‘Leo Nunez’ Revealing True ID was Father’s Dying Wish

More information has come out regarding the Leo Nunez, Juan Carlos Oviedo identification issue.  It’s now being reported that Oviedo turned himself in, telling the authorities that he had been playing professional baseball under the assumed name of ‘Leo Nunez’, a boyhood friend.  Oviedo’s decision to turn himself in was greatly motivated by the dying wish of his father, who wanted his son to ‘get his real name back’.

The reason the right-hander took over the name ‘Leo Nunez’ and dropped ‘Juan Carlos Oviedo’ was to help his marketability.  Oviedo thought that ‘Leo Nunez’ would improve his chances to get noticed as young prospect trying to catch on with a Major League club.

By taking over the identity of ‘Leo Nunez’, Oviedo also gained a year.  To me, Nunez’s younger age would be far more attractive to scouts than the name itself.

Oviedo, who remains in the Dominican Republic, faces criminal charges in his native country for falsifying his information.

After playing under the assumed name for nearly a decade, Oviedo returned home this spring to be with his ailing father.  As his father’s dying request, Oviedo was asked to come clean and admit his true identity.  This apparently weighed on Oviedo, as the closer decided to turn himself in earlier this month.

Because he’s being detained in the Dominican, Oviedo passed on his message through teammate and fellow Marlins reliever Edward Mujica.  Oviedo told Mujica the story of his father and his wish, but also wanted to stress the point that he is no longer to be known as ‘Leo Nunez’.

Mujica said that Oviedo was extremely sorry for the problems he is causing his teammates and the Marlins organization, but this was something that he ‘had to do for his dad’.

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