AND to think Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez was once considered overpaid. That was just over two years ago when he first joined the Yankees in March, 1998, as a Cuban refugee pitcher of more legend than proven ability.
The grumbling within the Yankee clubhouse that spring complained that the 4-year, $6.6-million contract Hernandez signed was too much money for someone with no minor league, much less major league, experience.
Most players had to play three or four years in the big leagues before sniffing that kind of deal. Here was Hernandez, fresh off the raft, boat or luxury liner (whichever story you chose to believe) making seven figures per without throwing a pitch.
Now entering his third season, Hernandez is simply the best bargain in all of professional sports, especially now that Jets receiver Keyshawn Johnson has leveraged his way into a $53.5-million contract with the NFL Tampa Bay Bucs.
Funny, but I couldn’t stop thinking about El Duque amid all this Keyshawn talk of being underpaid and honoring contracts. For if there is anyone in New York sports who deserves a pay raise it’s Hernandez, whose average of $1.65 million per season, is almost as embarrassing as the way he made the Rangers look at the plate last night in the Yankees’ 5-1 win at the Stadium.
All you need to do is compare Hernandez’s accomplishments his first two seasons to left-hander Kenny Rogers, the former Yankee/Met and opposing pitcher last night.
Rogers got $22.5 million over three years to be the Rangers’ No.2 starter. He got that deal after ending the Mets’ World Series hopes last October by walking in the decisive run in the 11th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS against the Braves.
It only continued a history of post-season failure for Rogers. He was 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in four post-season games with the Mets and 0-0 with nine earned runs allowed in five playoffs innings for the 1996 Yankees.
He was no match for Hernandez last night either, losing the pitching duel in the sixth inning when the Yankees scored four runs. A bases-loaded triple by Jorge Posada broke the game open.
Meanwhile, Hernandez was superb, allowing just three hits and no earned runs over eight innings. He struck out four and walked two.
If a 35-year-old Rogers is worth $7.5 million a season, then Hernandez is worth Derek Jeter money. A steady 29-13 with 3.72 ERA over his first two regular seasons, Hernandez is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three starts this year.
“He has just been terrific,” manager Joe Torre said. “I’m just glad we have him.”
Hernandez overcame the frigid elements to dispose of the Rangers. That should have been no surprise since he’s usually at his best in October.
Whether it was Game 4 of the 1998 ALCS at Cleveland, Game 2 of the World Series against San Diego or Game One of the ’99 World Series against the Braves, he has performed beyond expectations. In six career post-season starts, he is 5-0 with 1.02 ERA average. All at the bargain rate of $1.65 million per.
“Confidence is a big part of his game,” Torre said. “As a hitter, you’re not sure where it’s coming from or how fast or slow it’s going to be. Hitters go up there with a thought in mind about what they want to hit. But with him you have to look in or out and hard or slow. He mixes it up pretty good.”
The only thing Hernandez is missing is leverage, the kind of leverage Keyshawn had in forcing someone (the Bucs, as it turns out) to pay him big money. Think about it. The mere threat of Johnson not reporting on time if a new deal wasn’t in place, prompted the Jets to trade their best player which ultimately made Johnson a very rich man even though he had two years remaining on his original contract.
Hernandez is deserving of that same kind of raise based on his performance over the past two post-seasons alone for the Yankees. If anyone has out-performed his contract in this city, it’s Hernandez.
But don’t expect the Yankees to go tearing up his deal out of the goodness of their corporate wallet. Not only does Hernandez have two years left on his contract, he’ll be arbitration eligible through 2003. If you believe the media guide, Hernandez will be 33 (going on 43) then, and his age is sure to work against him.
Off the boat from Cuba, a $6.6-million contract must have seemed like $66 million, especially when your previous employment was as a rehabilitation therapist in psychiatric hospital in Cuba. But now he is the best bargain in baseball, if not all of sports.
“No doubt he’s a great bargain,” Bernie Williams said. “There are all those pitchers out there making all kinds of money. But he has been everything we expected of him – and more.
“When he came here, he seemed to have an idea of what he wanted to do and want he wanted to accomplish right away. He really didn’t go through that adjustment period that all the rookies go through. He was very focused and very determined.”
Maybe he ought to talk to Keyshawn.