Cy Felix

Few nicknames truly fit the player they're given to. Even fewer players exceed the hype bestowed on them. Phenoms are one of the most interesting dynamics about sports to me. I love when a player has the weight of the world lumped on them and then rises up to the challenge and proceeds to smash even the highest ceiling predicted as a rookie.

Ace pitcher Felix Hernandez is unbelievably fantastic. The nickname "King Felix" was bestowed upon him as an 18 year old rookie and ever since that day, the 'King' has ruled.

Hernandez, at the age of 24 is finishing his sixth Major League season and he has the brightest future of any pitcher in baseball. Unfortunately, few really understand this because he plays for the unbelievably horrible Seattle Mariners.

Over the years, in all sports, great talents get lost on hapless teams. Barry Sanders on the Detroit Lions. Dan Marino with the Miami Dolphins. Patrick Ewing in New York. Even Hernandez's current teammate Ichiro suffers the same fate.

Felix is just the latest victim of circumstance. The man cannot get any love from his "offense". In his 12 losses, the Mariners have scored a total of eight runs while he was on the mound -- and no runs in his last five losses since mid-July. Are you kidding me?

Many people in the mainstream media will point out CC Sabathia (21-7) or David Price (19-6) as the American League Cy Young favorites because their team's made the playoffs and those two led them there. This is true but how can you deny Hernandez (13-12) just because he has six less wins than Price and eight less than Sabathia?

Felix is a pitcher. The Cy Young award is presented each year to the best pitcher, not the guy who can accumulate the most wins and playoff berth.

Math was never my strong suit but I'm pretty sure these numbers are untouchable:

232 Strikeouts; 2.27 Earn Run Average; 1.06 WHIP (Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched)

Those insanely great numbers are all rank first in their respective pitching categories. If that doesn't somehow convince you; how about this?

Hernandez has pitched at least seven innings in 25 consecutive starts, a Mariners record, and is only the seventh pitcher in the majors since 1980 with 30 quality starts (three earned runs or fewer while pitching at least six innings).

That means he gives the Mariners a high chance to win every time he takes the mound but the Mariners hitters steal his glory practically every start.

Hernandez finished second in AL Cy Young voting last year and his numbers were almost better than this year. The first line of numbers are Hernandez's 2009 stats and the following set is 2009's winning numbers by Kansas City's Zack Greinke:

19-5 W-L; 217 SO; 2.49 ERA; 1.13 WHIP

16-8 W-L; 242 SO; 2.16 ERA; 1.06 WHIP

The point is that Hernandez had great numbers last year and he was denied by a pitcher with better numbers but a worse win/loss record. So if the Cy Young voters are sticking to the same criteria, they cannot deny Hernandez the award this time around.

This Sunday the Mariners close up their season at home against the Oakland Athletics and guess who wants the ball? Instead of Fan Appreciation Night, the Mariners should reconsider and rename it Felix Appreciation Night.

Long live King Felix.