By Shannon Drayer

Tuesday is the day and the King himself is looking forward to it, if you couldn't tell. Felix Hernandez is ready for the "Supreme Court" Tuesday at Safeco Field. In the picture he holds up the "K" card that the first 34,000 fans to arrive at the park will receive along with the new "King of Perfection" T-shirts. It should be a lot of fun.

Felix has been very busy with all of the media and team requests that come with accomplishing a feat like throwing a perfect game. He is still having fun with it. Before the game Monday he chatted with members of the media at his locker and if you are a Felix fan you will really enjoy this. Trust me. You need to listen to this.

Felix talks about his reaction to hearing that the crowd would all be wearing the yellow shirts. He gives his thoughts on "Felixing" and tries to explain why he struck that pose in the first place. He even works Larry Bernandez into the conversation. He clearly is having fun with this but at the end of the talk he dialed things in a notch and said, "This is a great feeling, but you know what, tomorrow is another day. I have got to turn the page. Another start. I have about nine more. I have got to keep doing what I am doing right now."

If he does that I think he will be adding more hardware at the end of the year.

So one last time, if you can come out to the park Tuesday night, do so. It would mean the world to Felix.

On to the news and notes ...

• Michael Saunders was hit by a pitch for the first time in his major league career Sunday afternoon. Until he was hit by that pitch he was MLB's active leader in plate appearances without a hit by pitch. That fact was brought to Saunders' attention by a reporter on the last road trip, much to his chagrin.

"Sure enough, a week later I get hit in the kneecap," Saunders said. "I really think being hit is overrated, and I wouldn't recommend it for anybody."

Superstitious at all, Michael?

"Not necessarily superstitious," he answered. "I don't know if it is superstitious in saying that if I think that things like that are brought up that eventually it will happen, so I guess you are kind of superstitious in that sense. I knew once it was brought up it was only a matter of time at that point. I can only get out of the way of so many baseballs before one hits me, and sure enough a week after it was brought to my attention I get hit."

• Franklin Gutierrez made his third straight rehab start Monday for Tacoma and notched another hit.

• Mike Zunino hit his second home run since his call-up to Double-A and is hitting .429 since his promotion. Other news out of Jackson: starter Brandon Maurer has been shut down for the remainder of the season. The Mariners are very high on Maurer and various people in the organization have dropped his name with the big three of Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker from time to time. Maurer finishes his season with a 9-2 record having thrown 137 2/3 innings and 48/117 BB/K with a 3.20 ERA.

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