Wake-Up Call: Hernandez and family flourishing with Rays

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

The son of Rays catcher Michel Hernandez, 5-year-old Michael, is just beginning to understand what his daddy does for a living.

Today, Hernandez will try to explain the greatest night of his career. But finding the right perspective might be difficult for a kid - for anyone, really.

Thursday night's big story was Matt Garza, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning before Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury's dink infield hit ruined things. But the disappointment was brief as the Rays registered a stunning pick-me-up, defeating the Red Sox 13-0 at Tropicana Field.

Hernandez, playing to give workhorse Dioner Navarro a break, not only caught the gem, he was 4-for-5 with his first big-league home run, his first big-league double and two singles. Before Thursday night, Hernandez had a total of six big-league hits.

"I don't know what happened," said Hernandez, who was called up from Triple-A Durham on April 13 when Shawn Riggans went on the 15-day disabled list. "But I am very, very excited."

Hernandez is 30 years old. He has played in seven organizations and one independent league. Last season, he was purchased from the Pirates, promptly shipped to Durham, then elevated to the major-league roster when Riggans underwent knee surgery.

In fact, Hernandez was on the same flight that brought call-up cult hero Dan Johnson to Boston last September, when Johnson hit the game-tying pinch-hit homer against the Red Sox, maybe the most significant hit in franchise history. As usual, Hernandez was just a footnote.

Somehow, he keeps hanging on.

Thursday night, on the first pitch he saw from Boston's Josh Beckett in the fourth inning, Hernandez slammed a home run into the left-field bleachers.

"I made good contact, then I passed first base and looked up at the scoreboard," Hernandez said. "I saw the words, 'Home Run.' I've never seen that before."

Not in the big leagues, anyway.

"I'm so happy for that guy [Hernandez] because he works his butt off," Garza said.

On the field afterward, doing a post-game radio interview, Hernandez received the obligatory shaving-cream-pie-in-the-face treatment.

Rays manager Joe Maddon, strolling by Hernandez's locker in the Tampa Bay clubhouse, channeled his inner Paul McCartney: "Mee-chelle, my belle..."

"He's a wonderful young man and he stays ready," Maddon said. "All spring, he hit the ball very well. In his batting practices, we were like, 'What's going on with Michel?' He was very crisp. He's a great backup kind of player."

Hernandez grinned broadly.

"I'm telling you, I'm just so happy to be here," he said.

The home run made it an especially memorable night.

But it wasn't bigger than the first time he went over the wall.

In 1996, he fled Cuba.

"We had a plan," Hernandez said.

He was 18, playing in the amateur Cuban National League for the Havana Industriales. The team was in Tihosuco, Mexico, playing a series of games on the Yucatan Peninsula.

"Some of my teammates came and got me," Hernandez said. "I remember it was November 2. The clock in the car said it was 11 o'clock in the morning. We left and stayed [in Mexico] for about two months."

Then Hernandez made it to Caracas, Venezuela, where his wife, Marta, already was working as a lawyer.

"The baseball hasn't always come easy for me - we have been in a lot of places - but our life is very good," Hernandez said.

Sometimes, it is very hard. Two years ago, young Michael was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Hernandez's baseball travels have put an occasional strain on the family, which lives in Tampa.

Now, with Hernandez back in the big leagues, it's all good.

"Being back here with my family, it's beautiful," he said.

Sometime today, Hernandez might show his son the special baseball, the one he slammed off Beckett, the one that was neatly retrieved by the Rays' staff. It signifies his greatest baseball performance.

But just being here, contributing, building a life with his family, that's a bigger story than any baseball game. Young Michael seems to understand that already.

Another mock draft (for 2010)

Remember when NFL mock drafts were novel? OK, I'm dating myself. Now they are everywhere, even for next year (already).

ESPN.com released its 2010 NFL mock draft - and two University of South Florida players (DE George Selvie and S Nate Allen) are in Todd McShay's first round. Another player with local ties, Alabama CB Javier Arenas (Robinson) is in the first round, which, by the way, does NOT include Florida QB Tim Tebow.

McShay has the Bucs picking 12th overall, selecting Georgia DT Geno Atkins, who seems to fit the bigger/strong DL philosophy of new defensive coordinator Jim Bates. Meanwhile, Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford goes first overall to the St. Louis Rams.

A closer look at McShay's analysis:

* George Selvie, 16th overall, to the Miami Dolphins - Selvie is a notch below elite in terms of physical tools, but his toughness and nonstop motor will be enticing to a team like the Dolphins.

* Javier Arenas, 23rd overall, to the Dallas Cowboys - Arenas' recognition skills and technique in coverage still have room to improve, but he's a fast and fluid athlete with game-breaking ability in the return game.

* Nate Allen, 25th overall, to the Minnesota Vikings - Allen is a bit of an unknown prospect at this point, but he possesses the size, athleticism and ball skills to emerge as a Day 1 prospect a year from now.

Spartans, Mocs tangle in Lakeland

In the Sunshine State Conference's version of Red Sox-Yankees, the baseball rivalry between the Tampa Spartans (36-14, 14-7) and Florida Southern Mocs (35-11, 13-5) is renewed tonight (7 p.m.) at Lakeland's Henley Field. Both teams conclude their regular-season schedule with a Sunday double-header at 1 p.m.

The Spartans are led by Jose Jimenez, who is batting .399 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs; Jared Simon (Armwood), who is batting .381; and Steven Broschofski, who is batting .361 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs.

The Mocs are led by Will Cherry (George Jenkins), who is batting .370 with 15 homers and 43 RBIs; Trae Gore, who is batting .353; and Robbie Shields (Pasco), who is batting .353.

Harvey goes deep

Ryan Harvey, a former first-round draft pick of the Cubs who now plays in the Rockies' organization, hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning as his Double-A Tulsa team defeated Arkansas 9-8 on Thursday night. Harvey, batting .273, has three homers and 12 RBIs.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to Atlanta Falcons LB Stephen Nicholas, one of the best ever to play that position at USF. Today, Nicholas turns 26.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Thursday's trivia question:

Dade City's Jim Courier won four career Grand Slam tennis tournament singles championships, defeated Andre Agassi at the 1991 French Open, Stefan Edberg at the 1992 Australian Open, Petr Korda at the 1992 French Open and Edberg again at the 1993 Australian Open.

Friday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

His stay in Tampa Bay was brief (2004), but Notre Dame WR Tim Brown was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. That makes him the 14th former Buc player (who appeared in at least one regular-season game) to achieve that honor. Can you name at least seven of the remaining 13 former Bucs to be inducted?

Check for the answer in Monday's Wake-Up Call.