Pictures from Peoria: It was a Felix kind of day

Felix Hernandez, otherwise known now as the $175 million man, threw his first live batting practice today as he continued on his throwing program that will eventually lead to Opening Day in Oakland on April 1. I have a story on that you can read here.

But sometimes it’s fun to tell a story with pictures as well, so here’s some scenes from Felix’s day:

The Mariners ace warmed up in the bullpen before taking to the field.

Felix gets a kick out of pitching coach Carl Willis.

Once on the field, he threw 32 pitches in a 10-minute span to four Minor Leaguers and pronounced everything was good.

The Mariners brass — Jack Zduriencik, Eric Wedge, Willis and hitting coach Dave Hansen — watched every pitch intently.

Willis had a pat on the back for his prize pupil when all was done.

After talking to the media, Felix stopped to sign autographs for a group of fans … all while wearing his glove on his head. Why not? He’s the King.