Marlins P Jose Fernandez has Died

[DougLindsay]

As the result of a boating accident per multiple sources.

[phillychuck]

Rest in peace, Jose. It's always so tragic when a young person dies. He was a Cy Young candidate this season--what a crying shame.

[Dirk41]

Such a tragedy. One of the reasons I picked up Mlb.tv, but further, one of the emerging faces of the game. So resilient in coming back from his injuries. This hurts. Prayers to his girlfriend who he just had posted is pregnant right now.

[Jay_Baller]

Terrible, terrible news. I feel so bad.

[LA_s_Shallow_Thought]

As someone who became a father 2 weeks ago, this really hits close to home. Awful, awful news for a guy who had Cy Young potential.

[Philsmania]

Rest in peace.

[Lawman]

Fernandez Dead Due to Boating Accident

Fernandez, one of the best young players in baseball, was one of three people killed in the crash. The boat crashed into rocks and was found capsized by search and rescue teams around 3 a.m. The three victims were found dead when authorities arrived on the scene. Two victims were under the boat and one was on the rocks. None of them were wearing life vests.

Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the crash.

[donaldorc]

What an awful tragedy. So sorry for his girlfriend and his family.

[kmc1019]

No words to describe the loss of this young person and rare talent, and made even worse by his importance to the local community in South Florida.

I appreciate Jayson Stark's perspective on how uniquely talented and effective Fernandez had been so young in age and early in his career:

espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/1763 ... g-been-mlb

[phillychuck]

Marlins honored him in pregame. Then this happened (after Gordon mimicked Jose's stance on the first pitch batting from the right side)

m.mlb.com/video/v1189166883/nymm ... solo-homer

[FMcB]

I'm surprised by how much this loss bums me out. Just a jarring loss.

Also, considering the high level at which he performed - he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. 5 year wait period if you must, but, if they want to waive that & put him in next summer, I really think it would be appropriate.

[donaldorc]

Marlins honored him in pregame. Then this happened (after Gordon mimicked Jose's stance on the first pitch batting from the right side)

m.mlb.com/video/v1189166883/nymm ... solo-homer

Pretty moving!

[Philsmania]

I'm surprised by how much this loss bums me out. Just a jarring loss.

Also, considering the high level at which he performed - he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. 5 year wait period if you must, but, if they want to waive that & put him in next summer, I really think it would be appropriate.

Unfortunately, I must disagree. Death robbed him of the opportunity to build a HOF resume and therein lies another part of the tragedy. Part of getting into the HOF is developing the body of work over many years. Putting Fernandez in for essentially only three years of greatness would do a disservice to all of those who are now in the HOF. Not to be hardhearted, but we will never know, for example, if Fernandez would have injured a shoulder and never been the same at some point within the next couple of years or just declined earlier than we would have imagined he would have. I remember back in (I think) 1988 while watching a Phillies-Mets telecast when Dwight Gooden was pitching for the Mets, Andy Musser said "Many believe that even if he retired now, he would have a good chance at the HOF." Obviously, Gooden is not now in the HOF nor will he ever be after the way his career (and life) went south. Gooden must be considered a "what if he never got into the nose candy". Fernandez, fair or not, will forever have to be a "what if".

[andyb]

I think there is a 10-season limit on the HOF. They waived the waiting period for Kirby Puckett but he had the service time.

[teabag259]

Unfortunately I agree. He should not be in the Hall of Fame. I believe he would've been in the Hall of Fame if he put together for five more years like he is already had.

[schooldoc]

I watched the pre-game tribute and the first couple innings of the Marlins-Mets game last night and...wow.

When the lone trumpeter played "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," I got teary-eyed. Then all the Marlins players wrote inscriptions on the pitcher's mound. All the Mets and Marlins players and coaches embraced, and Giancarlo got the Marlins together for some words and (I'm sure) a prayer before they left the field to get the game started. It was something.

And then, Dee Gordon...what can you say?

I gotta give props to the Mets' announcers. Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez handled it great. When Cohen said words to the effect of, "I don't care who you are, who you root for, or how much you want the Mets to win this game, THAT was fantastic" after Gordon's HR, he nailed it 100 percent. Perfect.

[donaldorc]

Read somewhere that Gordon said he rarely hits balls that far in batting practice . . . credited the supernatural for his feat.

[bkeich]

This is just a sad event, a young guy who had gone through a great deal and his life lost pointlessly. There have been many deaths of athletes, but not many like this were a future superstar was lost, and this kid was well on his way to superstar status.

Sorry, but I don't agree with putting him in the HOF, sadly his career just doesn't justify that. It would have.

When I lived on the gulf coast there was a proposed law to outlaw the use of speed boats between 12am and 5 am. This seems like another argument for that. (I don't know what type of boat he as on)

[julio]

This is just a sad event, a young guy who had gone through a great deal and his life lost pointlessly. There have been many deaths of athletes, but not many like this were a future superstar was lost, and this kid was well on his way to superstar status.

Sorry, but I don't agree with putting him in the HOF, sadly his career just doesn't justify that. It would have.

When I lived on the gulf coast there was a proposed law to outlaw the use of speed boats between 12am and 5 am. This seems like another argument for that. (I don't know what type of boat he as on)

32-foot SeaVee center console high-performance fishing craft. Depending on the engines, max speed ~ 50 mph.

[phillychuck]

Pretty speedy fishing boat. 50 mph is not a safe speed in dangerous waters at 3:00 AM...so sad.