The cheers that erupted after Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez became the 23rd pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game reverberated far beyond the pitcher-friendly confines of Safeco Field on Wednesday. Thanks to both familial and minor league affiliations, the second-most raucous reaction to the perfecto may have actually been in Jackson, Tenn. at Pringles Park.
Moises Hernandez, the older brother of the Mariners' ace, was warming up with his Jackson Generals teammates as Felix's masterpiece played out on the Jumbotron in center field at Pringles Park. Seattle's Double-A affiliate, the Generals were preparing for a game against the Mississippi Braves. Several players, including Moises who wears No. 45, gathered in center field and watched as Hernandez froze Sean Rodriguez with a 92-mph changeup for the 27th out.
Just as the Mariners swarmed Hernandez on the mound in celebration, the Generals went into their own frenzy after witnessing the first perfect game in Mariners history.
The perfecto euphoria went beyond the Mariners organization, too. Even the Oakland Athletics, a division rival, tuned in to the perfect game in the visitors locker room at Kauffman Stadium. Yes, Hernandez did blank the Rays, one of the teams the A's are battling for a spot in the postseason. But according to David Brown of Big League Stew, the A's players were simply "cheering on history."
H/T to SB Nation