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PERSONAL:
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- Feliz was raised in a quiet family with an abundance of love but little money, Feliz knows he escaped an uncertain life thanks to baseball. That's what drives him.
"I'm never going to forget where I came from," said Feliz. "Where we lived, in Los Toros, families were happy knowing they had food for the next day. It's going to make me better. I know who I was growing up, so that makes me strive—you've got to take care of what you do."
When he returns home to Los Toros (The Bulls) in the offseason, kids scramble to chat with Feliz, who enjoys the camaraderie with area youngsters and tells them tales about baseball and life.
"For people I grew up with, everything is the same," said Feliz. "Others, they know my name but don't know me. I hear people talking about me but I don't go to them and say it's me. It's kind of crazy. They find out it's me but they don't believe it."
One of Feliz's favorite activities is to bring new clothes and baseball equipment to his hometown and distribute it to children, and he's proud and happy to give back to the community he loves. He tries not to think about what he might have become if baseball hadn't entered his life. Farming like his dad, Juan, maybe. His brother died a few years ago in a pickup truck mishap and Feliz vowed he wouldn't do that for a living.
"I don't know . . . I might still be in Los Toros," said Feliz, who credits Juan and his mother, Candida, with teaching him respect for others. They, too, were on the quiet side. But stern.
"My mom, she stayed home. She took care of us and was there for my brother and two sisters every time. It was a hard life and we didn't have anything. But even now she still treats me the same."
(Rich Draper-MLB.com-5/4/05)
- During 1998 spring training, then-Giants manager Dusty Baker was impressed with Feliz. "I see why we take him in such high regard. He's not just a good player, but a fine young man. He's humble externally and confident internally, which is how you prefer him as a young player."
- Pedro had his wisdom teeth pulled during 2001 spring training.
- In preparation for 2002 spring training, Feliz hit only .221-2-11 in 195 at-bats in the Dominican Winter League.
- Because it was discovered at the start of 2003 spring training that Pedro is two years older than previously reported, his Giants teammates strung up a "Happy Birthday From All of Us" balloon, along with several more orange and black balloons in the clubhouse at training camp in March, 2003. And there was a special cake as well. It said "26, 27, 28, 29???"
- Pedro has a daughter, Helen, who was born September 7, 1991, from a previous relationship. And, when his wife, Niurka, gave birth to daughter Karen, that gave the couple four children—all girls. Not having a son doesn't bother Feliz at all.
"Boys are a problem," Feliz said.
- The soft-spoken Feliz has a strong work ethic. He works in the weight room, works in the cage and works on the field.
And, he's a great guy.
- During 2011 spring training, Royals manager Ned Yost was very impressed with Pedro.
"I have been so impressed with his professionalism, in terms of what he's done to this point," manager Ned Yost said. "Everything that he's done is fundamentally sound. Everything he does is fundamentally correct. He doesn't take a ground ball off, he doesn't take a throw off, he doesn't take a BP swing off. Everything he does, he does like a true professional -- like the way it's supposed to be done. He's very disciplined, and you can see why he's been around as long as he has."
TRANSACTION REPORT
- January 17, 2005: Pedro signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Giants. He received a $200,000 signing bonus and base salaries of $2,225,000 in 2005 and $3,625,000 in 2006. Feliz, 29, can also make $450,000 in bonuses each season based on plate appearances, and his 2006 salary could rise to as high as $4.1 million, depending on plate appearances.
- December 2, 2006: Feliz signed a one-year pact with the Giants, worth about $5.5 million.
- January 28, 2008: Pedro signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Phillies. The deal includes a team option for 2010.
- November 8, 2009: The Phillies declined the $5.5 million option for Feliz in 2010, paying his $500,000 buyout, instead, and making Pedro a free agent.
- December 10, 2009: Feliz signed with the Astros for one year and $4.5 million.
- August 19, 2010: The Cardinals sent P David Carpenter to the Astros, acquiring Feliz.
- February 3, 2011: Pedro signed with the Royals organization.
But on March 27, 2011, Feliz opted out of his contract (as per agreement for not making the Opening Day roster) and became a free agent.
- August 11, 2011: Pedro signed with the Padres organization.
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BATTING:
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- Pedro is still a free swinger at the plate. He is an aggressive hitter. He is a little better at waiting for his pitch, then doing something with it when he gets it. But he really doesn't wait on a pitch that he can nail, lacking the patience to maximize his offensive ability. When he gets into a hitter's count, he can turn it around. When he hits one, it goes a long way.
Scouts like his ability to turn on a fastball. But they don't like his lack of pateince, nor his dreadful situational hitting.
- Feliz either pulls the ball—or he doesn't hit the ball at all. He has been strictly a pull hitter for most of his career.
During 2007 spring training, Pedro worked at hitting to the opposite field. He has tried to avoid striding with his front foot, thus preventing him from lunging at pitches. Swinging with a shorter stride or no stride at all helps him guide the ball to center or right field.
"I try not to stride, but it happens," the third baseman said. "It's something I have to get used to."
That's largely why Feliz didn't consider eliminating his stride in previous years.
- Feliz is working to stay off the rough breaking pitches and drive the ball to all parts of the park. He is learning to work the count into his favor. This will make it so he should hit 30 home runs per season in the Majors, as a regular in the starting lineup.
- Starting in 2002, Giants batting coach Gene Clines got Feliz to go the other way more. Hitters who pull everything, he says, are vulnerable to pitchers who can throw outside effectively. So Pedro started hitting a few balls to right field. But, by 2006, he was back to being strictly a pull hitter.
Then, in 2007 spring training, Pedro worked hard to hit more to the opposite field, waiting a little longer.
"Pulling the ball is easy. Anybody can do that," Clines said. "But 80 percent of the pitches you see are middle-of- the-plate to outside. You want to stay back on those."
BREAKDOWN VS. RIGHTIES AND LEFTIES
- In 2004, this righty batter hit .291 with 7 home runs in 172 at-bats against lefthanders, and .269 with 15 home runs in 331 at-bats vs. righthanded pitchers.
- In 2005, Feliz hit .271 with 6 home runs in 133 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers. And .243 with 14 home runs in 436 at-bats against righthanders.
- In 2006, Pedro hit only .212 with 3 home runs in 132 at-bats vs. lefthanders. And .253 with 19 home runs in 471 at-bats against righthanders.
- In 2007, Feliz hit .257 with 2 home runs in 152 at-bats off lefties. And .252 with 18 home runs in 405 at-bats vs. righthanded pitchers.
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In 2008, Pedro hit .288 with 6 homers in 139 at-bats vs. lefthanders. But only .231 with 8 homers in 2876 at-bats vs. righthanders.
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In 2009, Feliz only hit .208 with 6 home runs in 130 at-bats vs. lefties. But .282 with 6 homers in 450 at-bats against righthanded pitchers.
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In 2010, Pedro hit .240 with 3 homers in 121 at-bats against lefthanded pitching, and just .208 with 2 home runs in 288 at-bats off righthanders.
- Entering the 2011 season, Feliz had a career .250 batting average. He had hit 140 home runs with 598 RBI in 4,254 lifetime at-bats in the Major Leagues. Also, entering the 2011 season, Pedro had a poor career on-base percentage—only .288.
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