Thank you Jose.
Really tough day for baseball fans everywhere, as a kid we all came to know and love passed away in a tragic boating accident off of Miami Beach. Jose Fernandez loved baseball and played it as it should be played, with unbridled joy and happiness for every game. Everyone can learn a lesson from this guy who lived life one moment at a time. He was a beacon of hope for South Florida and Cubans everywhere, a shining star that burnt out way too soon. He is a representation of why sports are so polarizing. There are the comeback stories, the underdog victories that keep us going and give us faith or there are these stories that rip the heart right out of your chest. He deserved so much better than this. A man with his kindness and presence was a gift to us all. A gift taken from the world much too soon. This is why sports are more than "just a game". He used his gift to improve the lives of those around him in so many ways. He didn't deserve the fate that became of him. Jose Fernandez will unfortunately be pushed into the category of those athletes gone too soon. Len Bias, Ben Wilson, Pat Tillman, Nick Adenhart, Oscar Taveras, Sam Foltz, Jose Fernandez. A list no one wants to see. Jose deserved so much more than this; all of them did. Forever lost, maybe to be found one day in a place we can't imagine. For now, we are left with a hole in our hearts and a ghost on the mound. We lost a man with unlimited potential in every facet of his life. A great pitcher, an even better man. Thank you Jose for the gift that you gave all of us every 5 days and the kindness you provided every day. The game will never be the same and we are left with the memories of a man who would have been one of the greatest. Hell, he is one of the greatest. Thank you Jose, you can rest now but the game will miss you. The world will miss you. Goodbye Jose, throw some heaters in heaven for us.
