Been long time coming as Feliciano called up by Mets

There were only a few players inside the Mets clubhouse a little more than an hour before game time last night, which is not abnormal. There are many other comfortable places in modern major-league clubhouses for players to hang out without reporters nearby.

But there was Jesus Feliciano at his locker listening to a local television reporter ask if he would walk to his locker again so his cameraman could record some B-roll.

You don't see this type of stuff in major-league clubhouses too often, especially in New York, but who is Feliciano to know? This is all new for him. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 36th round in 1997, Feliciano played 1,293 games in the minors without ever making it to the majors.

Until Tuesday, that is.

Feliciano politely nodded to the reporter, then did his best acting job, looking down and trying to act normal. That continued until Johan Santana passed by and threw a towel at a startled Feliciano, breaking the awkwardness and making him laugh.

While the entire baseball world was focused on Stephen Strasburg's much-anticipated debut in Washington, he was not the only guy Tuesday to put on a major-league uniform for the first time.

After 13 years and hundreds of bus rides in the minors, Feliciano could finally call himself a major-leaguer. You bet that felt good.

"I've been waiting, like, so long," Feliciano said. "It was kind of a surprise, but at the same time, I was ready to get that call."

That call - the one every minor-leaguer strives for - finally came Monday morning, a day after Feliciano's 31st birthday. And based on his performance this season at Triple-A, the call was very much deserved. Maybe even overdue.

An outfielder who can play all three positions, Feliciano was hitting .385 (72-for-187) with Buffalo. The knock on him is that he doesn't hit for power. He has only 18 home runs and a career .346 slugging percentage in 4,425 minor-league at-bats.

But the Mets are only looking for him to be a fourth outfielder and a capable bat off the bench, a role that seems to fit him well. In his four seasons in the Mets' minor-league system, he has a track record of putting the ball in play. He has only 17 strikeouts in 53 games this season.

Feliciano said there were times when he got so frustrated about not getting called up that he thought about quitting.

"Every once in a while, you think like that," he said. "I tried to forget about it and keep working."

He said fellow Puerto Ricans and successful major-leaguers such as Roberto Alomar, Carlos Baerga and Alex Cora encouraged him to hang in there.

"They told me I would make it," he said.

Jerry Manuel likes to get rookies their first start as soon as possible, so the nervous energy doesn't build, but he realizes this isn't a typical newbie.

"I think he's veteran enough where he can keep his swing for a long period of time, not play for a period of time and still give you a good at-bat," he said.

Feliciano said he wasn't nervous, pointing out that he played in the World Baseball Classic last year. He started in the outfield over Bernie Williams. Feliciano went 6-for-16 with two walks during the tournament.

"I don't feel like I'm nervous because I've been waiting for this so long," he said. "I have played on a big stage before. So I don't feel that nervous. I'm just getting ready. I feel like I'm prepared."

While Strasburg struck out 14 last night, Feliciano never left the Mets bench. But be sure, he'll remember this day just the same.