We all woke up Sunday morning to hear about the tragic boat accident that claimed the life of the 24-year-old Marlins ace. I first saw the news from a friend's Facebook post. As I scrolled further, I found the news stories and read more about what happened. Then I saw the social media posts from the Marlins and Braves, saying Sunday's game was canceled.
I made my way to church that morning, a good place to be after you hear terrible news like that. Afterward, I saw more and more of the social-media outpouring of grief, shock and support for Fernandez and the Marlins.
MLB remembers together
Sunday, the rest of Major League Baseball went on with their ball games, many (including the Minnesota Twins) celebrated their final homestands. League-wide, there was a moment of silence before each first pitch. Teams also hung No. 16 Fernandez jerseys in their dugouts.
As often happens, his death opened my eyes to what kind of person and player Fernandez was during his short time on earth. That's how it usually goes, of course. People are remembered fondly and missed greatly once they are gone.
I'll be honest here. I didn't know much about him. Blame it on my tunnel-vision as someone who covers an American League team, I guess. Maybe that's why my thoughts on this really aren't that important. It's not like I have any kind of close connection really. But I'm a writer, so I wanted to share my thoughts anyway.
Still, even if I would have committed all his baseball stats to memory, I don't think I would have known about all his struggles and everything it took for him to live the life he built for himself. He tried multiple times to defect from Cuba to the United States, only to be thrown in jail. He jumped out of a boat to save his mother who had fallen overboard on the way over. He finally became of U.S. citizen in 2015.
His baseball numbers are another great story. He was a two-time All Star in 2013 as a rookie and again this season in his four-year career. He was also named the NL Rookie of the year in 2013. He was 16-8 this season with a 2.86 ERA in 29 games. The real amazing stat is his strikeout number. He fanned hitters 253 times this year, for a total of 589 career strikeouts. That's pretty good.
What a tribute, tears and all
But I think what I really wanted to touch on here was what's happened since Sunday morning. The support, the hugs, the grief, the tears. The famous line from Tom Hanks in "A League of Their Own" is: "There's no crying in baseball." Well, sometimes there is. And that's totally OK.
The Marlins returned to the diamond for a game Monday versus the New York Mets. Every single Marlins player wore a the black Miami jersey with the 16-Fernandez on the back. They circled the mound in a pregame ceremony, touched the mound dirt. The Mets embraced the Marlins players in another emotional scene. Then, they got back to business: Playing baseball.
The most remarkable sequence came in the bottom of the first inning. Dee Gordon took the first pitch on the right side of the plate, in honor of his teammate. Then, he stepped to the left side of the batter's box. He drove the first pitch he saw there toward the right-field seats. 1-0 Marlins.
It wasn't about the score but about one special moment. Gordon trotted around the bases - and his emotions came rushing out. He sobbed uncontrollably as he was greeted by teammates near home plate and then in the dugout. He was met with hugs and applause. It was truly an incredible moment that will tug at anyone's heart strings.
One more thing: It was his first home run of the 2016 season.
Incredible.#JDF16 pic.twitter.com/OlWQp59dI1— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 26, 2016
Baseball = family
See, the people you work often become your family because you're with them so much. It's no different, perhaps even more so, in baseball. It's family. These guys are together pretty much every day for months at a time. So, the Marlins lost a brother. All of baseball lost a brother and member of the family.
I'm not speaking from any kind of experience here, of what I know with absolute certainty to be true of baseball players. I don't want it to come off like I have some strong connection here in respect to what's happened and how everyone feels about it. I'm writing from my seat as a social media coordinator and blogger.
I see teammates - and baseball players all over the league - who are grieving for a guy that loved the game and was taken too soon. I see two teams that came together to play a baseball game and finish it up with a round of emotional hugs. I see the GIFs, photos and thoughtful words plastered all over social media from fans, baseball players and media members. I heard a little about the emotion of the past couple days from the Marlins social media coordinator. Kudos to her and the Marlins for doing a phenomenal and professional job with their social content.
Oh, and the Marlins won their game Monday. RIP Jose. #JDF16
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 27, 2016
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