Yanks Show "King Felix" to Be Pretender to Throne

Long ago, in baseball, there was a man named Michael Joseph Kelly, who was known as Mike Kelly or King Kelly. He helped the Chicago White Stockings -- the team that became the Cubs in 1900, and not connected to the White Sox who would be founded the next year -- win the 1880, '81, '82, '85 and '86 National League Pennants.

He was considered so good and so popular that the Boston Beaneaters -- later the Braves, now in Atlanta -- purchased his contract for $10,000, considered an insane amount of money at the time. But with all the Irish-American fans packing their ballpark, as their compatriots in Chicago had once done there, it paid off for the club.

They won the Pennant in 1891, but by that point the King was already in serious decline due to his prodigious drinking, which would end his career in 1893, just 36, and kill him the next year.

Long ago, in baseball, there was a man named Carl Hubbell, who was known as King Carl or the Meal Ticket. He helped the New York Giants win the 1933 World Series. In 1936, he began a 24-game regular-season winning streak that would carry over into the next season. In both of those years, the Giants won the Pennant, although both times they lost the Series to the Yankees, including the Yankees breaking up the streak in the '36 Series.

Not that long ago, in baseball, there was a man named Jim Leyrtiz, who was nicknamed King. But it was sarcastic, as he thought very highly of himself. Still, he had a knack for coming through in the clutch, and he did help the Yankees win 2 World Series, so it wasn't totally ridiculous.

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Today, in baseball, there is a man named Felix Hernandez, who is nicknamed King Felix. He is a highly regarded pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. The only way he's ever seen a postseason game is on television.

King, my ass.

Last night, the Yankees knocked "King" Felix on his.

Dustin Ackley led off the game with a home run off Yankee starter Hiroki Kuroda, but the Yankees got the run back in the bottom of the 1st when Robinson Cano singled home Curtis Granderson.

In the top of the 6th, the Mariners took a 2-1 lead on a home run by... Jesus Montero, whom the Yankees traded away for Michael Pineda and a minor leaguer, neither of whom will play for the Yankees this season (in Pineda's case, due to injury). Upon this homer, Yankee Fans began to grumble.

The bottom of the 6th ended that grumbling. Alex Rodriguez led off with a walk. Gee, if a pitcher is nicknamed "King," walking the leadoff man is an even worse thing than usual.

Cano then singled A-Rod over to 2nd. Mark Teixeira groundws into a force out, but it moved the runners over: 2nd & 3rd, just 1 out.

"King" Felix then struck out Nick Swisher. Now it's 2nd & 3rd, 2 outs. The grumbling got louder.

Raul Ibanez turned the grumbles to cheers with a home run into the right field stands, his 6th homer of the season. 4-2 Yanks.

Andruw Jones added his 4th homer to center in the 8th. Between them, Clay Rapada, Cory Wade, Boone Logan and David Robertson got the last 6 outs.

Yankees 6, Mariners 2. WP: Kuroda (3-4). LP: Hernandez (3-2).

The series continues today at 4:00, a Fox Game of the Week.