We’ve known each other for several years now from another sport you play very well—golf—and I always describe you as a true gentleman. You remind me of my father. Like you he was an athlete who never drank; to this day he has no vices. Also like you, however, he enjoys good cigars. You’ve taken this affinity for cigars and have recently started your own cigar brand. Before we talk about your line, tell me about your earliest memories of cigars.
OH- My first cigar memory comes from Cuba. You know, in Cuba, most of the older people smoked cigars. But above all, it reminds me of my grandfather. My grandfather loved smoking cigars, and he also loved his pipe—packing it with tobacco. It’s a very fond memory, and later, I started following in his footsteps. At first, I smoked small cigarettes, but then I entered the world of cigars, and honestly, I haven’t stopped since.
CS- Where in Cuba did you grow up?
OH- I grew up in Wajay—it’s a rural area, a small country neighborhood in Havana, in the municipality of Boyeros. It was quite humble—not to call it poor, because I don’t think anyone is poor if they have God. But in material terms, we didn’t have an abundance, just enough to get by. My grandmother Antolina Cruz, my grandfather Juan Antonio Pedroso, and my mother María Julia Pedroso provided us with enough to be happy.
CS- When did you know you had the talent to become an athlete? Did you play other sports?
OH- Yes, I played many sports—even field hockey. But my inclination was always toward baseball. My father played, and my uncle also played in the national series, Cuba’s national baseball league. My uncle was Juan Antonio Pedroso, and my father was Arnaldo Antonio de Eulalio Hernández Montero. Yes, he had three names. That’s where “El Duque” comes from—my father was the original “Duke” because of his elegant way of dressing, always polished shoes, always clean.
CS- So that makes you “Duque Junior.”
OH- No, that would be my older brother, may he rest in peace, who also played in the national series for the Metropolitano team. He was the older “Duque,” and I was the younger one. But since I made it to the national series first, they started calling me “El Duque,” and the name stuck.
CS- You played for Industriales in Havana, and you were also an Olympian—and won at every level.
OH- Yes, thanks to God. I have all the amateur titles you can win, and all the Pan-American titles.
CS- Let’s jump ahead—you decide to leave Cuba. That means leaving your home, along with your friends and family, to start a new life. That must have been a very difficult decision.
OH- Yes it was.
CS- You moved to the U.S. to play pro ball, built a successful career, and continued to win championships. Did the celebrations always involve cigars?
OH- Here in the U.S. they always involved cigars.
CS- Since you also had success in Cuba, were cigars part of the celebrations there too?
OH- I don’t recall it being that way. No, I think that tradition started later, maybe after it became common in the U.S. —Cuba tends to follow trends. Maybe now it’s done there too. But for me, I started celebrating with cigars here, even though I already smoked cigars in Cuba. The Cuban national team gave me cigars as a kind of bonus when I played. You can’t deny Cuban cigars are very good. Or at least, they used to be. Nowadays, some people say they’re importing tobacco from outside Cuba.
CS- And now you have Orlando “El Duque” Hernández cigars by Cigars Todo Bien. Where does the name “Cigars Todo Bien” come from?
OH- “Todo bien” is my catchphrase. Anyone who knows me knows I always say, “todo bien.” Even Derek Jeter picked it up from me. When we would see each other I would say to him “todo bien?” and he would respond “todo bien.” You have to understand when I first arrived in the U.S., I didn’t speak any English whatsoever—not even “yes” or “no.” So “todo bien” became my universal way of communicating. That phrase came from my uncle—he always said it, and it stuck with me.
CS- In Cigars Todo Bien, you partnered with Manuel Medina, a cigar lifer who cut his teeth at the Partagas factory in Cuba for 29 years before coming to the US. How did you and Medina meet?
OH- Well, we knew of each other back in Cuba because he was also in the baseball world. But we didn’t have the kind of relationship we later had here. In 1998, he was living in Chicago, and he came to the clubhouse. When I saw him, I was like, “Wow, Medina!” and we hit it off. From that moment, we’ve stayed close.
Since that time, he always insisted, “We need to make our own cigar!” But back then, I didn’t have time for that. I just wanted to smoke cigars, not make them. He would give me cigars as gifts, and I would smoke them. But right before the pandemic, I finally gave in. I told him, “Okay, let’s do it, but make sure it’s something good.” And that’s how we started working on the perfect blend.
CS- Tell me a little about the cigar.
OH- Yes, we partnered with My Father Cigars to make them for us. We are friends with the Garcias, and they do a great job. This is a medium-bodied cigar. If you want something stronger, we have options. If you find it with a Connecticut wrapper, it will be milder. If it has a Habano wrapper, it will be a bit stronger than Connecticut. If it’s Maduro, that’s the strongest.
CS- What are your goals for the brand?
OH- For me it’s about enjoying cigars with my friends. Of course, I’d love for the brand to go far, but just having my own cigar brand is very meaningful. I’ve loved cigars since I was young. At the end of the day, I just want to enjoy cigars and share them with good people. And only God knows how far we’ll take this.
CS- Describe your perfect day. Is it on a golf course with a cigar?
OH- My perfect day wouldn’t even involve golf—which I absolutely love. My perfect day is sitting down to play dominoes with my good friends Tico Valdés, Andy Morales, and Michael Tejera. We sit and play for six, seven, eight hours. It gets intense, but that would be my perfect day. We usually play at my friend Tony Álvarez’s place—who we call the “commissioner.” Playing dominoes in Miami, with arroz congri, roast pork, fried plantains—it’s something special.
CS- What do you miss most about Cuba?
OH- The streets and my friends are what I miss most. And if you ask me what I would like for Cuba, I’d say I want to see my people free. I have never returned to Cuba, and I won’t return while the dictatorship exists—or rather, I won’t return until my people are free. I want to return to Cuba and smoke a good cigar on the streets of Havana.
