Félix Hernández

Félix Abraham Hernández García (born April 8, 1986), nicknamed "King Félix", is a Venezuelan professional baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2005.

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. It was also the first perfect game in Seattle Mariners franchise history.

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 Seattle Mariners signed Hernandez as soon as he turned 16, in accordance with MLB rules.

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. 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.