Italian can win title in Texas with win and other results
Verstappen led race at Marina Bay from start to finish
Kimi Antonelli said he can finally dare to dream about winning his first Formula One world championship after he finished in third place at the Singapore Grand Prix and put himself in a position where he could secure the title at the next round in Austin.
Max Verstappen won with a dominant drive at the Marina Bay circuit but behind him, Antonelli’s podium means he could become F1’s youngest champion at the age of 20, in two weeks’ time. Antonelli leads his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, by 102 points and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 111. With six meetings remaining and 150 points to play for, the Italian will take the title if he wins in Austin and Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower.
Los Angeles will now be carrying 13 pitchers for this best-of-seven series that gets underway in Milwaukee on Sunday, Oct. 11.
"Having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said a day before Game 1. "I think for us it's more of who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium to lower leverage situation."
Wrobleski was an All-Star starting pitcher this season, but transitioned into bulk work – mostly out of the bullpen – in September to prepare for the postseason. The left-hander made four scoreless appearances in the 2025 World Series, including in the Game 6 and 7 wins in Toronto that secured the Dodgers' second consecutive title.
The speedy Kim, 27, is in his second season with the Dodgers after coming over from Korea and made one appearance in LA's NLDS win over Atlanta as a defensive replacement.
Infielder Miguel Rojas, who left Game 4 of the NLDS due to tightness in his lower back, is on the roster as expected.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Gattuso’s side ease to 3-1 win against 10-man Monza
Roma frustrated after goalless draw away at Como
Lazio moved level on points with Inter at the top of Serie A with a 3-1 win over Monza on Sunday as 10-man Roma played out the first goalless draw of the Italian season at Como.
Under Gennaro Gattuso, who has bounced back after his failure at the helm of the Italian national side who missed out on the 2026 World Cup, Lazio continued their strong start to the season. Still unbeaten, the Roman outfit secured a fifth victory in six matches to pull level on 16 points with Inter, who beat Parma 3-0 at San Siro on Saturday.
When we first looked at the 2026-27 schedule, we had to look at it sideways because the Blue Jackets had a full 5-day break between games 3 and 4. After what we saw on Saturday, it seems the NHL did the CBJ a favor. They also have two separate three-day breaks sandwiched in between home games.
But where he was most impressive was at the faceoff dot. Fantilli won 16/20, for an 80% win percentage.
He followed that up in game two on Saturday night against Utah by going 15/20 for a 75% win percentage. It's not like he was facing off against minor leaguers either.
Bowness told the media that defenseman Damon Severson is expected to play this weekend. They play the Penguins on Friday, and then travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues on Saturday.
Bjorkstrand scored his first two goals as a member of the Rangers in the contest, with his second being the game-winner. With this, there is no question that the former Blue Jackets forward delivered for the Rangers in this matchup.
The Jackets took 5 penalties in the 1st period, 9 in the 2nd, and 7 in the 3rd for a total of 21 penalties for 68 minutes. In total, the Pens got 8 power plays out of the chaos. But what's even crazier is that the CBJ went 8-for-8 on the PK.
Higgins lawyers said in documents that the Gaudreau's were actually riding in the northbound lane, and not on the shoulder as previously reported by state police. The new report also says that Higgins "could not have reasonably avoided them." The new report comes from an accident reconstruction team hired by the defense.
In the interview, he was asked what the main reason was for Marchenko wanting out. Varitsky said, "The athletic component. Kirill wanted to play for a big club and make the playoffs. During his four years in Columbus, there was virtually no prospect of making it. Every year, the coaches change, and a new one comes in with their own vision."
With the win, Talbot became the first NHL goaltender to win a game with nine different teams. Yes, NINE different teams. Some people look at this record and think he's bad. I look at this record and see longevity. Will he be able to keep it up this season? Time will tell.
Damon Severson(1) and Mathieu Olivier(2) scored the goals in regulation, and Kent Johnson scored the only goal for either team in the shootout to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night at Nationwide Arena.
Val Nichushkin(1), Kent Johnson(2), and Cole Sillinger(2) scored the goals for Columbus, and Jet Greaves stopped 22 of 26 Blues shots in a 5-3 loss to St. Louis.
The Jackets held 2-0 lead in the first period and got hammered for the rest of the game.
This loss halts a 6 game losing streak to the CBJ for the Blues.
Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets are back home on Tuesday to take on the Florida Panthers.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. Share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski pitches against the San Diego Padres last month at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers added left-handed reliever Justin Wrobleski to the National League Championship Series roster on Sunday, bolstering their bullpen with a pitcher who can cover multiple innings, as they take on the Milwaukee Brewers, the best team in the regular season.
In the Dodgers’ first best-of-seven series of the postseason, they will carry 13 pitchers and 13 position players — one more pitcher and one fewer position player than the previous round.
To even the balance, they left pinch-runner/defensive replacement Hyeseong Kim off the NLCS roster. Kim appeared in just one game in the NLDS, on defense in the ninth inning of Game 4.
Wrobleski was an All-Star for his first-half performance (2.69 ERA). But an up and down second half included a short stint in the injured list, as the team kept an eye on his workload, and a move to the bullpen. He finished the season strong, allowing just one run in his last eight appearances (8 ⅔ innings).
“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday when asked what traits the Dodgers would prioritize when considering which pitcher to add. “As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced, so that really doesn’t come into play. For us, it’s more of who can take down a couple innings.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 13: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laughs with Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brewers have announced their roster for the National League Championship Series, and it’s the same as the Division Series roster, which should surprise no one. The likelihood that the Brewers were going to make any changes was always low. We’ll still do a quick rundown.
Catchers (2): William Contreras, Gary Sánchez
Infielders (6): Jake Bauers, David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn
Outfielders/DH (5): Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich
Pitchers (13): Aaron Ashby (L), Shane Drohan (L), Robert Gasser (L), DL Hall (L), Kyle Harrison (L), Logan Henderson (R), Dustin May (R), Trevor Megill (R), Jacob Misiorowski (R), Chad Patrick (R), JoJo Romero (L), Antonio Senzatela (R), Abner Uribe (R)
None of Drohan, Harrison, nor Patrick pitched in the Division Series against the Padres, but the Padres’ lineup was heavy on right-handers, while four of the Dodgers’ regular starters (Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy, Freddie Freeman, and Kyle Tucker) are lefties. Combined with the longer series, one would expect that the extra lefties in the lineup would create more opportunities for Drohan and Harrison. Patrick did not have a role against the Padres; it seems his control issues in September have left him on the outside looking in for now.
As for lineup questions on the Brewers, it remains to be seen exactly how they handle left/right platoons. Sal Frelick started all three games in which right-handed pitchers started for the Padres, with Lara’s only playing time in the series coming in game one, when lefty Robbie Ray started. I’d expect this to continue, and given how well Frelick played in the DS, it will be interesting to see if he manages a start against one of the Dodgers lefties, Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal.
The bigger questions, though, center around Andrew Vaughn. Vaughn got only two plate appearances in the Padres series, as Pat Murphy opted to go with Jake Bauers at first base and a better defensive option in right field rather than start both Vaughn and Bauers. He also kept Christian Yelich in the lineup even against the left-handed Ray, and given Yelich’s leadership position and his strong showing against the Padres, it doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to start on the bench, even with the tough Skubl and Snell matchups. Would the Brewers sacrifice some defense by starting Bauers in right field and Vaughn at first base against those lefties? Is Vaughn too valuable as a high-leverage pinch-hitter? Vaughn was also recovering from what sounds like a pretty nasty illness, so his diminished playing time may not have been solely related to strategy.
The bigger roster questions came from the other side. The Dodgers carried only 12 pitchers in the Division Series, a number that was expected to get bumped up for the Championship Series. There were also some health questions around Miguel Rojas, but reports on Saturday suggested that he’d be ready. The expected move did end up happening: utility infielder Hyeseong Kim was taken off the roster, while lefty Justin Wrobleski—who started 22 games and made the All-Star team this season—was added for what will presumably be a long relief role.
Here’s the full Dodgers roster:
Catchers (2): Hunter Feduccia, Will Smith
Infielders (6): Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, Kiké Hernández, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Outfielders (4): Josue De Paula, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: General Manager Sam Fuld of the Philadelphia Phillies smiles prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on September 22, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves 1-0. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sam Fuld, former A’s outfielder and current Phillies President of Business Operations, became the first candidate offered the role of General Manager for the A’s — and then became the first candidate to say “No.” The search continues.
However, even though the A’s have not yet settled on their new GM, news of the offer to Fuld does offer some potential intel on what direction the A’s are going with regard to their search and the remaining candidates.
First off, much has been made of Fuld’s rejection of the A’s offer as if it suggests that the gig of “A’s General Manager” is unappealing and that the team will be forced to settle for its 6th choice after the first 5 turn their nose up and tell John Fisher to pound sand.
I think it’s worth noting that Fuld’s role with the Phillies is not President of Baseball Operations, the “PBO” with which A’s fans are most familiar. Rather Fuld has transitioned into the title of a different “PBO”: President of Business Operations, consistent with his 2026 MBA degree at Wharton that suggests he has settled on where his primary interests lie.
So Fuld may have preferred, ultimately, to stay in Philadelphia where his family is settled. He may have preferred, ultimately, to stay with the Phillies organization where he has continued to grow and establish his position according to his career ambitions. He may have used the A’s offer to gain leverage for a raise or extension at his current job. We really don’t know.
What we do know is that the list of candidates grew to double digits at one point and there is no indication it is an unwanted gig. It just turned out not to be a fit for Fuld and the A’s for whatever reason, but the fact that the A’s chose Fuld — even if he didn’t choose them back — tells us a few things. Maybe.
1. One indicator is that the A’s made their first offer to a relatively young candidate, Fuld being 44, suggesting that the A’s might be more interested in a younger, hipper mindset than an “old guard” grizzled veteran of the industry. This would point the compass away from a candidate such as Mike Rizzo, the 65 year old former Washington Nationals GM with a 20 year career in the front office.
2. Another indicator is that the A’s made their first offer to a candidate regarded as more “analytics based” on the pedagogical spectrum. Once the Moneyball darlings of analytics, the A’s have fallen woefully behind the competition in recent years and may be looking to boost this side of their organizational toolkit.
3. Another indicator is that the A’s made their first offer to a candidate outside the organization. You would think that if after interviewing outside candidates the A’s felt the best choice was right under their nose the whole time, they would make the offer to their own employee first. This would point the compass away from Billy Owens or interim GM Dan Feinstein.
All this is consistent with the perceived “top choice now” being Red Sox Assistant General Manager Taylor Smith. Smith is on the young side of young, by baseball front office standards, barely 30. He headed Boston’s analytics department after being poached from Tampa Bay where he was a member of their research and development team. He not comes from outside the A’s organization but has a history with the small market/big success Rays, a team whose practices the A’s would be wise to emulate.
In many ways, Smith seems like a far more natural choice than Fuld in that Smith is on the GM track whereas Fuld seems to be cementing himself more narrowly in a business pathway and Smith has more background with a smaller market franchise.
This is not to say the A’s couldn’t announce tomorrow that they have hired Rizzo, or Owens, or the 21 year front office veteran James Click. But the initial attempt to select Fuld may offer some clues as to where the search is heading — and perhaps ending in the coming days or hours…
After finishing with an MLB-best 103 wins, the Brewers have home-field advantage against the Dodgers, who swept Milwaukee at this stage last season en route to a second consecutive World Series title.
"You're playing for a chance to go to a World Series. You don't need much more motivation than that regardless of who you're playing," Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said.
"Obviously we respect them. We respect everything they've done in the game, how they go about the game. You can't say enough great things about them, but at the same time, we're ready to compete with them."
Likely NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA) takes the mound for the Brewers while trade deadline acquisition – and back-to-back Cy Young winner – Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.73 ERA) starts for the Dodgers at American Family Field.
Where to watch Dodgers vs Brewers: TV channel, streaming
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Milwaukee, WI - October 10, 2026: Rookie Josue DePaula lines up at shortstop for infield drills as the LA Dodgers conduct an off day workout before game one of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers at American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers announced their roster for the National League Championship Series, which will include 13 pitchers and 13 position players against the Milwaukee Brewers. Justin Wrobleski is the extra bulk pitcher for this round, after the Dodgers carried 12 pitchers during the Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.
“I think that length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching. As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play,” manager Dave Roberts said during Saturday’s workout at American Family Field in Milwaukee. “I think for us it’s more of who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium to lower leverage situation.”
Wrobleski was an All-Star starting pitcher this season, but pitched in shorter, bulk outings during September as preparation for his likely October role.
Hyeseong Kim is the roster casualty, not active for the NLCS after playing one game in the NLDS. Kim pinch-ran in Game 4 and played the final two innings at second base.
Miguel Rojas, who left Game 3 of the NLDS in Atlanta with back and hip soreness, got several days of treatment and is active for the NLCS against the Brewers.
Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon share nine wickets
As a fractured news environment demonstrates, observations can be made from just about any perspective. One view of Australia’s Test team could focus on age, with the principal bowlers all having more than 33 years to their names. Another could focus on them all having more than 300 wickets.
At the first Test in Durban, an unprecedented achievement by Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon is continuing, one that they began in Mackay two months ago: being the only quartet in history to walk on to Test fields as members of the 300 club. By the end of day three they had taken another nine, South Africa bowled out for 284, trailing by 139 runs by the time bad light stopped play with Australia 33 without loss.
The Montreal Canadiens have had their fair share of injuries in this young season: Kaiden Guhle, Oliver Kapanen, Ivan Demidov, and Samuel Montembeault have all missed time, but they’re still in much better shape than the New York Rangers. Jeff Gorton’s former team has lost its star goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, for the season thanks to a gruesome lower-body injury. To make matters worse, backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo is also out for four weeks, leaving the Rangers with rookies Dylan Garland and Callum Tung as their netminder tandem. Together, they have five games of NHL experience.
Can they ride the storm with them? And even when Korpisalo is back, will they be comfortable with their tandem? In Montreal, the Canadiens barely bat an eyelid at the news that Montembeault would be unavailable for 10 to14 days, because they’ve got another NHL-ready goalie in Jacob Fowler. The Florida native had a statement game Saturday night, stopping 30 shots in 65 minutes and another six in the shootout. He was flawless, and he did it with poise. His positioning was on point, making the saves look easy. His performance reminded those in attendance of former franchise cornerstone Carey Price.
That was his second game in a row, and while he didn’t win his first outing, he played well enough to earn a second start and keep Jakub Dobes on the sideline. When Montembeault returns, the Canadiens will have no choice but to return him to the AHL. Kent Hughes has made it clear he doesn’t want another three-goalie carousel this season. Unless, of course, the Habs could find a landing spot for Montembeault, who’s in the last year of his contract, then they could keep Fowler in the NHL. According to Frank Seravalli, the Rangers have put Shesterkin on LTIR, but not season-ending LTIR; still, that gives them $3.97M in cap space, so New York could easily take on Montembeault’s $3.15M contract.
The Canadiens couldn’t find a trade partner for Montembeault this summer because they didn’t receive a good enough offer for the Becancour native, but the end justifies the means. Now that the Rangers find themselves in such a precarious position between the pipes, they may be willing to match the Canadiens’ ask.
While some thought it would be tricky for the Habs to make a deal with the organization that fired Jeff Gorton in 2021, a lot of water has run under the bridge since then, and the Habs traded with the Rangers this summer, sending William Trudeau back for Brett Berard. It was a minor league deal, but it’s still a deal.
Of course, Montembeault needs to be healthy to help the Rangers, but he’s expected to miss only 10 to 14 days. That’s not too long, and the rookie goalie tandem may be able to hold down the fort for the Rangers until then.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what happens with the goaltending in Montreal now. Jakub Dobes finished training camp as the clear number one. He was instrumental in the Canadiens beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first game but then had a couple of tough outings against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes. After three games, it made sense to have the backup take on the Nashville Predators, and with Montembeault injured, Fowler stepped in.
Most expected Dobes back for game five, but Martin St-Louis chose to return to Fowler because the team hadn’t had a full practice in a couple of days. That’s an interesting move. Last season, the coach would have gone back to his number one. Does that mean Dobes doesn’t have as long a leash as Montembeault did? What will that do to Dobes’ confidence? Or does it simply mean that St-Louis has learned from last year’s goaltending woes and will go with the hot hand? If that’s the case and Fowler keeps up his play, the coach certainly won’t want to see him sent back down to the AHL.
There’s never a dull moment in Montreal, but finding a new home for Montembeault would allow the organization to keep its two young goaltenders in the NHL, where they belong.
SURPRISE, AZ - OCTOBER 04: Boston Baro #3 of the Surprise Saguaros bats during the game between the Salt River Rafters and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Sunday, October 4, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
I can imagine some Guardians fans might have had a feeling of déjà vu Saturday night in Cleveland.
It’s the deciding game of a postseason series. The visiting team is from Chicago. And… it’s raining.
Well. It’s not the World Series and it’s not the Cubs in Cleveland, instead it’s an upstart White Sox team that had won the first two games of this Division Series at Progressive Field.
By the time the Guardians had dispatched the White Sox 2-0 in Game 5 and moved on to the ALCS, it was clear which was the better team. I’ve thought for a number of recent years that the Guardians always seem to find a way. They did it last year when they overcame a 12.5 game deficit to the Tigers and won the AL Central, although Detroit got revenge by defeating the Guards in a Wild Card Series. This year Cleveland trailed the White Sox by 4.5 games on Aug. 30, then finished the season on a 17-9 run to take the division title — which ultimately might have been the difference in this series.
Cleveland’s offense was missing in the first two games, in which they scored a total of two runs. A lot of that was on third baseman José Ramírez, who went 0-for-6 over those games. Ramírez had a rough year after breaking a hamate bone in his wrist in June. He missed a month and had one of the worst years of his career. Hamate injuries are known for long recovery times and Ramírez might not be 100 percent until next year.
But after those first two games, Ramírez put the Guardians on his back, going 5-for-12 with a double, triple, home run and seven RBI over the three games Cleveland won. That included this impossible home run Saturday [VIDEO].
Look where that pitch was! How on Earth do you hit a home run off this pitch?
Guardians pitchers struck out 21 White Sox to preserve that two-run homer as the only runs Cleveland would need. The 21 K’s are a record for any MLB nine-inning game, regular season or postseason. (The previous postseason record of 19 in a nine-inning game had been set by the Sox… on Wednesday.) The White Sox struck out 75 times in the five games, a 40.5 percent K rate. That’s just not going to get it done.
Congratulations to the White Sox on their fine season, though it didn’t end the way they’d have wanted it to. To win 84 games and make the postseason after three straight 100+ loss seasons (and one of those a record-setting 121 defeats) is quite the accomplishment. They have some very good young players, particularly Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery, and Munetaka Murakami brought intangibles along with a big bat from Japan. They’re fun to watch. They’ll also need to do something about that pitching staff if they want to move forward and improve on this next year.
Congratulations to the Guardians for winning this series, the 11th team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a postseason series. That team is also fun to watch and, while it doesn’t have the talent level of the Rays, they also seem to have intangibles that help them win. Ramírez might be the most underappreciated superstar in baseball today. He’s eventually going to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and hardly anyone outside Cleveland even knows who he is. And if he continues hitting the way he did in the Guardians’ three wins over the White Sox, the Rays will have their hands full in the ALCS.
I’ll be rooting for the Guardians as long as they’re in it this October. Their championship drought stands at 77 years. Consider this: When the Cubs’ World Series drought was at 77 years, it was… 1985. The Cubs had to wait 31 more years! All of us as Cubs fans know how this feels. I’d like to see a World Series title go to Cleveland this year.
This postseason has already created some great stories and had some compelling games. Let’s hope that continues through the next two rounds. We’ll have a game thread here for tonight’s NLCS Game 1 between the Brewers and Dodgers, game time 7 p.m. CT, thread posting time 6 p.m. CT.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Orlando Hernandez winds up in the first inning of the first game of the American League Division Series 05 October, 1999, at Yankee Stadium in New York. The New York Yankees face the Texas Rangers in the best-of-five series. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Don EMMERT (Photo by Don EMMERT / AFP) (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Over 40 years after fans of the “Boys of Summer” Brooklyn Dodgers sung the praises of Edwin Snider, another Duke took center stage in New York. This time, it was in the Bronx as one of the most celebrated Cuban players to take the field for his home country set his eyes on Yankee Stadium. A mysterious maestro on the mound, the man known as Orlando “El Duque” Hernández could seemingly do it all, quickly winning adoration for his poise in high-pressure moments while the Yankees won a trifecta of championships.
For quite awhile, El Duque’s actual birth year was not actually known for certain. When he first joined the Yankees, he said he was born in 1969, but later it became evident that he was, in fact, born in 1965 and thus didn’t become a Yankee until he turned 32. Regardless, he was born on October 11, 1965 to Cuban pitcher Arnaldo Hernandez and Maria Cruz. Although well known throughout the country, his dad (also nicknamed “El Duque”) did not play much of a role in El Duque’s upbringing. He did however, father another son a little over nine years later with another woman, Miriam Carreras. That son’s name was Livan Hernández, and El Duque would have a close relationship with his half-brother, who of course also became a pitching phenom.
Growing up with his older brother Arnaldo Jr. in a small home was not ideal for the future pitching great. There wasn’t much schooling in his childhood, but El Duque certainly learned the game of baseball. He was clearly an intelligent kid, as he developed and perfected a complex pitching motion while also adding a potent arsenal of pitches. Once his reputation spread, it did not take too long for El Duque to be added to the perennial powerhouse Cuban national baseball team.
El Duque won his first gold medal at age 22 with the victorious 1988 Baseball World Cup squad and gradually added several more golds in numerous competitions over the next seven years, highlighted by the Cuban national team winning the gold medal in baseball at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. As if that weren’t enough, El Duque was also prominent on the most successful Cuban league baseball team, the Havana Industriales. He was a star there too, as he was the team’s ace while also getting to play with his brothers Arnaldo and Livan.
Tragically, Orlando only had one season with Arnaldo, who passed away suddenly in 1994 as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage. El Duque’s life was further complicated when Livan defected from the Cuban national team late in 1995. As a result of his association with Livan, El Duque was suspended from Cuban ball, left off the ’96 Olympic roster, and eventually banned entirely from the Cuban National Series. With nowhere to play, El Duque now basically had just one choice–defect himself or never play organized ball again. After watching Livan triumph in 1997 with the Marlins while winning both the NLCS and World Series MVP, it removed any doubt as to El Duque’s future plans.
Through the assistance of some shady dealings with his agent, Joe Cubas, El Duque defected from Cuba two months after the World Series and eventually was granted residency in Costa Rica. Now free to negotiate with any team, the Yankees and newly-christened general manager Brian Cashman came calling. Following negotiations, El Duque and the Yankees agreed on a four-year, $6.6 million contract, one of the best free agent contracts of all-time. The Yankees sure received some incredible value from that deal.
On a pure value basis, few contracts have been better than the comparatively measly $6.6 million invested in El Duque back in 1998. Minor leaguers could do nothing with the 32-year-old rookie’s repertoire, and when David Cone had to miss a start due to a bite on the finger from his mother’s Jack Russell terrier, he got his shot. El Duque pitched so effectively that the Yankees couldn’t remove him from the rotation, and he recorded a 3.13 ERA, 3.53 FIP, and 131 strikeouts in 21 starts during his first season.
Although the ’98 Yankees romped to 114 victories, they trailed the ALCS two games to one to the defending AL champs, and they were forced to ask El Duque to come up big for them in Game 4 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. He did just that, twirling seven innings of shutout ball, the first of seven consecutive victories that the Yankees notched against Cleveland and San Diego, never losing another game en route to the World Series title.
El Duque was a fascinating addition to the rotation, dazzling hitters but also mystifying his manager and his teammates. On the day of that fateful Game 4, Joe Torre thought that he might be nervous, but in fact, El Duque was not at all afraid of the spotlight. Torre found him at a local Cleveland restaurant, pretending to serve dishes and humoring the patrons. On many occasions though, he bickered with his catcher, Jorge Posada, on his pitch selection, and once even cursed at Luis Sojo when Sojo asked him to stand during the National Anthem. Then, there were the times when he would absolutely baffle his teammates, like when he called all his infielders into the mound and said nothing, unless one counts stomping on the mound a few times as saying something.
Despite El Duque’s idiosyncrasies, he remained a steady presence in their rotation throughout the three-peat from 1998 through 2000. He was a fine pitcher in the regular season, but he seemed to be even better when the spotlight of the playoffs was on. The big start in Cleveland was just the beginning of his postseason excellence. The Padres had no answer for him in the World Series that year, nor did the Rangers in his Division Series start the next season. He dominated the Red Sox in the ’99 taking home ALCS MVP honors with 15 innings of 1.80 ERA ball, then outpitched Hall of Famer Greg Maddux in his World Series opener start against the Braves.
El Duque wasn’t quite as overpowering in the 2000 playoffs, but the Yankees still won in four of the five games he made an appearance. Those three years cemented El Duque as a Yankees cult hero.
The ’01 campaign was a rockier one for El Duque, as a bad toe sprain kept him off the mound for several months and he struggled when he actually did make starts. He shook it off to pitch well in two of his three starts that postseason, most notably when he kept the Yankees in the game against Curt Schilling in Game 4 of the World Series, a contest they famously won thanks to late homer heroics from Tino Martinez and Derek Jeter.
Alas, that year didn’t end in a parade, and injuries limited him again in 2002. He was far more effective that year than in ’01, but a nightmare relief outing in the playoffs against the Angels haunted him as the Yankees fell in the first round. At first, it seemed that it would be his last start as a Yankee, as they sent him away to the Expos in a three-team deal during the 2002-03 offseason. A rotator cuff injury led to surgery, and he never threw a pitch for Montreal.
However, El Duque’s career was not at an end. He surprisingly returned to the Yankees in 2004 and after successfully rehabbing in the minors from his surgery, he re-joined the pitching staff in mid-July. He provided a boost to the rotation and the Yankees won their seventh consecutive AL East title. This time, a five-inning, three-run start in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Red Sox would be the last start he would make in pinstripes, as the Yankees blew the series and El Duque departed in free agency.
Having rejuvenated his career with a successful ’04 season, El Duque signed with the White Sox for the 2005 campaign. While Chicago got off to a fantastic start that they never looked back from, it wasn’t as good for El Duque. He had a 5.12 ERA in 24 games (22 starts) and was more hittable than ever, with a career-worst 9.6 H/9. The White Sox won the AL Central, but they left him out of the playoff rotation, one that featured another Cuban star who was previously a Yankee, José Contreras. Considering how dangerous the rotation of Contreras, Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, and Jon Garland proved to be that postseason, it’s hard to blame the White Sox for slighting El Duque. It didn’t prevent him from coming up huge on the big stage one more time.
The White Sox were up two games to none on the defending champion Red Sox in the Division Series, and they led them 4-3 in the sixth inning of Game 3 at Fenway Park. However, the dangerous Boston lineup had knocked Garcia out and loaded the bases against reliever Damaso Marte. Chicago manager Ozzie Guillén called on El Duque to bail them out and stop the Red Sox from seizing any momentum to get back into the series. What followed was amazing and vintage El Duque: a Jason Varitek foul out, a Tony Graffanino pop-up, and a swing and a miss from Johnny Damon.
No runs scored, Chicago held the lead, and they went on to win the World Series.
El Duque hovered around the game for a few more years and even spent about two months with his brother Livan again pitching in the Diamondbacks rotation. However, despite some relatively effective pitching, it was clear that he was wearing down–hardly surprising for someone who pitched past age 40. After a year and a half with the Mets, El Duque’s career ended in 2007. He tried to recover from ’08 foot surgery to pitch again in the majors, but a couple minor league stints with various teams went in vain.
El Duque officially retired in 2011, and he’s since returned to Yankee Stadium for multiple Old-Timers’ Days and dynasty reunion events. He’ll always be welcomed back to the Bronx by the home crowd; El Duque was just one of those special pitchers and fan favorites who comes around every once in a while. Keep on doing the El Duque.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
On Saturday night, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center. It was the second home game of the season for Chicago, but not nearly as successful as the first.
Now, following a lousy loss to the Hurricanes, the Blackhawks are 1-5-0 after six games. It is not where they wanted to be, despite having a very tough schedule to open up the year. The issue now is that it doesn't lighten up any time soon.
It is easy to understand why the Blackhawks players and coaches are frustrated following this one. They were run out of their own building early in a season that is already falling off the rails.
When asked, Patrick Kane said that the frustration level of the team was "very high". This, of course, came after a tough game, but it's a sign of the overall team outlook.
"D-zone and being better with the puck, whether it's living to fight another day sometimes or making better plays out there,” Kane said when asked about where the team needs to improve. “Supporting, demanding it, wanting it, those types of things."
Kane knows what it’s like to be on a team as good as the Carolina Hurricanes. He spent the first half of his career almost exclusively on those types of teams. At least for now, he has incredible confidence that this current group will get there one day.
"I have a lot of confidence in the group," Kane said. "We definitely have enough talent, speed, and skill. What kind of team are we going to be? That's something we need to figure out."
Kane believes this young Blackhawks group has what it needs to "take a page" out of Carolina's book. If anyone on the team has an opinion worth trusting on this type of topic, it's Patrick Kane.
Roman Kantserov, who scored his first career NHL goal on Saturday, spoke about how it wasn't his plan to lose the game that he got his first, but he did admit that finally turning that 0 next to his goal total into a 1 will give him confidence going forward.
When Kantserov was leading the KHL in goals, it was obvious that this ability would translate to the NHL. It was just a matter of how long. He is still figuring things out, but getting that first will go a long way.
It wasn't only players trying to balance frustration with confidence following Saturday's loss. Head coach Jeff Blashill was not shy on either end of the conversation.
"Do I think frustration builds when you haven't won and you're not having enough success? Of course it does," Blashill said. "Those are the challenges we're going to have to face."
Coach Blashill often talks about process. He thinks that a team's process is more important than results because wins will come if you do things the right way. As of now, sitting in his coach's chair, he believes in this group.
"I'm going to tell you right now, I have absolute 100 percent belief in this group," Blashill continued. "This group is going to win. I can't tell if we're going to start winning Tuesday, next week, [or] a year from now. I have no idea when it's going to be, but this group is going to win, 100 percent."
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
