On Sunday morning, everyone in the baseball world woke up to the tragic news that all-star pitcher Jose Fernandez has passed away. Absolutely devastating and shocking to the entire nation.
Today, while we all sorrow the passing of a superstar in the league, let’s take some time to celebrate the short career of such an amazing talent to grace a major league field.
Fernandez made his MLB debut in 2013 where he finally made it successfully to the United States after three previous unsuccessful attempts at defecting from Cuba. 2013 was Fernandez’s breakout season, in his rookie year he was 12-6 with a 2.19 ERA. This spectacular performance earned him a spot in the 2013 All-Star game at Citi Field:
As the 2014 season began, Fernandez was considered one of the top pitchers in all of major league baseball, unfortunately, his season was cut short when he had to undergo Tommy John surgery in the beginning of the season. He would miss the rest of the season from May 9th onwards and would not return until July of the following season.
Once Fernandez returned from injury on July 2nd 2015, he had a huge determination to come back and dominate the game like he was doing before his injury, and that he did. He did something in his return that no other pitcher has done before… He hit a home run that helped the Marlins win a 5-4 ballgame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NmKPMuPe5A&feature=player_embedded
Fernandez would then go on to finish the season in spectacular fashion, ending 2015 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA and would provide a huge impact to the Marlins team rejuvenating them and providing them with playoff hopes heading into the 2016 season.
In 2016 Fernandez was having a stellar season going 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA while earning his first all-star appearance and his first full season since 2013. The last start Fernandez had was on Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals, where he pitched eight innings of three-hit baseball and struck out 12 n a 1-0 Miami victory.
Jose Fernandez was the type of player who had so much talent and had such a bright future in the MLB, he had the type of personality and smile that was contagious. Players described him as a remarkable man and a genuine player who had respect for everyone in the game.
On a personal level, I always respected Fernandez for the amount of energy he plays the game with and how he made his journey to America from Cuba. I will deeply miss watching the exciting pitcher on the mound Jose Fernandez.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Fernandez family, he was a remarkable man who made an impact in the game and made a legacy that will carry on forever.
Rest In Peace, Jose Fernandez
