Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez: The Infomercial World’s Next Billy Mays

Ever since the tragic and sudden death of Billy Mays, the TV infomercial world has been asking itself, “Who will emerge as the next great television pitchman?”

Some thought it might be Vince Offer of ShamWow and Slap Chop fame. While other commercial spokesmen (like Joe Fowler and Bruce Singer) seemed to think that by aping the Billy Mays style they could be crowned his successor.

As with many things in life, the answer to the question we have all been asking comes from a direction we were least expecting. A little known commercial for an obscure product called the Airless Water Valve has given us a glimpse of the man who will become the next great infomercial pitchman.

This worthy heir to the Billy Mays throne arrives not from the world of broadcasting or sales, but from the world of sports. Many athletes have made product endorsements, but few have been able to follow a top-notch sports career with a career as a leading commercial spokesman. Athleticism and the ability to stand in front of a camera and really persuade viewers to purchase a product are qualities not often found in the same man. Yet sometimes a person is just “a natural.” It happens in baseball. And it happens in infomercials.

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the infomercial debut of World Series pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez: