Pitcher Felix Hernandez has not had a rewarding season on the mound, but Seattle Mariners right got something on Monday that he can be very proud of: becoming a United States citizen.
Hernandez, who was born in Valencia, Venezuela, swore on Monday afternoon along with dozens of other new citizens at a ceremony in Seattle, after the team announced before he had approved his citizenship interview.
Hernandez and his wife, Sandra, have two children, Mia and Jeremy, and live in Bellevue, Washington, during the season and in Miami in the offseason.
Signed in 2002 as a 16 year old, Hernandez has played his entire 14-year career in Seattle and is the most successful Venezuelan pitcher in major league history, with 168 victories.
As the end of his worst season approaches (8-13, 5.46 ERA), Hernandez, 32, is scheduled to step off the disabled list to make his final start of the year on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. He has one year left of the contract he signed for seven years and $ 175 million dollars.