Former MLB and Cuban League pitcher Orlando Hernández made his position clear regarding players who agree to play for the Cuban national team. The current ESPN commentator was emphatic when he declared on actor and comedian Omar Franco’s show: “All those who support playing with the Cuban national team are cowards.”
“El Duque,” as he is known in the baseball world, was the guest on the second episode of the podcast “Así de Franco con Omar.” In the episode, dedicated to Orlando Hernández’s career, the segment reserved for discussing the World Baseball Classic was one of the most attention-grabbing moments during the interview for viewers.
Hernández, in addition to calling those players who choose to play for the Cuban national team cowards, explained the reasoning behind his opinion: “When they are asked and a microphone is put in their hand, they have to be men and tell the true reality of Cuba and not say, ‘I don’t know anything about politics.'”
Hernández’s storied career includes ten Cuban National Series seasons (1987-1996) and nine seasons in Major League Baseball. In Cuba’s top baseball league, he posted a 3.05 earned run average. He accumulated a total of 126 wins, suffered 47 losses, and recorded nine saves. He also struck out 1211 batters and walked 457.
In Major League Baseball, he played for four organizations (New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, and Chicago White Sox). He had an earned run average of 4.13 (604 earned runs; 1314.2 innings pitched). He compiled 90 wins and 66 losses. He struck out 1086 batters and issued 479 walks. The hurler also was part of four world championship teams.