“The game only had a small taste of what Fernández could do.”

September 25, 2016 3:45 PM

MLB Miami Marlins Pitcher José Fernández Killed in Boating Accident at Age of 24 [The Guardian] “Authorities in Florida are investigating the death of one of baseball’s best young players, the Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández [wiki], who was killed in a boating accident in Miami Beach early Sunday. Divers from the Miami-Dade fire rescue department recovered the bodies of Fernández, 24, and two friends from the water after the crew of a coastguard patrol boat spotted their upturned vessel at about 3.15am, it was announced at a Sunday morning press conference.”

José Fernández: A Smiling Star Whose Death Leaves Baseball Bereft [The Guardian]

“What do you say about the death of someone who was so alive? Watching those Marlins games this year gave me an even better appreciation for how exciting a player Fernández was. He was probably the second- or third-best pitcher in the National League. In his short career he had done what seemed impossible and brought fans to the new stadium in Miami. Marlins fans were still angry at team owner Jeffrey Loria’s penchant for dismantling winning teams when Fernandez arrived in the summer of 2013. The lure of a Cuban star in a city of so many Cuban exiles proved too tempting to keep people away. The nights Fernández pitched were events. Who knows what would have happened had Fernández lived. He will lead the league in strikeouts-per-nine innings pitched this year with a remarkable 12.488. There was a chance the Marlins, unable to afford a huge new contract for him, were going to trade him in the offseason. The team that got him would probably have been good and would have paid him a lot of money. He was about to become very wealthy.”

From Cuba With Heat: Jose Fernandez's Journey From Cuban Defector To MLB All-Star [Grantland] [July 16, 2013]

“He looked at the 15-year-old Fernandez, a little taller than 6 feet but still only 160 pounds, and he wasn’t sure what to think. A former pitching coach in the Japanese league and for the Cuban national team, Chinea now worked privately with Tampa-area prospects. He’d agreed to meet Fernandez free of charge, but if the kid wasn’t good enough, he wasn’t going to waste anybody’s time. Fernandez threw. “He couldn’t pitch,” Chinea says. “He could throw.” His fastball topped out at around 84 miles per hour. His curveball delivery was short-armed, but at least the pitch actually curved. Good enough, Chinea thought. That summer, they worked. Eight a.m. to 1:30 p.m. “Monday to Monday,” Chinea says. “No breaks.” For a month, Fernandez never touched a baseball. He’d spend an hour a day stretching, then a few more hours working out — plyometrics, some weight training, swimming, throwing medicine balls, and, of course, flipping tires and chopping trees. He did, on occasion, complain. But he stopped himself. “I thought about how many people there are in America,” Fernandez says. “Out of all of those people, a lot of them are baseball players. Out of all of those baseball players, a lot of them are pitchers. And then I would think, are any of those pitchers out there working out, right now? Probably, somewhere, yeah. So I couldn’t quit.” Says Chinea: “He couldn’t quit. It didn’t matter if he hated the workouts. He loved the baseball.” Chinea, who has worked with fellow Cubans Livan Hernandez, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, and Jose Contreras, says, “I’ve never known anybody who loves baseball as much as Jose.”

Baseball Lost A Potential All-Timer In José Fernández [Five Thirty Eight]

Major League players rarely die in mid-career, but those who do are usually quite young: more than 60 percent of the active MLB players who died since 2000 were Fernández’s age or younger. We’ll never know if prospects such as the late Oscar Taveras and Nick Adenhart could have gone on to become Hall of Famers someday, because they were lost so early in their careers. The possibilities were there, but they were still mostly unrealized at the time of their passing. In Fernández’s case, though, we have a pretty good inkling that he was on track for Cooperstown. Only 20 pitchers in modern history produced more wins above replacement than Fernández did through his age-23 season,1 and that’s not even considering the fact that he missed huge chunks of two seasons due to injury. On a rate basis, no pitcher had a better Fielding Independent Pitching mark relative to the league through his age-23 season than Fernández did.

posted by Fizz (49 comments total)

“Did you catch that?”

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I'll always remember this snag and that smile.
posted by Fizz at 3:45 PM on September 25, 2016 [79 favorites]

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posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:48 PM on September 25, 2016

RIP. On his way to becoming one of the great ones. We'll miss you.
posted by jonmc at 3:50 PM on September 25, 2016

I've been failing to depoliticize his passing; I'm not sure if the desire is good or not. It's tragedy on tragedy that someone from his place in life need achieve the epitome of greatness in order to earn enough respect for honor instead of blame at their abrupt and unfortunate death. I wish all lives could really, sincerely matter to us all as much as his did. I don't know why our standards would be any lower.

Heartbreak... life confounds in its chaos and prejudice.

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posted by an animate objects at 3:59 PM on September 25, 2016 [3 favorites]

He was my Red Sox-loving son's favorite player. My son read about Fernández this morning before the rest of us knew, and it was an awful shock for him. Part of it was losing an athletic hero, but I think part of it was also Fernández' youth. All I could think of to tell him was that it was really sad, and that it wasn't fair.

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posted by Songdog at 3:59 PM on September 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

an animate objects, Not sure if you're familiar with his humble beginnings, but if not, do yourself a favour and read that Grantland article. He had quite an adventure getting into the MLB. Quite a story. It's sad that we lost someone so young, but reading about someone who worked so hard to get where he did is inspiring to me. We should all hope to be as motivated and driven as he was.
posted by Fizz at 4:10 PM on September 25, 2016 [3 favorites]

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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:11 PM on September 25, 2016

Vin Scully (via Reddit):

Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you, wherever you may be. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in control of their own destiny today, as a win would give them their fourth consecutive national league division title. As excited as we all are, it's hard not to feel like we've all been punched in the gut. For those of you who haven't heard, José Fernández, the Marlins' fine young pitcher was killed in a boating accident this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family, and as the Marlins close out the season, we can only hope that vibrant spirit lives on through the young men that knew him so well.

José was born in Cuba, and from the beginning, it was clear he was something special. His marvelous talent was only rivaled by that big smile of his. And as I sit here in the press box for the last time, I can't help but visualize a young José on the mound. A day like today is an unwanted reminder that life is filled with questions that leave you searching for unattainable answers. It's also an important reminder that the fine young men who make up our sport, are truly what gives the game it's beauty. José will surely be missed as a player, but even more importantly he will be missed as a person. As life must go on, we reluctantly take a step forward with heavy hearts. We don't move on from this tragedy, but rather honor José by playing the sport that brought him opportunity and joy. As I look into the bright blue sky, it's undeniable that heaven just got a heck of a pitcher.

posted by one_bean at 4:12 PM on September 25, 2016 [41 favorites]

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posted by oneironaut at 4:38 PM on September 25, 2016

Fizz, I love that gif and I was shocked and saddened this morning to realize the guy they were talking about on the news is the guy in that gif. So very sad.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 4:40 PM on September 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

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posted by Cash4Lead at 4:44 PM on September 25, 2016

16
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posted by Huffy Puffy at 4:54 PM on September 25, 2016

I'm not a big fan of baseball, and it took me a moment to realize that this was the person I'd seen in a decent amount of the rare highlights I'd seen. The "did you catch that" clip, his baffled response to a Japanese pitcher's slow change up that caught him swinging, every clip, just smiling, and laughing, like he new that he was playing a game for a living, and just loving every minute of it.

And Deadspin reported that he and his girlfriend had just announced her pregnancy five days before his death. Damn.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:58 PM on September 25, 2016 [5 favorites]

From CNN.com:

While he conducted an interview in the Marlins locker room that ventured into the topics of his mother and grandmother, whose names he has tattooed inside his bicep, the interviewer asks Fernandez what Olga would tell him if she were there in Miami. "I don't think she would be here," he replied, his sadness evident in his eyes. Little did he know that Olga had arrived in Miami a half hour prior. The Marlins had arranged for her visa. As Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria escorts Olga into the locker room, Fernández beams a boyish grin, clearly in disbelief.

He says only, "Oh," as she rushes over to him. His face is bright red as Olga embraces him for the first time in six years. "Oh my God," he says, almost as if he's exhaling. "You've got to be kidding me." "You look so great, papi. You look so great," Olga tells him in Spanish as he clutches her, kissing the top of her head. Jeffrey Loria explained the team's motivation in getting Olga to the United States. "Having watched the dynamic unfold with him, caring about his grandmother so much, it kind of came to our attention here. We have a big family here in this organization and there was a link missing in that family so we closed the gap. We got her here," he said.

posted by Fizz at 5:05 PM on September 25, 2016 [12 favorites]

Here's a clip as referenced up above, where he was reunited by a surprise visit with his Grandmother.
posted by Fizz at 5:11 PM on September 25, 2016 [9 favorites]

Sports icons tend to get a pass in the court of public opinion for being assholes if they excel at their profession, but this was a kid with a backstory that most Hollywood execs would toss out for being too on the nose perfect. Kid tries four times to get to America, ends up in a Cuban jail for trying to defect, saves his mom from drowning even though he didn't know it was her... And, oh by the way, he could paint corners sitting at 96 mph and touching 100+ mph, with movement, and with filthy secondary pitches if you were somehow catching up to his heat.

Pedro Martinez was on a pregame show and said he thought Fernandez had more talent than he did. Maybe that was modesty on Pedro's part, but if anyone out there had that potential, it was Fernandez. Kershaw's been better, but he's 28, and most pitchers don't hit their elite production levels until their mid-to-late 20s. Fernandez was among the top 3-4 starters out there already, and hadn't even hit his prime yet.

Such a heartbreaking loss.

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posted by tonycpsu at 5:36 PM on September 25, 2016 [10 favorites]

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posted by BibiRose at 5:55 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by Smart Dalek at 6:02 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by dirigibleman at 6:03 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by Joey Michaels at 6:06 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by vrakatar at 6:07 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by Ber at 6:16 PM on September 25, 2016

The Mets remember Jose Fernandez by hanging a jersey in their dugout during today's game.

Fernandez was to pitch against the Mets tomorrow night.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:21 PM on September 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

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posted by areaperson at 6:34 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by drezdn at 6:53 PM on September 25, 2016

This is just terrible.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:09 PM on September 25, 2016

He was so sweet and silly when he wasn't pitching that it was impossible not to like him, and I never like players who don't play for my team, double for players in the same division, and triple for superstars in the same division. But from that reunion with his grandmother to his first homer, even to watching him need an umpire's help to put his jacket on after he got on base, I couldn't help having a great time watching him. He was adorable and lovable and finally having the career year that he was meant to have. His poor family.
posted by gladly at 7:22 PM on September 25, 2016 [3 favorites]

was sobbing when I first heard about it, and I'm sobbing even more after seeing that clip of him with his mama and grandmama

and his gf is pregant with their first child!

2016, you are the WORST jfc
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:25 PM on September 25, 2016 [5 favorites]

Not to derail, and also likely deserving of a FPP, but

Arnold Palmer...

What a year

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posted by Windopaene at 7:27 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by Elly Vortex at 7:29 PM on September 25, 2016

I photographed Jose for SI back in 2014 after he won ROTY. He had every right to be arrogant and full of himself like many athletes I've dealt with over the years because of his incredible talent and yet he was the nicest and most humble athlete I think I've ever met. I spent 2 days with him and we ended up bonding over our love of cycling. We even planned to ride once the season was over but then he ended up having to have TJ surgery and the team trainers wouldn't allow him to ride anything but a stationary bike. He was beloved in the Cuban community here in Tampa and he really seemed to be living the dream. I'm crushed and I feel so terrible for his mother who he absolutely adored. 2016 has been a shit year and I vote we end it early and move on to 2017.
posted by photoslob at 7:35 PM on September 25, 2016 [24 favorites]

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So talented, gone entirely too soon.

Several members of the Cubs were close to Fernandez (including Jorge Soler, with whom he played as a child in Cuba). Here's what some of them had to say about him.
posted by SisterHavana at 7:53 PM on September 25, 2016

José Fernández Was the Future of Baseball and America

It’s hard not to be terrified right now; American society is beset on all sides by violence, economic peril, and ecological disaster, and threatened most seriously by the tens of millions of its own citizens who, fearing those things, are running into the arms of a political movement rooted in naked racism, hoping desperately for a return to the past.

But if we’re fortunate, the future will look like José Fernández.

posted by tonycpsu at 8:19 PM on September 25, 2016 [6 favorites]

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posted by nicebookrack at 8:39 PM on September 25, 2016

Can't remember an athlete so promising taken so young.
posted by skepticallypleased at 8:49 PM on September 25, 2016

Probably only comparable to Len Bias.

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posted by T.D. Strange at 9:16 PM on September 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

Oh this hurts. He was so, so good and so universally well liked. Baby on the way. $200 million contract waiting to be signed.


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Rest in Power, other JF. Rest in Power.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 9:21 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by blurker at 9:24 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by LobsterMitten at 9:48 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by mogget at 9:52 PM on September 25, 2016

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posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 6:40 AM on September 26, 2016

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posted by chicainthecity at 8:44 AM on September 26, 2016

"Did you catch that?" is possibly the best baseball GIF of all time. Such a great attitude towards the game and towards his success.

This is an image of what Jose did after pitching his way to a win against the LA Dodgers.

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posted by Rock Steady at 8:59 AM on September 26, 2016 [3 favorites]

Are there no lights on the jetties at government cut?
posted by srboisvert at 9:07 AM on September 26, 2016

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posted by ZeusHumms at 9:59 AM on September 26, 2016

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posted by spinifex23 at 12:29 PM on September 26, 2016

this clip of dee gordon hitting his first home run of the season tonight in a jose fernandez jersey and then the dugout reaction has me choked up and teary eyed at my desk. do not watch if you're not ready to cry a little
posted by burgerrr at 4:51 PM on September 26, 2016 [4 favorites]

When you find that private moment to watch burgerrr's clip above, you can also watch the ceremony before the game at Marlins Park.
posted by gladly at 5:51 AM on September 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

I grew up in a baseball family; my parents both love the game dearly. I haven't followed baseball in years, but I liked visiting the old Marlins' stadium. I liked the Marlins; they were my team. I remembered when they first started, when they first won their World Series, when they won the second one.

Then I left them. Things got dicey with the new stadium, they changed their name, and changed their uniforms, and I feel out of touch with the Marlins. My parents turned their allegiance to Tampa Bay, and I was on my own by then, and without cable, so I eventually fell out of touch with baseball.

But my dad called me, and he was devastated. Heartbroken over the loss of this bright young player, who lit up the field when he was on it. So I looked up Jose Fernandez. And I felt sad, for the loss of someone so young, and for this player, who had the potential to do so much for the game. He was clear he loved baseball, and he wanted nothing more than to share that love with the rest of the world.

(I miss you, baseball.)
posted by PearlRose at 9:37 AM on September 27, 2016 [1 favorite]