Félix Hernández going into Mariners Hall of Fame in August
Jan 11, 2023, 11:39 AM
Félix Hernández acknowledges the Mariners fans as he comes out of his last game on Sept. 26, 2019. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
The Mariners will hold a celebration fit for a king this August – King Félix, to be exact.
Félix Hernández, Seattle’s longtime ace who spent his entire 15-year MLB career with the team, will be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 12 before a game against the Baltimore Orioles, the team announced Wednesday. A full weekend of events during the three-game set with the O’s from Aug. 11-13 will be held as part of the celebration.
Hernández will become the 11th member of the Mariners Hall of Fame, joining Alvin Davis, Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., Lou Piniella, Jamie Moyer and Ichiro Suzuki.
Long live the King!
This August, @RealKingFelix becomes the 11th member of the Mariners Hall of Fame.
👑 https://t.co/Y0KNQu0CVA 👑 pic.twitter.com/hradaXEOLg
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) January 11, 2023
The 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner, Hernández could be considered the greatest right-handed pitcher in Mariners history. He made six All-Star teams in a seven-year span, and the only season during that time period that he wasn’t named to the AL All-Star team was the year in which he won the Cy Young.
He twice led the AL in ERA (2010 and 2014), became the fourth-youngest pitcher to throw 2,000 career strikeouts when he did so at 29 years old in 2015, and threw the only perfect game in Mariners history on Aug. 15, 2012 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hernández became a beloved figure during his playing career among the Mariners fan base, who would turn out to pack a section dubbed “The King’s Court” for each of his starts.
While the M’s never made the playoffs during his career, he was bestowed the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of Seattle’s AL Division Series against the Houston Astros last October, which was the first postseason game held at T-Mobile Park since 2001. Needless to say, the sold-out crowd went crazy for his return to the ballpark.
“Fans were captivated by Félix from his first start in 2005 until his final pitch in 2019 with every game of his career in a Mariner uniform,” said John Stanton, Seattle Mariners chairman and managing partner, in a press release. “He cemented his place in Mariners history with our only perfect game on August 15, 2012 – a day our fans will never forget. Félix provided thousands of unforgettable memories throughout his 418 starts, including winning the 2010 Cy Young Award and his improbable 2008 grand slam home run to beat the Mets. His induction into the Mariners Hall of Fame in August – 10 years after his perfect game – symbolizes Félix’s permanent place in the Mariners family and our history.”
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