Most games pitched in Mets history is a pretty easy trivia question, I would expect a large number of the fan base to know it’s John Franco. The former Mets closer appeared in 695 games for the Mets. But, who is second?
Perpetual Pedro Feliciano.
The left-handed reliever threw in 484 games with the Mets from 2002 through 2013. And those appearances were broken into three different stints as Feliciano kept finding his way back to the Mets.
Felicano was drafted in the 31st round of the 1995 draft by the Dodgers out of Puerto Rico. After six seasons (missed entire 1999 season with arm injury) and no Major League experience, Feliciano became a free agent and signed with the Reds.
Pedro would make 43 appearances in the Reds’ minors before an August trade sent him to the Mets in a deal that netted shipped Shawn Estes to Cincinnati. He made his big league debut later that season and pitched in six innings, allowing five runs.
That offseason Feliciano would be claimed by the Tigers off waivers from the Mets, only to be released by Detroit two months later and return to the Mets on a minor league deal.
In 2003, Feliciano finally got an extended look in the majors with the Mets. He had a 3.35 ERA in 48 1/3 innings. He would struggle in 2004 though, posting a 5.40 ERA in 18 1/3 major league innings and 5.30 ERA in the minors.
The following offseason, the Mets decided to sell his rights to the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League. That’s where everything changed for him. The daily 25-pitch bullpen sessions, smaller strike that made him focus more on his command, and second-inning massages were all part of his eventual breakout.
Another part of his soon-to-be big league success was dropping down his release point at the behest of new Mets’ pitching coach Rick Peterson.
With new arm strength and throwing angle, Feliciano returned to the Mets in 2006 after one year in Japan. All he did was pitch to a 2.09 ERA in 60 1/3 innings on his way to earning a permanent spot in the Mets bullpen. More success followed in 2007 for Pedro, a 3.09 ERA in 64 innings spanning 78 games.
The 2008 season would start an unbelievable three-year stretch in which Perpetual Pedro led the league in games pitched every season. Feliciano appeared in 86 games in 2008 with a 4.05 ERA in 53 1/3 innings. He would pitch in 31 games combined between August and September as the Mets chased a playoff spot. To top that off, he would pitch in seven Puerto Rican Winter League games that offseason.
Incredibly, after those 93 appearances, Feliciano would pitch in four of Team Puerto Rico’s six games (not allowing a run) in the World Baseball Classic that offseason as well.
That didn’t stop Mets manager Jerry Manuel from using Feliciano a major league leading 88 times in 2009. He posted a 3.03 ERA in 59 1/3 innings and held lefties to a .594 OPS that year.
Feliciano would set a career-high with 92 appearances (tied for third most all-time) during the 2010 season. Still managed a 3.30 ERA in 62 2/3 innings. That September he would pitch in 22 games including five days straight to start the month, five days straight again in the middle of the month, and finally in both ends of the doubleheader to end the month.
Over that three year span – including Spring Training games and offseason leagues – Feliciano pitched in a whopping 305 games. He became only the second pitcher (Paul Quantrill the other) to pitch in at least 85 games in three straight seasons. His 344 appearances from 2007 to 2010, are a major league record.
That offseason the Yankees signed Feliciano to a two-year, $8 million deal, but he would never throw a pitch in the majors with them. Pedro had a rotator cuff injury that prevented him from pitching in the Bronx, and that didn’t sit well with Yankees GM Brian Cashman. He called the Mets usage of Perpetual Pedro, “abusive.”
Feliciano would end up needing surgery for a torn anterior capsule and rotator cuff in his left shoulder. That wiped out 2011 and the 2012 seasons.
After the 2012 season, he became a free agent and guess who signed him?
The Mets of course. He would pitch in 25 games for them in 2013, his last stop in the majors. Pedro signed with the Cardinals for the 2014 season and struggled in Triple-A.
Pedro Feliciano finished his major league career with a 3.33 ERA in 484 regular season games. He pitched in another 340 minor league games and 79 games combined between Japan and winter ball.
But why today of all days to appreciate the rubber arm of Perpetual Pedro?
Well, because January 3, 2019 is the ninth anniversary of the Yankees signing Feliciano. With that signing, the Mets received a compensation pick in the 2011 draft. They used that pick on right-handed pitcher Michael Fulmer.
Four years later, the Mets would trade Fulmer to the Tigers for slugger Yoenis Cespedes. While recent history isn’t pleasant with the Mets and Cespedes, he was instrumental in their 2015 World Series run and making the playoffs in 2016.
