"Tommy was the one who told me," Hershiser said. "They let Tommy deliver the news back in the clubhouse, in the medical room where he took me right after that outing. He kind of pretty much never said 'Orel, you're released.' He just said, 'Don't you think it's time?' And we agreed, and cried. You know, it was hard.

"This was the last place I sat, and had my head back on the cement [wall]. And I could feel the coldness of the cement of Dodger Stadium, knowing this was it. It was over. But it was great, because the fans gave me a standing ovation, they knew how bad I pitched, but they respected [me]. They knew it was over too. It's pretty good when thousands of people understand that you were really bad, but we respect you enough to do a standing ovation."