The mystery man was tall and lean and he was smiling, perpetually smiling.
His life had dramatically changed when he left Cuba in a fishing boat, and it was about to change again.
Every day featured more changes, more smiles and more glimpses of the pitcher known as El Duque.
That was the scene on a sunny spring training day when Orlando Hernández first pitched in front of the Yankees.
On that day in Tampa, the real El Duque antics started when he pitched from a windup and unveiled a funky motion that was different from any that the attendees had ever seen.