Yankees’ Hernandez Grows Into Role as Game 1 Starter

It was a rite of passage, really.

During his rookie season last year, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez was inundated with questions about his harrowing escape from Fidel Castro’s Cuba. How big was the boat? Were there any sharks? Did you ever lose faith? How old are you?

Lost in the sea of queries, it seemed, was that Hernandez was no mere novelty. He was a special pitcher for a team in the midst of a special season.

So it was an accomplishment, of sorts, that the questions aimed at him Monday focused on his being named the New York Yankees’ Game 1 starter against the Texas Rangers for their American League Division Series.

Oh, sure, there were references to his escape but only in comparison with his getting the nod from Yankee Manager Joe Torre over five-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens.

“Facing things in your life is different than facing it on the field,” Hernandez said in Spanish. “I’ll always try, though, to put pressure on myself when I pitch so that I can pitch better.

“I’ve always liked pressure. I’ve always pitched in pressure. I’ve always liked pitching in pressure. It’s not important to pitch the first game. It’s important to win the first game.”

Hernandez, who turns 30 on Sunday, went 17-9 with a 4.12 earned-run average for the Yankees this year.

Last year, it was his clutch performance in Game 4 of the American League championship series, a 4-0 Yankee win, that kept New York from falling into a 3-1 hole to the Cleveland Indians.

“El Duque, he’s come a long way from last year,” Torre said.

“I think he started growing in that Game 4 against Cleveland last year.”

It also marked a time when he was taken seriously and not viewed as some oddity who didn’t speak English and rarely gave interviews.

Monday, Hernandez actually seemed to have fun during the press conference.

Until someone asked him how he was enjoying living la vida loca, the crazy life.

“I’m very proud of the steps I’ve taken to be here,” he said. “I’m very happy that my image is a positive one. I’m happy that my face is on the screen on TV.

“But my crazy life is my kids, my mother and my wife.”

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There is no doubt that Rafael Palmeiro has added to the Texas Rangers’ batting attack but there is a question as to where the MVP candidate will play tonight.

Ranger Manager Johnny Oates said he would wait until late today to decide whether Palmeiro or Lee Stevens will play first base, the other to serve as designated hitter.

“There’s nothing physically wrong [with Palmeiro],” Oates said. “It’s just the idea that I’m not going to pinch-run or pinch-hit for Palmeiro. He’s played back-to-back games at first base in preparation for this, and I would think that we’re getting very close to where Rafael can become our everyday first baseman for the rest of the year.”

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Make no mistake about it. Ranger starter Aaron Sele is excited about pitching a playoff game opener at Yankee Stadium.

But he’s more excited about what’s about to go on at home with his wife, Jennifer.

“With the impending birth of our first child, we’re getting really excited about that and there’s a lot more nerves associated with that than there is with baseball,” said Sele, who went 18-9 with a 4.79 ERA this season.

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The Yankees, with 98 victories wins this season, have won 400 games over a four-year period--1996-99--for the just the third time in franchise history.

The other Yankee teams to pull it off--the 1936-39 teams won 409 games, while the 1961-64 teams squads won 408.