TACOMA, Wash. -- The last time Felix Hernandez took the mound for the Tacoma Rainiers at Cheney Stadium, the date was July 30, 2005. His Triple-A teammates included Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Snelling and Greg Dobbs. He dominated Omaha with four no-hit innings, striking out seven and making his Major League debut four days later in Detroit.
Hernandez was a 19-year-old wunderkind from Venezuela back then, the man who would be King. He had a boundless future with the Mariners. He had pizazz on the mound. He had an overflowing head full of long, curly hair.