PEORIA, Ariz. — Following Felix Hernandez’s 38th and final pitch of his bullpen on Friday morning — a crisp fastball in the bottom half of the strike zone that resulted in an echoing pop from the mitt of catcher Tuffy Gosewisch — the crowd of about 40-50 people watching nearby celebrated what they’d seen with a polite, but loud ovation.
Ever the entertainer, Hernandez acknowledge the clapping fans and grabbed at the bill of his hat in salute.
“A pitcher gets a standing ovation for a bullpen?” Gosewisch remarked to former Mariners pitcher Joel Pineiro, who has been in camp for a week as a guest coach.