On September 18, 2016, José Fernández, a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, was killed tragically in a boating accident. He was 24 years old. I've read several articles saying how it was "talent wasted" and "he was such a good athlete." José was an athlete, yes, however he was SO much more than that.
I am not a Marlins fan, but I was a fan of his. You could tell how full of life he was and how much others loved him. He won Rookie of the Year, he was elected to the All Star team twice, he had an almost unheard of record of 29-2 at home, but that's not what matters.
He was born in Cuba with a dream of being a major league baseball player. He knew for that to become a reality he had to get out, so he tried to defect, four times, getting arrested once. On the fourth try, he was successful. On one of those tries, he jumped in the water to save his mother from drowning, but that's not the impressive thing; when he jumped in, he did not know that it was his mother.
Not only was he selfless, he was kind. There was a video on Instagram showing Fernández giving a young boy an autograph and asking the boy for his, and I don't know any other athlete that would take time out of his day to have a sweet encounter like that one with a young, innocent boy.
Not only were his family and Marlins fans affected by his death, baseball fans were affected, Cubans who had never met him, people who weren't even fans of baseball but witnessed the joy he brought to others just by being around them, were also affected.
Fernández just recently found out he was going to be a father to a little girl, that little girl will never get to meet her happy, funny, caring, kind father that everyone sings the praises of. His mother and grandmother who he was so close to will never get to hug their loved one again. His teammates will never get to joke around in the clubhouse again.
José Fernández was not just a pitcher: he was a father, a boy friend, a son, a grandson, a teammate, a friend and a light showing people that no matter what challenges you face, no matter who says you can't do something, if you want it bad enough, you can achieve your dreams.
More impressive than his baseball ability was his ability to make people laugh, whether he was getting arrested by the Phillie Phanatic, laughing with Barry Bonds or tricking a fan into thinking someone had thrown a ball to them, he was always able to put a smile on your face without even trying.
He will be missed for his huge smile and his electric personality, his generosity and his evident love he had for his mother and his grandmother.
José Fernandez was not just a pitcher, he was the American Dream and he will be greatly missed.
