By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SARASOTA, Fla. - News of Dominican players with wrong ages and wrong names on their official documents had many fans in the United States wondering how such things could happen.

To those familiar with the Dominican Republic, it was no mystery.

"They'll do anything to escape the poverty there," said Reds scout Johnny Almaraz. "They are so desperate to get out. People have to realize it's a Third World country."

Jose Rijo, a native of the D.R., says Americans haven't seen the kind of poverty that exists in his country.

"Poverty in the U.S. is not like poverty in the Dominican," he said. "People are unbelievably poor."

Rijo illustrates his point with personal knowledge. He runs a baseball academy in the Dominican that the Reds sponsor. Players are charged 10 pesos a month tuition. That's 10 cents U.S. For that, they are fed, housed, clothed (in uniforms), schooled and coached by former major-leaguers.

"Some people can't afford that," he said. "They're three or four months behind. How many Americans can't afford 10 cents a month?"

The answer is almost none, of course.

That's why Rijo bristles when Dominican players are ridiculed for falsifying their names and ages on legal paperwork.

"Let's be fair. You can't compare an American 15-year-old to a Dominican 15-year-old," he said. "A 15-year-old in the Dominican has no education, no spikes, no uniform, no coaching. Americans have everything."

Rijo said if a 15-year-old in the D.R. does have a coach, the coach probably is interested in getting a cut when a player signs a professional contract. It's roughly equivalent to a street agent for high school basketball players in the States.

Just as basketball is seen as a ticket out of the ghetto, baseball is seen as a trip off the island - sometimes the only way.

"It's the only way to get money and help your family," Rijo said.

Almaraz has been burned once by a player with a wrong age. Antonio Perez, the shortstop in the 2000 Ken Griffey Jr. deal, turned out to be two years older than first thought.

He has caught a few others.

"The No. 1 thing is instinct," Almaraz said. "If you ask for a birth certificate and they say, 'I'll get it to you next week,' that's a red flag."

There has been talk for years of Latin players being older than listed. Added checks last year in the wake of Sept. 11 found dozens of Dominican players older than they were listed.

The visa-checking process caught more this year.

"They know these guys are baseball players," said Grant Griesser, the Reds' assistant director of player development. "But it's the same way the people who flew the planes into the buildings got into the country."

Griesser and Lois Hudson, the administrative assistant in player development, spent hours on the phone, trying to make sure all the team's minor-leaguers could get through the visa process.

"They did a great job," Reds general manager Jim Bowden said. "We haven't had many problems."

The most noticeable absence early in camp was Ricardo Aramboles, a 21-year-old right-hander considered one of the Reds' best prospects.

"His family had all kinds of documentation, pictures, records," Griesser said. "But it still takes a lot of time."

Aramboles came through the process still named Ricardo Aramboles and still 21 years old.

Ten Reds minor-leaguers are playing under different names. The best - or worst - example of that was a left-hander formerly known as Cleris Severino. Under that name, he was considered one of the top young prospects. He went 7-1 with a 0.96 ERA in the Rookie League at Billings last year. Very impressive for a 20-year-old.

But Severino is not 20, and he's not Severino. He is 23-year-old Juan Carlos Frias.

Frias doesn't speak English well enough to explain his situation, but Rijo knows exactly what happened.

Frias was signed three months before his 20th birthday. If the Reds had known he was almost 20, they probably wouldn't have been interested.

"If a player's 20, they know he's only been playing Saturdays and Sundays," Rijo said. "There's no high school or college (baseball). If you don't get signed at 16, they don't sign you."

So players find new birth certificates and instantly become younger.

Said Rijo: "Whether you're 20 or 25, talent is the important thing."

And the Dominican is ripe with talent. The Reds, through Rijo's academy and another in Venezuela, have become well-stocked in Latin talent. Of the 200-plus minor-leaguers under the Reds' control, about one-third are Latin players.

It's a cost-effective way to produce players. Rijo says you can sign 80 Dominican players for the price of one No. 1 draft choice.

"You'll get 20 major-leaguers out of that - guaranteed," he said.

Venezuelans take refuge on U.S. clubs

The problem of documentation of players' names and ages is not as prevalent in Venezuela, the country that is second to the Dominican Republic in exported players.

"They give everyone an ID number at birth," Almaraz said. "It's similar to a social security number."

But players from Venezuela have their own set of difficulties to deal with. The country has been near revolution.

The Reds have an academy in Cagua, which is away from the turmoil of the big cities such as Caracas.

"But I would not let our people travel there," Bowden said. "It's too dangerous."

Ranier Olmedo, a Reds shortstop prospect, will testify to that. Olmedo lives in Maracay, which is close to Caracas.

"It was very incredible," he said of the turmoil he witnessed.

Olmedo did not play winter ball because of the situation. He stays out of the politics.

"I just want to play," Olmedo said. "I think about my family. I hope they are safe."

Latin influence

The top Latin players in the Reds' system, according to one scout:

Ranier Olmedo, 21, SS: Slick fielder. Invites comparisons to Omar Vizquel.

Alexander Farfan, 20, RHP: One of the best arms in the system.

William Bergolla, 20, 3B: Has a .303 average in the minors.

Jan Granado, 20, LHP: Has a 2.65 ERA and has struck out a batter an inning in three minor-league seasons.

Miguel Perez, 19, C: Hit .360 for the Gulf Coast Reds last year. Smart player, good defensively.

Tony Blanco, 21, 3B: Obtained in the trade for Todd Walker. Hit 19 homers with 69 RBI in 96 games in 2001.

Edwin Encarnacion, 20, 3B: Obtained in the Rob Bell trade from Texas. Hit 17 HRs and drove in 73 RBI at Dayton last year.