King Felix named to sixth All-Star Game, setting Mariners' record
Felix Hernandez really IS a king. On Monday, the Seattle Mariners' ace was named to his sixth All-Star Game, passing Randy Johnson as the most-elected pitcher in Mariner club history.
Hernandez joins slugger Nelson Cruz on the AL's roster for the game, set for Tuesday, July 14 at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park. Cruz won the popular vote for the designated hitter position, beating out Kendrys Morales of the Kansas City Royals.
Despite All-Star nods essentially becoming a routine thing for Hernandez, he told MLB.com's Greg Johns that he still appreciates the honor: "It's always special. An All-Star is one of those things everybody wants to be. Every year, it's an honor."
Felix is set to make his final first half start on Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels, which should leave him available for the All-Star Game. As he said to Johns regarding that: "I think I'll be able to pitch. I'll be fine. I'll be ready. I'll go through my normal routine, play catch [on the weekend] and then be ready for an inning or two."
So far in 2015, Hernandez is 10-5 with a 3.02 for a Mariners squad still looking to make good on the promise many saw from them prior to the season.
With his All-Star nod, Hernandez is now fourth on the Mariners' all-time list with his six selections. Ken Griffey, Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki lead with ten selections each, while Edgar Martinez appeared on seven All-Star rosters himself.