Baseball loses promising pitcher

On Sunday, the baseball world woke to the shocking news that 24-year-old Jose Fernandez, pitching star for the Miami Marlins, had died in a boat wreck early that morning.

Saturday night after the Marlins-Atlanta Braves game, Fernandez had invited a few teammates to join him on the water. They turned him down. One teammate, Marcell Ozuna, even told him to not go out that night.

Fernandez, who news reports say was upset due to an argument with his girlfriend, then asked two other friends, Eddy Rivero and Emilio Macias, to join him. Rivero’s best friend Will Bernal worried about him going out that night, along with concern over Fernandez’s mood, texting Rivero, “Yo, please be careful bro, try to keep him close to shore,”

Rivera responded saying, “Trust me. It’s not my time yet.”

Sadly that night was his time, due to a high-speed collision into a rock jetty. The 32-foot boat was found flipped with two men under it and another lying in the water. The police say it appears no alcohol or drugs were involved. Toxicology reports are still pending.

Jose Fernandez was one of baseball’s most talked about young pitchers. He didn’t approach the game like so many before him. He brought a joy to the game that was contagious, a joy many compared to that of a Little Leaguer. His smile would light up the field as he struck out batter after batter.

Baseball fans worried after he went through Tommy John arm surgery two years ago that he might not be able to return to his dominant ways. Boy, were they wrong. This year, he had posted a 2.86 ERA with a win-loss record of 16-8 while striking out 253 batters in just 182 innings of work.

The Marlins quickly announced that Fernandez’s uniform No. 16 will be retired for their franchise, a highly unusual step since he played just four years in the majors.

After the heartbreaking news early Sunday, the Marlins canceled their game scheduled for that afternoon to mourn his death. After a beautiful day of players honoring Jose in the middle of the baseball diamond, with his cap and jersey number on the mound, they played their hearts out for him just a day later, on Monday. But not in their own uniforms – no.

Instead, Miami faced the New York Mets in No. 16 Fernandez jerseys, every Marlin wearing the same jersey with the same name, in front of a sold-out home crowd. Leadoff batter Dee Gordon, who took the pitcher’s death especially hard, stepped to the plate and took the first pitch of the game in Fernandez’s own batting stance – and from the right-handed side of the plate. He then stepped back to his regular stance on the left-hand side of the plate and launched a home run over the right field wall.

It was Gordon’s first home run of the year – and only his ninth in six years in the majors.

With tears pouring down his face as Gordon touched home plate and jogged off the field, every single teammate and coach hugged him in one of the most emotional moments in recent sports history.

Even the Mets catcher, Travis d’Arnaud, felt the power of that hit. “When he was coming to home plate (to score) and tears were coming down his face, they were coming down mine too.”

It was the perfect tribute to a great, young man. The Marlins went on to win the game, 7-3, over the Mets, but I bet they’d trade the win just to spend another day with their brother, Jose Fernandez.