The Good Ones Always Go Early

Multiple Attempts to Escape Communism

In life sometimes the saddest stories have humble beginnings. A kid with a golden arm and bright smile was born in 1992 in Santa Clara, Cuba. Life in Cuba is very simple as residents have scarce resources and few material things. Children entertain themselves mostly with baseball. One kid mastered the art of throwing and developed a dream of being a major league in the United States. Jose Fernandez would attempt to escape Cuba on three different occasions and failed, which resulted in being jailed each and every time as a youth. On the fourth attempt, he was successful, but not without being challenged. As a 15 year old finally close to reaching freedom, his mother would fall over board and nearly drown in turbalent waters. He would jump off the boat to save his mother, and during this trip they would reach Mexico for their first taste of freedom in their lives. From here they would eventually relocate to Tampa, Florida and become a US Citizen. After attending high school in Tampa, it was obvious this kid was talented and people were starting to notice.

The Cuban Community in Miami Have A Rising Star

Jose Fernandez would be drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2011. By the 2013 season, he would be recalled to the Majors as a 21 year old with some nasty stuff. As a rookie he would go on to win NL Rookie of the Year and end up 3rd in Cy Young voting. He showed the poise of a potential ace and even represented the Marlins at the All-Star game. During this time the Miami Marlins attained a 2 year Visa for his grandmother Olga, and surprised him on a day he was due to pitch. This would be the first time his grandmom would see him pitch in the Majors, and it was one of the happiest moments in Jose’s life. The Cuban community instantly fell in love with Miami’s new flamethrower. In 2014, Jose had developed the same elbow injury that plagues most pitchers. After a Tommy John surgery, he was able to make a few brief appearances in 2015. But in 2016 he was able to regain his form and made the All-Star team again for the 2nd time at the ripe age of 23. The Miami Marlins would see a boost of 30% ticket sales on days Jose would pitch. Jose played the game with joy and always had a huge smile. His teammates would say his energy was contagious. He was joyful in everything he would do in life. He would often do charitable events in South Florida and do spanish interviews for Univsion and Telemundo. Every Cuban house hold in Miami felt pride in him regardless if they followed baseball closely or not.

A Boat Provided The American Dream – A Boat Also Took His Life

As the 2016 season was coming to a close, Jose Fernandez had 16 wins and an ERA of 2.86. He was closing in on 20 wins for the year, which is an amazing milestone for any pitcher under the age of 25. His most recent performance was an 8 inning shutout with 12 strikeouts in which the Marlins won 1-0. He was due to sign a $200 million contract in the off season. His girlfriend was pregnant with a girl and he was expected to become a first time father. Things were looking good for the young Cuban Titan. Then on the early hours of Sunday morning the city of Miami would of been robbed of the most promising figures in it’s history. On the jetty off government cut in Miami Beach, Jose Fernandez and two friends would be found by the Coast Guard near a flipped boat. Jose Fernandez lost his life on the dark rocks sticking out deep into the ocean. The Marlins would lose their ace. A family would lose a loved one. And the city of Miami and the Cuban community lost one of the brightest stars it could of ever had. Details are still emerging but it is believed alcohol and drugs were not a factor. It is believed the boat was going towards the coast in high speeds and the boat hit the rocks. The impact against the rocks and not drowning was the official cause of death. On Sunday the Marlins would cancel their game. And on Monday the Marlins hosted Jose Day in which all Marlins players wore number 16 with the name Fernandez on the back. The team retired the number 16 jersey, never to be worn again. It was an emotional night, evidenced by Dee Gordon leading off with a home run and breaking down in tears after passing home plate. The Marlins would go on to win 7-3 on this night, but it will be years before they ever land another young superstar that lived life with a smile on his face.