AquaSox pitching coach trades in his spikes for a stopwatch

Published 8:45 pm Friday, July 8, 2016

EVERETT — Everett AquaSox manager Rob Mummau believes there is a coach lurking inside every professional baseball player.

“You’re always looking at the opposition, trying to figure out ways to beat them and you kind of coach yourself, especially as you get to the higher levels,” Mummau said. “I think in some sense you’re always a coach.”

That means rookie AquaSox pitching coach Moises Hernandez has more than a decade of experience even though he’s in his first season as the mentor of the Everett hurlers.

The older brother of Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, Moises was a journeyman of a dozen minor-league seasons, including the last five in the Mariners’ organization, before trading in his spikes and glove for a stopwatch and a fungo bat.

“I was pitching in Venezuela in November, I think, and they came and offered me that job and I said, ‘Yeah, of course,’” Hernandez said. “I’m trying to help those guys get better and still learn from the other guys and question everything and listen a lot. That’s what we’re doing in my first year. Once I listen more I might start talking a little more.”

Both brothers made their minor-league debuts in 2003, Felix at age 17 with the AquaSox and Moises at age 19 with the Gulf Coast League Orioles. In contrast to Felix’s meteoric rise to the major leagues, Moises’s minor league experience was far more typical. The elder Hernandez spent three years in the Orioles organization before he was acquired by the Braves as compensation for Baltimore signing then-Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone in the rare coach-for-player transaction.

Hernandez got as high as Class AAA for one start in the Braves organization in 2007 before labrum surgery wiped out his entire 2008 season. He returned as a reliever and eventually signed with the Mariners as a minor-league free agent prior to the 2011 season.

Hernandez spent five years in the M’s organization, all at Class AA Jackson of the Southern League, where he set a dubious club record for most appearances. He was primarily a reliever, but did start 12 games last season before accepting the AquaSox post for this season.

Prior to the labrum injury Hernandez could touch 95 miles-per-hour on the radar while he consistently sat in the 91-93 range. He can still throw in the upper 80s.

“Got a little something in my arm still,” the 32-year-old said, before confirming he isn’t planning on attempting a comeback. “I still can throw BP every day.”

By all accounts Hernandez seems to be adjusting quite well from player to coach.

“It can be tough sometimes because you’ve still got the player in you,” Mummau said. “It takes sometimes a year or two to get that out of you. But Moises has done a great job with the transition and he’s really helped these guys a lot.”

Hernandez doesn’t give himself enough credit for the job he’s done with the Everett pitchers. Working in conjunction with Seattle’s low-level minor league pitching coordinator Carlos Chantres, Hernandez’s staff is third in the Northwest League with a 3.32 earned-run average, second in WHIP at 1.19 and leads the league in shutouts with three. Starter Ljay Newsome and reliever Elliot Surrey have already each earned Northwest League Pitcher of the Week honors.

“(Hernandez brings) a lot of knowledge and experience,” Mummau said. “He’s pitched a long time in the minor leagues and he really relates to the kids well, (having) just finished playing. I could not ask a better guy around.”

This season Hernandez has already supervised two major-league pitchers making rehab appearances for Everett. Mariners lefty starter Wade Miley pitched four innings in late June, while southpaw reliever Charlie Furbush tossed two-thirds of an inning Friday.

The biggest test comes Sunday as Felix Hernandez returns to Everett for a rehab start in his first appearance in an AquaSox uniform since 2003. Moises’ kids, Valery, 10, and Aidan, 5, will be in attendance to watch Uncle Felix perform before what will be a sold-out Everett Memorial Stadium.

“It will be a good time. I’m the pitching coach and he has to respect me,” Moises said with a laugh. “You will see a lot of smiles and a lot of laughing that day. We’ll just wait for that day and see what happens.”

For the latest AquaSox news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.