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Marlins' Nunez Apologizes for Using Fake Name, Age
December 9, 2011
Florida Marlins pitcher Leo Nunez, whose real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, speaks with the press after being questioned at the District Attorney's office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011. Nunez, who apologized to his fans and to the Marlins, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that he regrets using a fake name and age, saying he falsified his identity when he was young so he could play professional baseball and now hopes to return to the sport and to the U.S. (AP Photo)
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Miami Marlins reliever Leo Nunez has apologized for using a fake name and age, saying he falsified his identify when he was young so he could play professional baseball.
Nunez says in an interview with The Associated Press that "it was a mistake" and has apologized to his fans, the Marlins and U.S. government.
His real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and he's 29, a year older than listed in the Marlins' media guide.
He spoke to the AP in the Dominican Republic on Friday, a day after he was arrested on a charge of using a false identity and then released. Officials say he would not be prosecuted because he was cooperating with a larger investigation of fake documents.
In September, the Marlins placed him on baseball's restricted list after Dominican authorities said he was implicated in the case.
(Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
