Author: Kenneth LaFreniere
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780375801976
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 108
Book Description
With all its incredible heroes, baseball has never seen a player like Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. From humble beginnings, El Duque rose to fame in his native Cuba as one of the best pitchers ever. But suddenly his baseball career was over. Fearing he would flee the country, the Cuban government banned him from baseball for life. Rather than be forced to watch from the sidelines, El Duque and seven other friends and players boarded a rickety boat and made a dangerous journey through shark-infested waters to freedom. After being shipwrecked for days on a deserted island, El Duque finally made it to American shores -- and a starting spot with the world-famous New York Yankees! A star pitcher in the 1998 World Series, El Duque enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the Major Leagues -- and his inspiring story is just beginning...