Perez Ages Two Years In One Day

Kansas City Royals shortstop Neifi Perez reported to spring training yesterday in Baseball City, Florida and immediately told GM Allard Baird that he is really 28 years of age and not 26. Perez told Baird he had lied about his age as a youth to make himself more attractive to baseball scouts. The discrepancy came to the surface when Perez applied for a visa to come to Florida from the Dominican Republic. Because of heightened security, Perez needed to provide a birth certificate with his application.