Félix Hernández Inducted into Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Félix Hernández is forever a Mariner…

The 37-year-old Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher, nicknamed “King Félix“, was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

Hernandez walked from the bullpen as Aloe Blacc‘s song “The Man,” bellowed through the speakers. He stood on the rubber at the top of the mound, put his arms out to his side and mouthed “this is my house.”

For this night, Hernández once again commanded T-Mobile Park.

“This is not easy for me,” Hernández said, pausing during his speech. “Pitching and being there on that mound is way easier than this.”

Hernández became the 11th person to be honored by the franchise but few have a connection that runs as deep. Hernández pitched his entire 15-year career with the Mariners. He made 418 career starts, struck out 2,524 batters and threw the only perfect game in franchise history.

He was saddled with some underachieving teams during his career and his turn on the mound was one of the few reasons to regularly watch or show up.

When Hernández pitched, it was an experience. The yellow-shirted “King’s Court” was part of Hernandez’s starts at home beginning in 2011 and continuing through his last start in 2019. Fans showed up in costumes fit for royalty and chanted “K” every time there was a chance at adding another strikeout to that career total.

Those fans were back in their royal costumes and yellow shirts Saturday, and broke out a few “K” chants during his ceremony.

“I want to thank the entire Seattle Mariners organization, ownership, and staff. I’m blessed by the opportunity to play my entire career here with the Seattle Mariners,” Hernández said. “You guys took a chance on me in 2002 … out of Venezuela, just 16 years old and you stood by my side ever since.”

While the other members of the Mariners Hall of Fame in attendance — including Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. — sat in padded folding chairs, Hernández sat on the throne that was always positioned outside the King’s Court during his starts on the mound.

Hernández unsuccessfully tried to fight off tears throughout the ceremony. And he received a surprise when former teammate, regular foe and close friend Adrian Beltre made an appearance. The matchups between Beltre and Hernández were among the most entertaining in the game when they faced off as opponents.

“It’s a truly honor. The Mariners, T-Mobile Park and to Seattle, you will always be a part of my heart and my home,” Hernández said.

Felix Hernandez Signs Minor League Deal with Baltimore Orioles

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Felix Hernandez has a new deal…

The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to sign the 34-year-old Venezuelan-American veteran professional baseball pitcher, nicknamed “King Félix,” to a minor league contract.

Hernandez won an American League Cy Young Award, two ERA titles and made six MLB All-Star teams over 15 seasons with the Seattle Mariners before becoming a free agent last offseason.

Hernandez signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves and looked sharp during spring training, but he ultimately opted out of the pandemic-shortened 60-game season.

In his most recent big league action, Hernandez went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 2019. He hasn’t finished with an ERA under 4.00 since 2016, and his last All-Star appearance was in 2015. He has won 169 games and owns a 3.42 career ERA.

Hernandez could earn a rotation spot with the rebuilding Orioles, who have 2019 All-Star left-hander John Means locked in as a starter but not much else. They traded Alex Cobb to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, leaving Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer, Jorge Lopez, Wade LeBlanc, Thomas Eshelman and Bruce Zimmermann as the only returning players to start at least one game in 2020.

Baltimore has also announced it has agreed to minor league deals with infielders Seth Mejias-Brean and Malquin Canelo, right-handers Dusten Knight, Konner Wade and Spenser Watkins, and left-hander LeBlanc.

Marcell Ozuna Agrees to One-Year, $18 Million Deal with the Atlanta Braves

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Marcell Ozuna has 18-million reasons to smile…

The 29-year-old Dominican professional baseball player and free agent outfielder, nicknamed “The Big Bear,”and the Atlanta Braves have reached an $18 million, one-year deal that puts him on the team he helped beat in the playoffs last year.

Ozuna hit .429 with two home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals in their five-game win over the Braves in the National League Division Series.

Ozuna hit .241 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI last season. His low batting average was something of an oddity because he ranked among the major league leaders in the highest percentage of hard-hit balls, according to Statcast.

Ozuna is a two-time MLB All-Star who spent his first five seasons with the Miami Marlins, then was traded and played two years in St. Louis.

Ozuna’s signing leaves infielder-outfielder Nicholas Castellanos as the last remaining major free agent with spring training set to start in about three weeks.

The two-time NL East champion Braves have been busy this offseason. On Monday, they signed former AL Cy Young Award winner and longtime Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez to a minor league with an invite to big league spring training.

Felix Hernandez Signs Minor League Deal with the Atlanta Braves

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Felix Hernandezis getting a second chance…

The 33-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher, nicknamed “King Félix“, has reached a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves on Monday that includes an invite to big league spring training.

The longtime Seattle Marinersright-hander would get a $1 million, one-year contract if added to Atlanta’s 40-man roster.

Hernandez is coming off his worst season in the majors. King Felix went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 15 starts for the Mariners and lost his place in the rotation.

Hernandez was among the best and more durable pitchers in Major League Baseball for more than a decade, a stretch that included six All-Star selections and the 2010 American League Cy Young Award. He was a huge crowd favorite at Safeco Field, with fans holding up K cards in The King’s Courtto mark his many strikeouts.

The two-time NL East champion Braves hold their first workout for pitchers and catchers on February 13.

Hernández Agrees to Lucrative Seven-Year Extenstion with the Mariners

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Félix Hernández is officially the highest-paid pitcher in Major League history.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan right-handed starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners has signed a seven-year contract extension with the team.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik announced the deal with Hernández at the news conference at Safeco Field. A source confirmed to MLB.com that the basic agreement is for seven years and $175 million, with some new language written in that would protect the Mariners if Hernandez misses a season with elbow problems.

Hernández has two years and $40.5 million remaining on his existing contract, but the final two years will reportedly be replaced by the new deal, which will now extend through 2019.

“I think it’s a great thing for the Seattle Mariners and it’s a great thing for Felix Hernandez. We’re looking forward to this guy being here for a long time, obviously,” said Zduriencik.

CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees currently has the largest overall contract for a pitcher, with a seven-year, $161 million deal he signed before the 2010 season. Zack Greinke signed the highest average-annual-value deal at $24.5 million with his six-year, $147 million contract in December with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hernandez has been with the Mariners his entire Major League career and won the American League Cy Young Award in 2010. He pitched a perfect game last season while going 13-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 33 starts.

The three-time All-Star has pitched 200 or more innings in each of the past five seasons and has a career record of 98-76 with a 3.22 ERA.

Hernández Notches the Seattle Mariners’ First No History

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He’s nicknamed “King Félix”… And Félix Hernández has just logged his latest crowning achievement…

The 26-year-old Venezuelan baseball star pitched the Seattle Mariners‘ first-ever perfect game and only the 23rd one in baseball history on Wednesday as he overpowered the Tampa Bay Rays in a dazzling 1-0 victory on Wednesday.

It was the third perfect game in baseball this season— the first time in MLB history that three perfect games have been notched in the same season. Hernández’s feat joins perfect games by Chicago’s Philip Humber against the Mariners in April and San Francisco‘s Matt Cain against Houston in June. More than half of all perfect games — 12 — have come in the past 25 seasons.

“I don’t have any words to explain this,” said Hernandez to the crowd, speaking on the field after the final out. “I’ve been working so hard to throw one and today is for you guys.”

Hernández is the second player born in Latin America to throw a perfect game. Dennis Martinez, born in Nicaragua, threw a perfect game in 1991. In fact, he’s only the second player born outside of the United States to throw a perfect game

With one out to go, Sean Rodriguez got ahead 2-0 in the count. After circling the mound, Hernandez came back with two straight breaking balls for strikes and ended perfection with a called third strike on his 113th pitch.

Hernandez (11-5) threw his arms up to the sky and was mobbed by teammates at the pitcher’s mound. He embraced catcher John Jaso for a few seconds and then shared hugs with the rest of his teammates.

“It was in my mind, the whole game, it was in my mind,” Hernandez said.

The right-hander had the Rays swinging over his sharp curve all afternoon, with Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist and Carlos Pena each striking out in the eighth chasing breaking balls.

With a fastball in the mid-90s mph and an effective change, Hernandez simply wasn’t hittable.

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