If you’ve been on Twitter in the past few days, you’ve probably noticed a video of the Miami Marlins’ second-baseman Dee Gordon launching a very emotional home run in the first inning of a game against the New York Mets. A day after his teammate, 24-year-old Jose Fernandez, was tragically killed in a boating accident, Gordon paid tribute by wearing the late pitcher’s No. 16 jersey and taking his first pitch from the right side of home plate (Gordon normally bats left-handed). Later in the at-bat, his shot over the right field wall and subsequent tearful rounding of the bases sent chills down the spines of sports fans everywhere.
It was announced Sunday morning by the U.S. Coast Guard that Fernandez and two friends were killed when their boat crashed into a rock jetty at full speed off the coast of Miami. For a casual baseball fan like myself, the news came as a shock solely because of Fernandez’s youth. Having been named the 2013 MLB Rookie of the Year, it seemed the young ace still had a massive career ahead of him.
However, for the sport of baseball, Fernandez was more than just a young talent. After fleeing the communist Republic of Cuba in 2007 with his mother and sister, he began playing high school baseball in Tampa in hopes of going pro. When he was selected by the Marlins in the 2011 MLB Draft, he helped pave the way for Cuban-American athletes as their presence in professional baseball continued to increase. Additionally, he brought a new wave of hope to baseball fans in Miami, a city with nearly 35 percent of its population comprised of Cuban-Americans.
After the Marlins’ Sunday night game against the Mets was canceled, the team took the field on Monday with Fernandez on their minds. Thus, Gordon’s bomb to start the game meant so much more than a run on the scoreboard. The Marlins were now assured that Fernandez’s legacy could boost them to success, even if it was temporary, in the game for which they all shared a passion. When Fernandez’s childhood friend and St. Louis Cardinals’ shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who had missed his team’s game the previous day to be with the family, blasted a go-ahead grand slam in a 12-5 win Tuesday night, that assurance had spread across the entire sport of baseball.
Throughout the major leagues, those affected by Fernandez’s life have voiced their collective sadness. None, however, have denied the impact he had on baseball in just a few years’ time. Some even believe that his spirit still takes the field every night in support of those who continue to live out his dream.
Gordon said it best when asked about his home run: “I ain’t ever hit a ball that far, even in (batting practice). For that to happen today, we had some help.” If nothing else, Fernandez surely was looking on with a smile as Gordon rounded the bases.
