Already smarting from embarrassment to the Dutch, the Dominican baseball establishment is bracing for more negative press.  MLB is looking at 42 potential cases of age misrepresentation from prospects in the Dominican Republic, to conform to U.S. State Department policy.

Latin American prospects often lie about their age to enhance their value in contract negotiations.  A nubile 17-year-old hitting the ball out of the park has more potential than the 20-year-old who should already be doing so.  It is dishonest but not immoral.  Millions of dollars and a better life are at stake.  Consequently, this sort of thing happens often.

Alfonso Soriano aged from 26 to 28 in a single day after his true birth certificate was revealed.  Miguel Tejada similarly leapt from 31 to 33 in a short time.  Vlad Guerrero accidentally revealed he was 34 and not his listed age 33.

Though these burns were benign, some have been egregious.

The Washington Nationals gave young shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez a $1.4 million signing bonus in 2006.  The 19-year-old was tearing up rookie ball and viewed as a hot prospect.  Unfortunately for the Nationals, Gonzalez was 23, so he should have been hitting that well in rookie ball.  Esmailyn Gonzalez was not even his real name.  It was Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo.

The news, undoubtedly, will set off a flurry of activity at E60.  They have 42 elaborate, journalistically integral takedowns to plan.