BASEBALL Almonte regroups after LL troubles

Danny Almonte, now 16, is doing well as a high school pitcher.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Danny Almonte recalls a moment on the mound in his first pre-season game for James Monroe High School that still brings a smile to his face.
A boy eager to show his gratitude to the infamous young pitcher ran out and hugged him.
"I'm so happy you've come to Monroe," the boy said, according to Almonte.
Almonte hugged him back, a clear demonstration that he was welcome despite his troubled past.
"I like that story," said Almonte, who enjoyed a remarkable freshman season for the Monroe Eagles.
It's a very different story from 2001, when Almonte was the focus of scandal in the Little League World Series after the Dominican Republic native was found to be two years older than the age limit of 12.
Banished
He was banished from the World Series after throwing a no-hitter in the regional final and a perfect game in the World Series. His team, the Rolando Paulino All-Stars, was stripped of its third-place finish. Almonte's perfect game, the first in the 44-year history of the World Series, was erased from the records.
Although he remains a celebrity, Almonte doesn't talk about the events that brought him into the national spotlight. He's more comfortable discussing his vast talent on the mound.
Almonte's age is now listed as 16 on the Monroe High School roster, his birth date registered as April 7, 1987.
He finished this season 10-2 as Monroe's No. 2 starter, striking out batters with the same pace that made headlines in South Williamsport, Pa. In his most impressive start, he threw a no-hitter, striking out 10 against Stevenson in late April. He was an out away from a perfect game, but gave up a walk.
"I'm always confident when I'm pitching," Almonte said through an interpreter. "I don't feel any pressure with baseball, because when I'm playing, I just need to do my best."
Fast, deceiving curve
At a scrawny 5-10, 140 pounds, Almonte packs an 84-mph fastball and a deceiving curve. The left-hander still must grow into his big hands and feet, but scouts and experts have never stopped plotting his progress.
Mike Turo, Monroe's coach for 26 years, believes Almonte's fastball could reach the mid-90s by his senior year.
"He's young, but he definitely has pro potential," said Turo, one of the most successful scholastic coaches in New York City.
Monroe is a tradition-rich school whose graduates include Hank Greenberg and Ed Kranepool. It has won two out of the last four New York City championships and finished second in this year's PSAL Class A Tournament.