Jose Fernandez – Forever a Miami Marlin

Two years ago the Miami Marlins lost one of their greats. I want to take the opportunity to recognize Jose Fernandez on the two-year anniversary of his untimely death.

Two years ago the Miami Marlins organization lost one of the their greatest players of all time. I would be remiss to let this anniversary go by without acknowledging Jose Fernandez and what he was to the Marlins organization.

There has been some controversy surround Jose Fernandez untimely death. I choose to look past that and focus on and remember the Jose Fernandez who was pivotal to the future success of the Marlins.

There have been few players to come through this organization with as much enthusiasm and passion for the game as Jose did. He pitched every 5^th day with an excitement level that could energize any crowd.

Rookie of the Year

I remember following every start in 2013 during his Rookie of the Year campaign. He was a bright spot in an otherwise tough to swallow 100 loss Marlins season. #JoseDay gave Marlins fans something to rally behind and get excited about. How many strike outs would he get that night? Would he leave an established slugger looking? He earned his name Kid K for a reason.

Going into 2014 the Marlins had optimism with their rising stars and an ace pitcher. I know one player does not make a team, but I have vivid memories of the sinking feeling I got when it was announced Jose would need Tommy John surgery. I was at my son’s soccer game. My MLB AtBat app buzzed a notification, I glanced at it and saw the news report. My heart sank and it felt like that season was over. I followed his optimism through rehab via his Instagram account. His passion for the game never wavered even during that recovery time when he couldn’t throw a baseball.

Refugee and Hero

Most die hard Marlins fans know his story. As a child he attempted to defect from Cuba several times. Finally making it, but not before having to jump into the water out of the raft they were floating in to save his mother. Jose and his mother and grandmother made it to America to build a better future. The culmination of these struggles came in April of 2015 when he gained his U.S. citizenship. You could tell he had worked so hard at that accomplishment and it possibly meant more to him that any success he had or would have on the mound.

2015 was the countdown until the return of Jose Fernandez to the mound. We had to wait almost half a season, but on July 2, 2015 #JoseDay returned! He pitched a solid game striking out 6 over 6 innings and allowing 3 runs. The surprise came in the 5^th when Jose went deep. The home run punctuated his return. It was great to have him back. He tossed 11 games that year going 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA.

Things were going pretty well for the Marlins in 2016. They had the (arguably) best outfield trio in the game. Their ace pitcher was healthy. The winning trend from previous years was trending to a potential winning season. Injuries and struggles plagued the year. Superstar Giancarlo Stanton failed to live up his hype due to injury. But Jose went out every 5^th and played. He carried the weight of this team on his shoulders. Always smiling, always positive no matter the situation.

Tragedy

Unbeknownst at the time, Jose made his final start against the Washington Nationals in front of his home crowd. 8 innings, 0 runs, 12 Ks. A pitching line to be proud of.

Sunday, September 25^th, 2016 I was in my sons bedroom. He was almost 2 months old and I was rocking him back to sleep. As I sat in the darkened room with my son my phone starting vibrating. A first just one, then several times in a row. I took a peek to see who was trying to get a hold of me. I had several texts from friends and family asking if I had seen the news: Jose Fernandez was killed in a boat accident. As I sat there in shock, the official MLB notification came through that this was the case and the contest vs. the Atlanta Braves was canceled.

I’ll never forget that morning. Jose Fernandez was the first player I had really followed from his career in the minors to his time in MLB. And now he was gone. #JoseDay would cease to exist. Even though you don’t really know him as a player, as you follow his struggles and triumphs, you feel as much a part of it as anyone else.

As a father, what breaks my heart most is that Jose’s daughter will never get a chance to know her father in life. She will only get to hear stories and watch game highlights and hear from others how Jose impacted them. I hope that is enough for her to realize what her dad meant to the fan base and the Miami community.

More from Marlins History

• Miami Marlins One-Year Wonder 1B
• Miami Marlins players & the 2023 Hall of Fame
• Former Miami Marlins star is retiring
• Gary Sheffield or Mark Buehrle, will either Marlin make the Hall of Fame?
• Why don’t we see more dynasties? Part 3

That Sunday morning the Marlins organization shifted. Then owner, Jeffrey Loria, kept the team together one more season and gave them a chance to put it all together for Jose. Unfortunately, that did not pan out and the team was sold. A lot of people revile Jeffrey Loria, but I have some amount of respect for him for keeping that team together one more year to grieve together and make one last go of it.

The next game against the Mets would be filled with tears and tributes. Dee Gordon‘s upper deck home run amongst the most memorable moments. The team of brothers banded together to honor their fallen teammate. Every player wore number 16 with Fernandez on the back. Not a dry eye in the house. A game none of them, or the fans will ever forget.