By this point you are all aware of the death of the up and coming baseball star and Marlins pitcher, José Fernández. But unless you are serious baseball fan you may not know the story of this inspirational young man.
José Fernández was born in Cuba in 1992 and picked up baseball at a very young age. But when José attempted to defect from Cuba and come to the states he failed twice, both resulting in prison sentences. For most this would have been a stopping point, the limit, most would have given up. Not Fernández. His third attempt to defect from Cuba was successful. Upon his arrival to the United States he stuck with his dream of playing professional baseball and was drafted by the Marlins with the 14th pick of the first round in the 2011 MLB Draft. The rest is history.
The beloved pitcher stepped on the mound for the last time on September 20th, 2016 and played phenomenally. It was five days later the baseball superstar lost his life in a tragic boating accident. Fernández was expected to be a father in February.
Though the life of the José Fernández was short lived, there is something to be gleaned from his story.
Fernández never gave up, and neither should you. It may sound cliché, if at first you don’t succeed try again. But this piece of wisdom proved true to a Cuban born eventual Major League Baseball superstar. José Fernández found something he loved and he chased it, he escaped the grip of a communist nation and was wildly successful in his short life. My message to you is to do the same. Find something you love to do, whether it be travel, photography, baseball, teaching, or anything in between. Once you’ve found your passion the rest should be easy. You’ll never want to put down that ball and glove or that camera, and eventually if you chase your dream for long enough you can and will overcome any adversities that step in your way. José Fernández’s dream came true, and so can yours.
