The news of Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández’s death comes as both a shock and a great tragedy. Not just because he was so young, nor because he was proving himself to be one of the best emerging players in Major League Baseball. It is the story of Fernández’s history, of his commitment to a dream now lost to the waters of the ocean off Miami, that make this tale so heartbreaking.
José Fernández was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, and pursued a career in baseball from an early age, thanks to the encouragement of the father and uncle of his long time friend and eventual MLB opponent, St. Louis Cardinal’s Aledmys Díaz.
While he was in his teens, Fernández and his family attempted to defect from Cuba four times. On the first three occasions, they were caught, and handed prison sentences. The fourth and final attempt came when he was just 15. Leaving a hidden cave via speedboat, Fernández, his mother, and sister would eventually join a group heading to Mexico by houseboat.
That night, the seas were rough, and Fernández’s mother was thrown overboard. Courageously, he dived into the ocean after her, saving her life.
Attending high school while training with former Cuban coach Orlando Chinea, Fernández spent the next three years honing his skills. In 2011, his dream was realised when the Marlins picked him up as the 14th overall selection in the draft. He spent the season in the Class A League, ultimately being named Marlins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
He entered the majors in 2013, with Baseball America calling him one of the five best prospects in all of baseball. Initially promoted to appease fans angry at the team for culling major players in the off-season, Fernández quickly proved himself worth more than a token offering. Committed, talented, and professional, it was only his second game when Tampa Bay Rays manager took to Twitter to announce “José Fernández might be the best young pitcher I’ve ever seen, at that age. I believe he will go far”.
A historic rookie season saw Fernández become one of the top 10 players under the age of 21 since 1900. He was named Rookie of the Year, and was reunited with his grandmother, who was flown from Cuba the day before the presentation. “Everything I do, I do for her,” he exclaimed in an emotional interview with MLB.com.
Despite injury, Fernández gave strong performances in 2014 and 2015. He returned in 2016 to play the most successful season of his career. In his final game against the Washington Nationals on September 20th, he cinched a 1-0 victory for Miami. That same day, he took to Instagram to announce that his girlfriend was pregnant.
Five days later, he is gone, having been one of three passengers when it crashed in the early morning on a rock jetty off the coast of Miami.
José Fernández persevered throughout great adversity in pursuit of excellence. Nothing could stand between him and his dream, and nothing did. Although he will never take the field again, his achievements will not be forgotten, nor will the courage and fortitude he inspired in the next generation of baseball stars.