The Duke (or El Duque) of New York, Not the Duke of York 6/27/14

Hey baseball fans!

The 1998 Yankees are considered one of the best teams of all time, winning 114 games and, eventually, the World Series. They had a great offense, but they also had excellent starting pitching. Guys like Andy Pettitte, David Wells, Hideki Irabu, and David Cone propelled the Yankees to a season for the ages. However, besides the pitchers I just mentioned, there was one more guy on that starting rotation that was probably the most exciting to watch: Orlando Hernández.

1998 was Hernández’s first year in the majors, as he signed with the Yankees mid-season after coming over to the United States from Cuba at the age of 32. He went 12-4 with an ERA of 3.13. He placed fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting and from ’98 on, “El Duque” had a very respectable career. But before his American career, he played in Cuba. The Cuban national team, with the help of Orlando, placed first in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, as well as eight other international baseball competitions.

From 1998-2002, 2004-2007 with the Yanks, Mets, Diamondbacks, and White Sox, Hernández won 90 games and had an ERA of 4.13. Known for his interesting pitching motion, “El Duque” won four World Series during his playing days, three with the Yankees from 1998-2000 and one with the White Sox in 2005. In the postseason in 15 series, Orlando went 9-3 with a 2.55 ERA, which would explain why he won four rings. Overall, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez had a very good career and all Yankees fans love him. He was "muy bueno!"

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it and check back soon for more of “all the buzz on what wuzz.”