Pub. Note: The Seattle Mariners have arguably the best marketing program in all of baseball. Since Felix Hernandez’s debut with the M’s in 2005 as a fire-balling phenom out of Venezuela, he’s been the unrivaled star of the teams variety of promotional efforts—from the award-winning Copacino+Fujikado TV spots, to the precedent-setting King’s Court to a variety of bobblehead giveaways. As such, his performance (or recent lack thereof) has an impact, unlike any other player, on the team’s marketing efforts and is worthy of discussion here. Let us know how you feel about Rick’s view of the situation.
By Rick Stanton
For the first time in I can’t remember how long, it’s June and I’m not thinking about Husky football. The Seattle Mariners are relevant and on my mind. Which leads me to the elephant in the room: Felix Hernandez.
On May 24th his first-inning ERA was 12.27. And, last time out, he gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits over three innings to Tampa Bay, arguably one of the worst teams in baseball. He served up an RBI double in the first and coughed up three more in the second and two more in the third. He’s now is the proud owner of a bloated 5.70 ERA.
That means he is killing this team every five days. If this were any pitcher other than Felix, he would be out of the rotation—or pitching in Tacoma.
I think this scenario points out one of the problems with Mariner ownership: sentimentality. Sure Felix has been loyal to the M’s, but they’ve given him a semi full of money in return. It’s time to cut the cord, eat the rest of his contract and bring in someone, anyone, who can give this surprising team a chance every five days.
If you’ve ever watched any interview with a sports star, at some point you hear the statement, “It’s a business.” This fact seems to have gotten lost on the front office of our baseball club. It is, in fact a business, one supported by ever-increasing ticket prices and $10 beers. Fans deserve renewed hope, not an over-the-hill, stubborn pitcher who is pretty much toast and has lost his promotional value.
I remember a time when I could show up at the ball park about 20 minutes before a game, stretch, run about two minutes, then throw five balls from center field to home as hard as I could and I was ready to go. When I decided it was time to hang ‘em up, I’d get to the park about an hour-and-a-half-before, stretch for half an hour, play soft toss for 20 minutes and stretch some more.
I remember telling a teammate on my Miller Beer team it was time to go, and he asked me why. The answer was something I think Felix should consider. I told him that I was throwing as hard as ever, it just wasn’t getting there as fast.
There’s lots of talk about how they‘re working with Felix to change his approach, now that his fastball has lost its zip. We have ample proof that he either can’t—or won’t—make that transition. And the specter of The (erstwhile) King fuming in frustration is a damper on a team with uncommon chemistry and positivity.
Felix is untradeable because, besides his ineffectiveness on the mound, his contract is a deal-breaker; he’s living proof you should never give anyone a contract longer than three years. Especially a pitcher. And probably the most important thing is that he’s taking up a roster spot that could be used for someone who might actually help the team win a game.
If they can figure out a graceful way to say goodbye to Ichiro, they can do the same for Felix.
The King is dead, long live the Mariners’ season.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hernafe02.shtml
Update: Felix is a not-so-Kingly 6-6 with a 5.44 ERA.
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