Cy Young winner challenges poker stars

Twenty years ago, Los Angeles Dodger right-hander Orel Hershiser put together one of the best seasons ever by a major league pitcher. In 1988, after going 23-8 with eight shutouts and a 2.26 ERA in the regular season, in six post-season appearances while throwing nearly 43 innings, he went 3-0 with a save and an ERA of 1.05.

Two decades after his Cy Young season and starring in the Dodgers' World Series victory, Hershiser is back in big-time competition. Except this time, the opposition isn't Tony Gwynn and Darryl Stawberry, it'll be card sharps like Phil Helmuth and Chris “Jesus" Ferguson.

Hershiser -- who is still very much a part of baseball as an analyst for ESPN games and the college and Little League World Series – has been selected to play in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship being held at Caesars Palace from Feb. 28 to March 2. Total prize money is $1.5 million with $500,000 to the winner. It will be televised on NBC in April and May.

The tournament starts with 64 players, like the NCAA basketball tournament, and eliminates players in head-to-head competition until there's one left standing. Most of the poker heavweights are entered: Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, Helmuth, Ferguson. So there's no telling what Hershiser will run up against.

The former pitcher’s inclusion is something of a surprise, even though good poker-playing celebrities are routinely in the field, because Hershiser isn't generally associated with big-time poker. But he has pursued it as a serious hobby and he caught the attention of PokerStars.net. PokerStars is the Internet poker site that helped launch World Series of Poker Main Event champions Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer.

Hershiser said earlier today that poker comes close to approximating the challenge and adrenalin rush of athletics.

"Some days, you may not have your 90 mph fastball, and you may have to rely on your slider and your change-up," he said. "Well, in poker, you have to play with the cards you're dealt so that means adjusting your game accordingly -- and adjusting your game relative to whom you’re playing against."

News Added: 24 February, 2008

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