Do they call him King Felix because of King County or is there some other reason?
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Re: King Felix
Nope, nothing to do with King County. He was given the nickname from USS Mariner while he was still in the minors due to his projection as being a dominant MLB player and expected savior of the franchise.Member of The OS Baseball Rocket Scientists Association -
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Re: King Felix
Well you learn something new everyday!Comment
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Re: King Felix
Heh... I've never liked the nickname... He's really been more of a prince...
But this year he is looking like he might actually fulfill all of that ridiculously high potential. The main difference is his composure, which he seems to be keeping. They gave him the ball opening day to be the #1 guy (as opposed to Bedard last year) and he seems to have embraced the roll with a sense of responsibility.
The only thing I wonder is how he'll react after a few 1-0 or 2-1 losses... Because the Mariners' offense is brutal. Low run support will likely keep his win total down, and I just hope he stays focused. He clearly has some of the best stuff in the league... Just needs to learn how to battle.All ties severed...Comment
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Re: King Felix
Yeah, mentally he's matured so much compared to where he was when he came up. I was happy with the way he bounced back after giving up a 3-run lead to the Tigers and shut them down afterwards. He's toned down his velocity a little bit and is hitting his spots more often. He's becoming a pitcher and not a thrower. And he's been pitching on a sprained ankle for all but about 2 innings this year.
What most critics of him forget is that he just turned 23 a couple weeks ago...he's light years ahead of most MLB pitchers at his age.Member of The OS Baseball Rocket Scientists AssociationComment
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Re: King Felix
He's the one pitcher we have who can work out of a jam, Morrow could...but now he's a reliever. He'll give us one good inning for Lincecum's every 8. But mental toughness is something Silva n Washburn don't have.
Felix if he stays healthy will be great...he seems to get a freak injury every monthComment
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Re: King Felix
Yup, he almost went 4 innings tonight.Member of The OS Baseball Rocket Scientists AssociationComment
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Re: King Felix
See that I disagree with from a mental standpoint. I think his overwhelming talent makes that seem true. Look at a guy like Jake Peavy. At 23 he was winning an NL ERA title.
Tremendous talent, but I think the "King Felix" nickname is a bit premature, because he's hardly been a King thus far. I am just not sold yet.Last edited by bkrich83; 05-01-2009, 11:09 PM.Comment
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Re: King Felix
No arguments from me on the "King Felix" name being premature. I see three things that have been holding Felix back...
1) Mental toughness. From what I've seen this year and towards the end of last year, he's getting better. I don't see as much overthrowing of the baseball when he's in jams. His walk rates are down and his K rates are up. He's pitching now, not throwing, and that comes with maturity.
2) Nagging injuries. As mentioned earlier in the thread, he's always fighting nagging injuries, specifically sprained ankles.
3) His defense. He's at his best when he's throwing strikes and inducing groundballs at a high rate. With the exception of Beltre and Ichiro, his defense has sucked up till this season. The pitchers always get the credit or blame, but pitch to contact pitchers are only as good as their defense.
And I'd say Jake Peavy is another guy who was ahead of most MLB pitchers at the age of 23.
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