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New York Mets: All-time weirdest pitching windups in franchise history

By Elizabeth Muratore

PORT SAINT LUCIE, FL - MARCH 05: Pitcher Joe Smith #70 of the New York Mets pitches in the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians in a spring training game on March 5, 2007 at Tradition Field in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
PORT SAINT LUCIE, FL - MARCH 05: Pitcher Joe Smith #70 of the New York Mets pitches in the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians in a spring training game on March 5, 2007 at Tradition Field in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) /
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Orlando Hernandez #26 of the New York Mets pitches to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 30, 2006 in Bronx, New York. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /

Memorable Mets Windups: Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez

Second up on this list is another notable member of the 2006 Mets and a key part of that year’s rotation, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez. He only spent parts of two years in Queens, coming to the Mets from the Arizona Diamondbacks via trade during the 2006 season after spending most of his MLB career with the Yankees and his pre-MLB career pitching in Cuba.

El Duque didn’t have a sidearm or submarine delivery like several other entries on this list, but he was famous for his extremely high leg kick. While delivering the ball to the plate, El Duque appeared to nearly knee himself in the face with every pitch. Despite this jerky motion, he got the ball to the plate quickly and fielded his position well.

His delivery out of the stretch was almost a complete 180 from his regular windup. With runners on base, El Duque morphed his windup into a near-sidearm delivery, with no leg kick in sight.

Hernandez was a solid starter for the Mets throughout the 2006 season, but unfortunately, his Mets legacy did not extend into that memorable postseason. El Duque tore a calf muscle in early October while jogging in the outfield, of all things, and missed the entire playoffs. His injury, on top of the injury to Pedro Martinez, meant that the Mets’ starting pitching depth was razor-thin entering the 2006 ALDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Had El Duque remained healthy and pitched in that 2006 postseason, who knows how many games he might have won in the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Nonetheless, El Duque still made his mark on franchise history for his unusual delivery and indeterminate age.

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