BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Félix Abraham Hernández García (born April 8, 1986), nicknamed "King Félix", is a Venezuelan professional baseball starting pitcher for theSeattle Mariners of Major League Baseball.
Hernández throws a fastball between 92–95 mph,[1] although he does not rely entirely on overpowering velocity. Instead he often uses a two-seam fastball, which comes in just a bit slower but with more movement and sink as it approaches the batter. His repertoire of pitches also includes a hardcurve, a power change-up, and a slider, all of which he can throw extremely well (he avoided the slider early in his career because the team was concerned it might injure his arm). When at his best, Hernández can induce a steady procession of groundball outs and strikeouts, with very few balls being hit in the air.[2]
Like some other pitchers, Hernández wears a long-sleeved undershirt beneath his uniform jersey. While typically this is done to keep the pitcher's arm from getting chilled, Hernández wears it even in the hottest weather. For him it serves to keep perspiration from running down his arms and interfering with his hand's grip on the baseball.[3]
On August 15, 2012, he threw the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball history against the Tampa Bay Rays in a 1–0 victory at Safeco Field.[4]
Early life
Discovery as a prospect
Hernández was born in Valencia, Venezuela. He was first spotted by Luis Fuenmayor, a part-time Mariners scout who saw him pitching at age 14 in a tournament near Maracaibo, Venezuela. Fuenmayor recommended Hernández to fellow scouts Pedro Avila and Emilio Carrasquel, who were impressed with the youngster who could already throw 90 mph. The Mariners signed Hernandez as soon as he turned 16, in accordance with MLB rules.[5]
After graduating from high school, Hernández finally agreed to his first professional contract. Mariners director of international operations Bob Engle signed Hernández as a nondrafted free agent on July 4, 2002. Hernández received a large signing bonus of $710,000, although he said the Mariners were not the highest bidder.[6] Other teams trying to sign him included the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, and the Houston Astros, with the Braves reportedly offering the most money.[citation needed]
One reason Hernández chose the Mariners is because his idol, fellow Venezuelan pitcher Freddy García, was pitching for the team at the time. His agent, Wil Polidor, also attributed the decision to the influence of Hernández's father Félix Sr., a trucking business owner who handled negotiations for his son. Engle and the other Mariners scouts had cultivated a relationship with the family to explain their plans for Félix and earn the family's trust.[7]
Professional career
Minor league career
The following year, Hernández came to the United States and began pitching in the Mariners' minor league system. In 2003, Hernández tore through Class-A with a 7–2 mark in Everett andWisconsin. Returning to his native Venezuela to pitch in the winter league there, he held his own at 17 years of age against competition that included established major league players.
Hernández was named the Mariners' minor league pitcher of the year in 2004, a season that also saw him make an appearance in the Futures Game. He started with Inland Empire in theCalifornia League, before being promoted to Double-A San Antonio, and finished a combined 14–4 with a 2.95 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 1491⁄3 innings pitched.
At the beginning of 2005, Baseball America listed him as the No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball and No. 2 overall behind Joe Mauer. Hernández continued his success in 2005 with the Triple-ATacoma Rainiers in the Pacific Coast League, posting a 9–4 record with a league-leading 2.25 ERA and 100 strikeouts in just 88 innings. He was selected for the Triple-A All-Star Game but did not participate as he spent a month on the disabled list with shoulder bursitis. He was also named PCL Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.
Seattle Mariners (2005-present)
Major league debut, 2005
Soon after returning from his injury, Hernández was called up to the major leagues by the Mariners. He made his debut on August 4, 2005, in a 3–1 loss in a road game against the Detroit Tigers. At 19 years, 118 days, he was the youngest pitcher to appear in the major leagues since José Rijo in 1984.[8] Hernández earned his first major league win in his next outing on August 9, 2005, pitching eight shutout innings in a 1–0 victory at home over the Minnesota Twins. Over his first several starts, he registered a streak of 112 batters faced before he allowed his first extra-base hit, adouble by Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox.
In 12 starts, Hernández posted a 4–4 record with 77 strikeouts and a 2.67 ERA. With 841⁄3 innings pitched, he exhausted his rookie eligibility. After the season, he became the focus of a disagreement over the possibility of his pitching in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Although Hernández was placed on a provisional roster by his native Venezuela, the Mariners objected, citing his earlier injury and expressing concern about the stress on his arm from adding this competition to the demands of a full season in the major leagues at such a young age. Their appeal to the WBC technical committee was eventually upheld.[citation needed]
When he arrived in the major leagues, Hernández was given uniform number 59. In 2006, he switched to number 34, the same number Freddy García (since traded to the Chicago White Sox) had worn as a Mariner.
First full season, 2006
For his first full year in the major leagues, Hernández arrived in spring training out of shape and had his preparation for the season interrupted by shin splints. He recovered in time to begin the season in the starting rotation, where he often struggled, but occasionally showed flashes of the potential that had generated such hype. His achievements included a few more personal milestones. He threw his first career complete game on June 11, beating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by a score of 6–2.
On August 28, once more against the Angels, Hernández registered his first shutout, needing only 95 pitches and allowing five hits while picking up four strikeouts. The game, which lasted only 1 hour, 51 minutes, was the shortest in the history of Safeco Field.
Concerned about avoiding possible injury to their young pitcher, the Mariners declared that they would limit the number of innings Hernández pitched to 200 (counting both the regular season and spring training). This required them to skip his turn in the rotation a couple times as the season went on, after the Mariners fell out of contention. To allow him to make one last start at the end of the year, the team decided to raise the limit to 205. His 191 regular-season innings were still the most on the team, and he finished 12–14 with a 4.52 ERA. His 12 victories and 176 strikeouts also led the Mariner pitching staff. He also threw the fastest fastball of all major league starters in 2006, averaging 95.2 miles per hour.[9]
During the offseason, Hernández returned to his parents' home in a modest Valencia neighborhood, while awaiting completion of a house for himself, his girlfriend and daughter. At the team's insistence, he did not pitch in the Venezuelan winter league, unlike his older brother Moises, a pitching prospect trying to crack the majors with the Atlanta Braves.[10] A Seattle Times profile of his life in Venezuela, with its relaxed daily routine, raised eyebrows among those who remained concerned about his conditioning.[11] The team later explained that he had been specifically instructed to rest for two weeks after the season. He then picked up a workout regimen, including an improved diet, daily running, and regular weight training, to lose about 20 pounds. This put Hernández in much better physical condition upon his return to the United States in January, when he began a throwing program in advance of spring training.[12]
2007 season
Based on his improved condition and a successful spring training, the Mariners indicated that in 2007 they would no longer limit the number of innings Hernández could pitch, focusing instead onpitch counts to avoid overuse. Hernández won the honor of being named the team's Opening Day starter. He became the youngest pitcher chosen for this assignment since Dwight Gooden in 1985. He pitched eight innings of a 4–0 victory over the Oakland A's, allowing three hits and two walks while setting a career high with 12 strikeouts.
Hernández thrust himself into the national spotlight with his next start on April 11 against the Boston Red Sox, a much-hyped duel with Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was making his home debut at Fenway Park. Hernández lived up to his end and upstaged the matchup of Matsuzaka pitching to his countryman, Ichiro Suzuki, by hurling no-hit ball for seven innings, finishing with a one-hit, complete game shutout in a 3–0 victory.[13]
During the first inning of his next start against Minnesota he was removed from the game because of increasing tightness in his right elbow, especially when throwing his slider. After undergoing anMRI exam that night, he was examined the next day and was diagnosed with a strained flexor-pronator muscle in his forearm and was placed on the disabled list. Two planned returns were put off as the team took a cautious approach in bringing him back, although it opted not to send him to the minor leagues for a rehabilitation assignment. Instead he was activated on May 15 and kept on a reduced pitch count initially.
Upon his return, Hernández initially battled to regain the form he had flashed in those first two starts of the year. Hernández finished the season with a 14–7 record. His victory over the New York Yankees on September 3, in his first appearance at Yankee Stadium, stopped a nine-game Mariner losing streak, but was not enough to keep the team from falling out of playoff contention. His 3.92 ERA for the season was the best among the team's starters, and he again led the Mariners in strikeouts with 165. He again threw the fastest fastball of all major league starters in 2007, averaging 95.6 miles per hour.[9]
2008 season
On June 17, Hernández became the thirteenth AL pitcher ever to throw an "immaculate inning" (striking out the side on exactly nine pitches). On June 23, in his only at bat of the season, Hernández hit his first major league home run, a grand slam, off Johan Santana of the New York Mets.[14] Hernández became the first American League pitcher to hit a grand slam since Cleveland's Steve Dunning hit one on May 11, 1971, and was the first to do so since interleague play and the DH rule began. It was also the first home run ever hit by a Mariners pitcher. Later on in the same game, Carlos Beltran slid into Hernández as he covered home, injuring the pitcher's left ankle. He was forced to leave the ballgame and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He finished the season with a 4.000 slugging percentage.
Hernández finished the season with a 9–11 record posting 3.45 ERA and 175 strikeouts. He also threw the fastest fastball of all AL starters in 2008, averaging 94.6 miles per hour.[15]
2009 season
In January, Hernández avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year, $3.8 million deal.[16] Hernández got off to a fast start, starting the season with a 4–0 record, only to fall cold in May, going 1–3. After a particularly sloppy loss against the Anaheim Angels, manager Don Wakamatsu publicly called him out for not "stepping up" as an ace.[citation needed] Hernández would go on to lose just two games during the rest of the year.
On June 19 against San Diego, Hernández threw a complete game, two-hit shutout against the Padres. This was his first complete game of the season and one of his best starts of his career. His sizzling performance in June (3–0 record, 0.93 ERA, 35 strikeouts) would earn him the AL Pitcher of the Month award for June, and on July 5, 2009, Hernández was selected along with outfielderIchiro Suzuki as the Mariners representatives in the 2009 MLB All Star Game.[17] He made the first All-Star appearance of his career in the sixth inning, tossing a hitless inning.
By the All-Star break, Hernández was 9–3 with a 2.53 ERA while striking out 122 batters in 1242⁄3 innings pitched. At the age of 23 years old, he became one of the youngest and fastest pitchers to strikeout 600 batters since Dwight Gooden. He would reach 800 strikeouts by season's end.
During the 2009 season, Hernández set career highs in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and earned run average. Hernández finished the season 19–5 with a 2.49 ERA and 217 strikeouts and was in strong contention for the AL Cy Young Award. Hernández ended up finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind Zack Greinke.
2010: Cy Young Award season
On January 21, 2010, the Seattle Mariners and Hernández agreed to a 5-year contract extension worth about $78 million, which added to the involved offseason in which the Mariners traded for Cliff Lee and Milton Bradley. On June 3, 2010, Hernández struck out four batters in one inning. He did so by striking out Joe Mauer on a wild pitch before striking out Justin Morneau. He was the third Mariner to accomplish this feat.
On August 25, 2010, Hernández struck out David Ortiz to record his 1,000th career strikeout. He became the 3rd youngest pitcher to do so since 1952, behind Bert Blyleven and Dwight Gooden, and also the 4th overall, behind Bob Feller.
Hernández faced the Rangers on September 17, 2010 and was working on a no-hitter until Nelson Cruz broke it up with a home run in the eighth inning. In his next start, he threw a complete game two-hitter in Toronto, surrendering only one run on Jose Bautista's 50th home run of the year in the first inning. The Mariners offense, however, was shut out by Blue Jays pitching and Hernández was dealt his twelfth loss of the season. Ten of Hernández's twelve losses were in games where the Mariners were shut out or scored only one run, and four other times, the bullpen blew a lead Hernandez turned over to them.
Despite the lackluster win-loss record, Hernández won the 2010 American League Cy Young Award on the strength of all of his other stats, leading the league in ERA, innings pitched, innings per start, quality starts, fewest hits per nine innings, and placing second in strikeouts, walks and hits per nine innings, and complete games, while facing the most batters in the league.[18] Hernández finished the season 13–12 with a 2.27 ERA, 232 Ks, and 2492⁄3 innings pitched. His 13 wins were the fewest by a starting pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season (Fernando Valenzuela won the award with 13 wins in a strike-shortened season). He was also named theSporting News AL Pitcher of the Year, and was nominated for the This Year in Baseball Award.[19] The Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards named him its AL Cy Young Winner.[20]
2011 season
On May 28, 2011, a special cheering section for Hernández, dubbed the "King's Court", debuted[21] in Section 150 on the foul territory side of the left field foul pole. The section was also available at the rest of Hernández's home starts in 2011. It was the creation of the Mariners marketing team. Fans could buy discounted seats in the section, along with a yellow "King Félix" t-shirt and a yellow placard with a "K" (to aid in cheering for strikeouts by Hernández).[22]
In 2011 Hernández was selected to the American League All Star Team for the second time. He represented the Mariners alongside rookie starter Michael Pineda and closer Brandon League.
On August 31, 2011, Hernández struck out nine batters, giving him 204 strikeouts to that point in the season. It marked the third straight season in which he reached 200+ strikeouts. The only other pitchers to have three 200-K seasons at 25 or younger over the last 20 years are Kerry Wood and Yovani Gallardo. Wood did it in 1998, 2001 and 2002. Gallardo did it in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
2012 season
Hernández was selected for his third All-Star Game on July 1. He did not pitch in the July 3 game after AL Team manager, Ron Washington, stated Hernández's 113 pitches thrown on July 1 was the deciding factor.[23] Hernández pitched his third shutout over his past eight starts when he recorded a 1–0 win over the Yankees on August 4. He gave up two hits and won his sixth decision in a row, the third-longest stretch of his career.[24]
Main article: Félix Hernández's perfect game
On August 15, Hernández threw the first perfect game in Mariners history and 23rd in MLB history. He recorded 12 strikeouts, five of which were in the last two innings, against the Tampa Bay Rays in a 1–0 victory.[4] It was the fourth no-hitter in team history and Hernández joined Randy Johnson and Chris Bosio as the only Mariners pitchers to throw individual no-hitters.[25]
2013 season
On February 13, 2013, Hernández signed a seven-year extension with the Mariners worth $175 million, voiding the final two years of his previous deal and including a team option for 2020.[26] The contract made him the highest paid pitcher in Major League history, until he was surpassed by the $180 million extension signed by Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers in March 2013.[27] On April 22 in a 7–1 win against the Houston Astros, Hernández recorded his 100th career win. In that game Hernández pitched six innings allowed five hits, walked one and struck out nine. On July 6, 2013, Hernández was selected to his fourth All-star game. He pitched in the fourth inning, and let up one hit, but no runs were scored. Hernández had a bad August, going 1–4 with a 5.82 ERA and a .281 OBA. He made only 3 starts in September while trying to rest his oblique. In 31 starts in 2013, Hernandez went 12–10 with a 3.04 ERA and 22 quality starts, striking out 216 in 2041⁄3 innings. He was 5th in the American League in strikeouts, and 6th in ERA.
On October 19, 2013, Carlos Peguero's wife Maria was charged with three counts of wire fraud after allegedly making $180,000 in online purchases with the debit card belonging to Hernandez's wife. Carlos Peguero told investigators he was unware of any fraudulent purchases, believing his wife's brother worked for Saks Fifth Avenue, with whom the fraudulent purchases were made. Carlos is not a target of the investigation.
International career
Hernández represented his native Venezuela in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In his first outing, he pitched four innings in relief, surrendering only one hit while not allowing a run. In his next game, Hernández shut out Puerto Rico over 42⁄3 innings.
Personal life
Hernández is a spokesman for the Seattle King County Humane Society. He has two puppies of his own, named King and Oreo. Hernández is also the Seattle Mariners Ambassador for the Pepsi Refresh Project, raising money for the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.[28]
Pitching style
Hernández has been known to throw a sinker, a slider, a changeup and a curveball, and an occasional cut fastball. His fastball no longer reaches the 100 mph range as it did when he first broke into the league, but he has become a much craftier and more efficient pitcher over the years.[29] In 2013, Hernández's four-seam fastball averaged about 91–93 mph; his sinker at 90–92 mph; his slider at 83–86 mph; his curve at 79–82 mph; the changeup at 88–90 mph; and his cutter at 88–91 mph.[30] The changeup was his most commonly used two-strike pitch,[31] and had the highestwhiff rate of his pitches, at 42%.[32]
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