Milk Carton All-Star of the Week: Orlando Hernandez

Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez emerged onto the baseball scene in 1998, just a couple years after fleeing Cuba with half-brother Livan(also a MCAS-worthy pitcher) on Christmas Day in '96. You might remember "El Duque" for his funny nickname, his pitching motion that looked like he was going to knock himself senseless by lifting his knee up under his nose and, also, as being the catalyst for those great Yankee teams in the late '90's.

Hernandez's best season came in 1999, when he went 17-9 with 157 strikeouts and won the ALCS MVP. It would pretty much go downhill from there, however. El Duque would finish the next two seasons with losing records, going 12-13 in 2000 and 4-7 in 2001. He would go 8-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 2002 but that didn't stop the Bronx Bombers from dealing the Cuban hurler to the Chicago White Sox in a deal for hefty pitcher Bartolo Colon. Upon arriving to the Windy City, Hernandez blew out his rotator cuff, which killed his 2003 season. The White Sox let him go in December of that year and he returned to the Yankees in 2004. He would go 8-2 in 15 starts for the Yanks. In 2005, Orlando went back to Chicago and won a World Series with another former Yankee hurler, Jose Contreras. For all his heroics during their magical championship run, El Duque was rewarded by Chicago by being traded to Arizona along with top outfield prospect Chris Young in exchange for Javier Vazquez. He would make 9 starts with the D'Backs, going 2-4, before being dealt to the Mets for reliever Jorge Julio. He had a couple successful seasons with the Mets, going 9-7 and 9-5 in '06 and '07 respectively. However, injuries and old age finally caught up to El Duque. Hernandez failed to get out of the minors in comeback attempts with Texas and Washington and finally called it a career last season after being told he wasn't going to be called up by the Nationals.

For his career, Hernandez is a respectable 90-65 with a pedestrian 4.13 and 1,086 strikeouts. He's also a four-time World Series champion(three with the Yankees, one with the White Sox).

So, let's give it up for this generation's Juan Guzman, Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, everybody!