Famous Yankees Dog Passes Away

Sad news from YES Network broadcaster and former All-Star David Cone.

Mom's dog Veronica passed away at 16yrs old. Famous for biting my finger and starting El Duque's Yankee career. twitter.com/YESConeZone36/…

— David Cone (@YESConeZone36) November 20, 2012

As Big League Stew's Kevin Kaduk writes, Vernoica bit Cone's index finger during the Yankees' 1998 season, causing him to miss a start. His replacement? "El Duque" Orlando Hernandez, who proved to be brilliant for New York the rest of the way.

Perhaps most important, the rise of Hernandez led to this hilarious commercial:

RIP, Veronica.