to the clip in the SI web site.

Source: MLB nixes Yanks' signing of Dominican player with fraudulent identity - MLB - SI.com

[Kyle]

what a shame...$850,000 gone ??
but here's another slanted observation...his talent was not fake right ? so although his id was fake and he is older than 16 shouldn't he still be a good prospect ? it's not like we're talking 46 as oppose to 16. get to the bottom of the fraud and sign this kid !!!
i bet other MLB teams might be thinking what i'm thinking......

[FireGuy]

Originally Posted by Kyle

get to the bottom of the fraud and sign this kid !!!
i bet other MLB teams might be thinking what i'm thinking......

Not for at least a year...

From the article cited by the OP:

"According to a new Major League Baseball rule, a player found to have used a fraudulent identity or to have misrepresented his age cannot sign with another club for one year"

Gregg

[cinderelli1]

Cheaters never prosper

[El_Uruguayo]

Back to the question of why?

What benefit is there in lying about his age? If we were younger, would it make him seem like a better prospect? Meaning he still has further developemnt to do. And the name not being right? What is point?

[Kyle]

one year ok. can he not play in the winter league and wait for next year's spring training or better yet look for a college team to sign him ? MLB can't just toss him out like a piece of garbage. after all, the NCAA is full of convicts and criminals.
i think i'm getting soft in my old age.

[suarezn]

Originally Posted by El_Uruguayo

Back to the question of why?

What benefit is there in lying about his age? If we were younger, would it make him seem like a better prospect? Meaning he still has further developemnt to do. And the name not being right? What is point?

The point is the older he is the least money he will get. The name not being right probably came as a result of trying to fake his age. He probably had to take on someone else's identity. I can't believe they are still attempting to do this with all the publicity this has garnered lately and how much they stand to lose. My little brother who's a prospect being scouted told me that his coach doesn't go for that kind of stuff, but he knows other coaches that encourage it as well as the use of steroids, because the main thing is to get signed at all costs and they'll worry about the consequences later.

[Kyle]

maybe now he can get a fake motoconcho license....

[DominicanBilly]

Originally Posted by El_Uruguayo

Back to the question of why?

What benefit is there in lying about his age? If we were younger, would it make him seem like a better prospect? Meaning he still has further developemnt to do. And the name not being right? What is point?

They do this because if you are 18 but get a birth certificate that says you are only 16 you appear to be a better prospect. You have 2 more years to get bigger and stronger and develop your talent. Both sons of the man who built my hotel were given minor league tryouts in the States after he went and changed their birth records and made them 2 years younger. One was 19 but only weighted 155 lbs at 6-3 and the other was a pitcher similar in size and 18. So the scouts figured in two years they would fill out and they were still young at the new ages of 18 & 19 (really 20 & 21).

[ExtremeR]

Originally Posted by toadilyinsan

16-year-old Damian Arredondo from the Dominican Republic just blew a chance to sign with the New York Yankees because he used a false ID showing he was just 16, he is older but why risk it? Here is a link to the clip in the SI web site.

Source: MLB nixes Yanks' signing of Dominican player with fraudulent identity - MLB - SI.com

This is really a example of the stupidity and lack of education, of the fathers, buscones, trainers and the ballplayer himself, his only chance he has now is to not get injured in this other year and sign again when he is 17. He will get big bucks anyway.

Edit: I thought he changed the ID for other reason being the age change, I though he was just months older than 16, but it appears it is not the case.

Ballplayers take off their ages to gain advantage in the prospect projection system, the younger he is, the more good he projects to be, for example if a kid fastball is 88MPH at 16 it project to throw it at 94MPH at 20.