Pedro Feliciano

Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina (August 25, 1976 – November 8, 2021) was a Puerto Rican baseball pitcher who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Perpetual Pedro",[1] he played for the New York Mets from 2002 to 2004, from 2006 to 2010, and in 2013, as well as in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 2005.

Pedro Feliciano
Feliciano with the New York Mets in 2009
Relief pitcher
Born: (1976-08-25)August 25, 1976
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Died: November 8, 2021(2021-11-08) (aged 45)
Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Professional debut
MLB: September 4, 2002, for the New York Mets
NPB: April 17, 2005, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
Last appearance
NPB: September 21, 2005, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
MLB: September 28, 2013, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Win–loss record22–21
Earned run average3.33
Strikeouts350
NPB statistics
Win–loss record3–2
Earned run average3.89
Strikeouts36
Teams

Early life

Feliciano was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, on August 25, 1976. He graduated from Jose S. Algeria High School in Dorado, Puerto Rico. He was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 31st round of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft.[2]

Professional career

Early career

Feliciano played seven seasons in the minor leagues from 1995 to 2002. He began his professional career with the Great Falls Dodgers in the Pioneer League.[3] After four years in the Rookie and Class A leagues,[3] he suffered a shoulder injury in 1999 which prevented him from playing all season.[4] He returned in 2000, pitching at the AA level, with one inning for the AAA Albuquerque Dukes. In 2001, he struggled in AAA after pitching well in AA.[3] After six years of service in the minor leagues without promotion to the Majors, he became a free agent.[2]

Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers (2002)

Feliciano signed with the Cincinnati Reds for the 2002 season, but was traded to the New York Mets in August along with Brady Clark for Shawn Estes.[2] He made his MLB debut on September 4, 2002,[2] pitching two scoreless innings of relief without giving up a hit and striking out two in an 11–3 win over the Florida Marlins.[5] The Mets designated Feliciano for assignment to make room on their 40-man roster following the conclusion of the 2002 season, and he was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers on October 11. Two months later on December 16, the Tigers released Feliciano.[2]

Second stint with New York Mets (2003–2004)

The Mets re-signed Feliciano to a minor league contract on April 3, 2003.[2] Over the course of the next two seasons, he had mixed success with the Mets, being recalled from and optioned to the AAA Norfolk Tides several times in 2003 and 2004.[3]

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2005)

The Mets sold Feliciano's contract to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League on January 24, 2005. He spent the entire season with the Hawks, compiling a 3–2 win–loss record, a 3.89 earned run average (ERA), and 36 strikeouts over 37 innings pitched.[3]

Third stint with the New York Mets (2006–2010)
Feliciano with the Mets in 2009.

Feliciano began his third stint with the Mets when he was re-signed on February 28, 2006,[2] a couple of weeks after the beginning of spring training. He initially started the season with the Norfolk Tides to make up for the time he had missed in spring training,[3] but he was recalled on April 17 and became a permanent fixture in the Mets bullpen as a left-handed specialist.[6] He recorded his first major league save against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 30, 2007.[2][7] He operated in the bullpen as the Mets' primary situational left-hander in 2008 and 2009.[8]

Feliciano led the league in games pitched from 2008 to 2010.[2] In 58 of those games in 2008, the greatest number in the majors, he recorded fewer than three outs. He also led MLB that year in days pitched on zero days rest (36).[9] His 92 appearances in 2010 was the fourth-most in major league history.[4] In that same year, he passed Tom Seaver in games pitched for the Mets with 459.[10][11] He ultimately made 344 relief appearances from 2007 to 2010, the most in major league history over four consecutive seasons.[12][13] At the time of his death, Feliciano's 484 games pitched for the franchise was second all-time to John Franco (695).[14]

New York Yankees (2011–2012)

On January 3, 2011, Feliciano signed a two-year deal worth approximately $8 million with the New York Yankees.[15][16] Early in the 2011 season, Feliciano began to experience soreness in his left shoulder and was placed on the disabled list. On April 25, orthopedist James Andrews recommended a six-week strengthening program for Feliciano. The Yankees front office revealed that the reason behind Feliciano's injury was that the Mets had overused him in the previous few years. It was eventually revealed that Feliciano had a torn anterior capsule and rotator cuff in his left shoulder, which required surgery, and ended his 2011 season.[17][18]

Feliciano began the 2012 season on the 60-day disabled list in an effort to continue recovering from his shoulder surgery from the previous year. Late in the 2012 season between August and September, Feliciano was issued to rehab at the Double-A Trenton Thunder.[19] Feliciano ultimately failed to make an appearance with the Yankees for the entire 2012 year. After the season, his contract expired, and he left the Yankees without throwing a single pitch for the team.[18]

Fourth stint with the New York Mets (2013)

Feliciano signed a minor league deal with the Mets on January 21, 2013.[2][20] He eventually made his first appearance of the season on August 2 with the Mets against the Kansas City Royals and induced a ground out from Alex Gordon in the top of the 9th inning.[21]

Cubs and Cardinals (2014–2015)

Feliciano signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on May 25, 2014.[2][22] He later signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on February 4 the following year.[23]

Personal life

Feliciano was married to Wanda.[24] Together, they had two children.[8]

Feliciano was diagnosed with left ventricular noncompaction,[25] a rare genetic heart condition, in 2013.[14] He died on November 8, 2021, at his home in Puerto Rico.[25] He was 45 years old.[14][26]

References
  1. Mayer, Michael (January 4, 2020). "Appreciating Perpetual Pedro". Mets-merized Online. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  2. "Pedro Feliciano Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  3. "Pedro Feliciano Minor, Winter & Japanese Leagues Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  4. Shpigel, Ben (March 26, 2011). "Yankees' Feliciano Faces His First Trip to the Disabled List". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  5. "September 4, 2002 Florida Marlins at New York Mets Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 4, 2002. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  6. "50-Game Ban for Mets' Minor Leaguer". The New York Times. April 29, 2006. Retrieved November 9, 2021. [Iriki] was removed from the roster on April 17 to make room for the left-hander Pedro Feliciano.
  7. "Pedro Feliciano 2007 Pitching Game Logs". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  8. Shpigel, Ben (September 20, 2009). "Feliciano, With Low Profile, Stands Out as Mets Survivor". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  9. "2008 Major League Baseball Relief Pitching". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  10. Prince, Greg W. (December 10, 2010). "Now It's the Mets Who Risk a Longtime Player's Exit". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  11. "Pedro Feliciano Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  12. "Yankees GM: Mets 'abused' Feliciano". The Boston Globe. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  13. Noble, Marty (February 19, 2013). "Special delivery: Feliciano back in familiar place". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  14. DiComo, Anthony (November 8, 2021). "Former Mets lefty Pedro Feliciano dies at 45". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  15. Gonzalez, Alden (December 17, 2010). "Yanks set to sign southpaw Feliciano". New York Yankees. Archived from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  16. Jennings, Chad (January 3, 2011). "Yankees make it official with Feliciano". The LoHud Yankees Blog. Archived from the original on January 7, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  17. Carig, Marc (September 15, 2011). "Yankees' Pedro Feliciano undergoes rotator cuff surgery". NJ.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  18. Waldstein, David (January 21, 2013). "Feliciano Is Returning to the Mets". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  19. Hoch, Bryan; Miller, Steven (August 12, 2012). "Feliciano's next stop is Trenton on road to NY". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  20. Links, Zach (January 21, 2013). "Mets Sign Pedro Feliciano". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  21. Phillips, Mike (October 24, 2013). "Mets 101 Player Review Series: Pedro Feliciano". Sports Media 101. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  22. Creech, Ed (May 25, 2014). "Minor Moves: Feliciano, Falu, Sandoval, Gimenez". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  23. "Pedro Feliciano signs deal with Cubs organization". CBS Sports. February 4, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  24. Botte, Peter (January 21, 2013). "Mets' Pedro Feliciano celebrates greatest gift of all – a healthy daughter". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
  25. "Ex-Met lefty Feliciano, led MLB 3 times in games, dies at 45". Associated Press. November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  26. Rosenstein, Mike (November 8, 2021). "Ex-Mets, Yankees reliever Pedro Feliciano dead at 45 (UPDATE)". NJ.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
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