On August 15, 2012, Felix Hernandez achieved baseball
immortality. He struck out 12 Rays, the last of whom was Sean Rodriguez. That
last punch out put an exclamation point on a perfect afternoon. Felix spun off
the mound, pointing to the sky in what has become an iconic moment in Mariners
history.
Nearly six years later, we were reminded of Felix’s
mortality. On August 7, 2018, Felix went six innings, giving up 11 runs, 7 of
them earned. He struck out only 2 batters.
Felix broke into the Major Leagues in 2005, when he started 12
games for the Mariners. He struck out 77 batters, and was almost instantly
crowned the King, and the one who would lead the Mariners to the promised land.
Back in 2005, the playoff drought that is continuing to this day, could be chalked
up to a few rough seasons. But, with a bona fide ace, it seemed that October
baseball would return to Safeco.
In the years that followed, Felix went out every five days
and more often than not, turned in a great game. He consistently averaged 8 strikeouts per
nine innings. He threw a perfect game, won a Cy Young Award, and went to six All-Star
games.
In the meantime, the Mariners were sometimes dismal,
sometimes missing out on the playoffs by only a few games. No matter, Felix
soldiered on. He declared that Seattle was his city. He never chased a ring,
never left. He was loyal to a franchise that seemed content to ride out on the
memories of 1995 and 2001.
All of this made the events of last night that much harder
to take. Felix has no doubt struggled this year, but of all nights, this was
the night where he seemed done. The velocity wasn’t there, the touch wasn’t
there (he walked four). Afterwards, Felix looked distraught. His magic arm had let
him down.
Now, this isn’t the end of Felix, but it may be the end of
Felix as we know him. Felix may not be the power pitcher that he was, but if he
can find his touch, learn to paint the corners, he may yet contribute to the rotation. Life is, after all, about reinvention.
Felix is a year younger than I am, and I have already
reinvented myself. I used to work in radio news, found that I did not enjoy
that, and became a teacher. My current career is much more rewarding, and I am
much happier than I was.
Sports does this, though not intentionally. Players come and
go, they get replaced. Even the ones that steal your heart, that throw perfect
games, that seem to transcend the game. They all get brought down to Earth, and
eventually replaced. Consider that the Mariners have been playing baseball for
over 40 years. Each year, the roster is tinkered with, players come and go. There
is constant replacement in order to achieve the current year’s roster.
And so, we will be replaced as well. It’s just that for most
of us, we have longer careers than your typical baseball player. Hopefully, we
will stay in our current job and profession longer than a baseball player will.
But even still, we come and go. There was an English teacher at my current
school before me, there will be one after me.
Even if we are at a place for a long time, the ability to do
things exactly the same year in and year out is slim. Each year presents unique
challenges. Changes in technology necessitate a change in approach. If you can’t
make the changes, you may find yourself being replaced sooner than you wish.
This is what faces Felix Hernandez. He is once more
presented with a challenge. He may not be the pitcher he once was. He may not power
past hitters. He may never achieve perfection again. But, he may be able to
capture a different sort of magic and remain a major part of the Mariners this
year and next.
Personally, I don’t believe that The King is dead. But, he
must reinvent himself to stave off mortality for a bit longer.
It’s all anyone
can ask.
