Post-perfect: Jack Z vows he won’t trade Felix
Aug 16, 2012, 3:25 PM | Updated: Aug 17, 2012, 6:26 am
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik vows he won’t trade Felix Hernandez despite all the ongoing interest (AP) |
After Felix Hernandez tossed his perfect game Wednesday against Tampa, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik got plenty of calls. While all were congratulatory, some once again tried to lure him into a trade for the M’s ace. But despite all the joking, Zduriencik is dead serious about one thing. Felix isn’t going anywhere.
“You have to have a number one when you want to get to where you want to get to. And that is the reason people will make a phone call simply because that is what they desire to have,” Zduriencik told The Kevin Calabro Show.
“We relish him, we signed him to a nice deal not long ago. Certainly we’ll see where we go with this thing going forward but he wants to be here. We want him here,” Zduriencik said.
The GM pointed to the celebration on the field that followed the perfect game as proof positive the team continues going in the right direction and is building a solid foundation for the future.
“It said more not of the accomplishment that Felix Hernandez had yesterday, which was spectacular, but it was about the true love for the guy, for the person that accomplished that,” he said.
The GM said that also makes Felix so attractive to other teams. And he admits he’s a little taken aback some guys won’t give up asking for the pitcher regardless of how many times he says no.
“I’ve been hit with this question every time I go to certain cities where some people think they have a right to this player. I don’t get it. He’s our guy, we’re going to keep him,” he said.
Zduriencik vowed to keep doing all he can to build a playoff caliber team so fans can enjoy more afternoons like Wednesday.
“We want to do this thing for this city. The players feel that way, the coaches feel that way. Our goal and our desire is to satisfy our fans for all they’ve been through all these years. We sincerely want to bring them a winner so they can enjoy moments like yesterday,” he vowed.
And you can count on Felix leading the way.