“It was altered to make it appear as if he was born in 1978” - When Scott Boras called out the Dodgers for changing Adrian Beltre's age

Back in 1999, there was some controversy surrounding then-free agent Adrian Beltre and the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Questions surrounding his age and when he originally signed with the club were in question.

Scott Boras, Beltre's agent at the time, declared he had found evidence of the team altering his birth certificate. According to CBS News, Boras obtained Beltre's personnel file under California state law showing Beltre was 15 when he signed in 1994, not 16.

"The file reflects that he gave them a birth certificate that said he was born in 1979 and it was altered to make it appear as if he was born in 1978," said Boras.

While a year difference may not seem like a big deal, it is. The youngest age a player can sign with an MLB team is 16, making this an underage signing.

"Beltre has consistently asserted his true age, and the Dodgers were aware of his true age," said Boras.

Boras pledged his client did nothing wrong, and the Dodgers knew Beltre's true age from the start. He stated that Beltre has given the organization multiple pieces of paperwork stating his true birthday, which is in 1979.

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Dodgers hit hard by after Adtian Beltre investigation concluded

Former Los Angeles Dodgers - Adrian Beltre (Photo via IMAGN)

It did not take long for the commissioner at the time, Bud Selig, to hand out his ruling. The league took underage signings pretty seriously, looking to protect the young international players.

In the investigation, Selig concluded the Dodgers had signed Beltre before his 16th birthday. Because of this, they were handed down some harsh penalties.

The club could not sign any first-year players from the Dominican Republic for the year, and they had to close down their academy in the DR. They were also fined $50,000, and Pablo Peguero, Beltre's agent during the signing, was suspended for a year.

However, Beltre was still able to flourish after all of this drama. He went on to have a 21-year career in the big leagues, most known for his time with the Texas Rangers.

Beltre went on to become a four-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover, and four-time Silver Slugger, just to name a few. At the end of his long career, he was inducted into the Rangers' Hall of Fame and had his No. 29 jersey retired. He was most recently inducted into MLB's Hall of Fame this year.