Jose Fernandez, Marlins former ace, remembered by all

Jose Fernandez, 24, died in a boating accident on September 25, 2016. His death came as a shock to the MLB and nation as a whole. He was a rising star in the MLB, making the 2013 All-Star Game as a rookie and winning NL Rookie of the Year Award the same year. He dealt with Tommy John surgery (ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body) in 2014, but rose again and made the 2016 All-Star Game before his passing a month later. Even as young as he was, he will go down as one of the most dominant home pitchers of all time with a 29-2 record and a 1.49 ERA.

Fernandez had not been driving the boat, but he along with the other passengers were killed from the impact of the crash. The boat and bodies were found later that night at 3:00 a.m. by the U.S. Coast Guard on a jetty near Miami Beach.

There was no illegal drug or alcohol use, and the crash was believed to be caused due to speed as they encountered the jetty. They were at full speed when they hit the jetty and the impact caused their deaths.

The Miami Marlins canceled their home game against the Atlanta Braves that day. On that Friday, teams around the league had a moment of silence before games. Retiring MLB legend David Ortiz canceled his scheduled pregame ceremony due to his condolences to Jose Fernandez and his family.

The next day, against the New York Mets, the Marlins all wore number 16 to honor Fernandez, then retired the number.

Dee Gordon, leadoff lefty, on a 2-0 count, in the bottom of the first inning hit his first homerun of the year.

After the game, and emotional Gordon said, “I ain’t never hit a ball that far, even in BP. I told the boys, ‘If you all don’t believe in God, you better start.’ For that to happen today, we had some help.” The motivation was Fernandez and the homerun was a sort-of tribute to their late friend and teammate. Fernandez was known for being charismatic, but could hit even as well as he could pitch. Gordon tried to impersonate Fernandez's batting stance as he was up to bat. As he was rounding first base, tears started to come down Gordon’s face, and well as other players, even on the other team.

Aurora alumni and college baseball athlete Nick Ely tweeted, “In complete shock about Jose Fernandez… one of the most exciting guys to watch. RIP to a guy whose journey was cut way too short.”

On September 28, the funeral and public memorial was held by the city of Miami and the Marlins organization. A month later, the former Marlins pitcher is still being remembered by all. After many memorials and tributes, three of his former teammates are vacationing in Brazil and helped create a mural to honor him. It features the number 16, the word Nino, ocean waves, and his three teammates autographs.

Aurora High School baseball player Ben Stawicki said, “I used to love when the Indians would play against Fernandez.”

Overall, Fernandez, a fan favorite, will be remembered by friends, family, and baseball fans alike.