“When I think about José it’s going to be thinking about that little kid. I saw such a little boy in him with the way he played…he had the joy of a little leaguer when he played,” said Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly after he and the rest of the baseball world found out that 24-year-old Marlins star José Fernández died in a tragic boating accident in the early hours of the morning on September 25, 2016.

At around 3 AM that Sunday morning, a boat was found capsized on a jetty near Miami Beach, and there were three bodies found. One of those bodies was of José Fernández, who was the Miami Marlins’ ace pitcher and an All-Star twice. He had a 29-2 record at home during his career and won 24 of his first 25 starts at home. But to the people who knew him on a personal level, the Marlins weren’t losing just their ace pitcher- they were losing the best person anyone could ask for and a beacon of light for many.

José was born and raised in Cuba, one of the most oppressed nations in the world and to get out of there he attempted to defect to America three unsuccessful times, and even spent time in prison. But at age 15, he and his mother finally got to America, where he realized his true baseball potential and was drafted in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft.

When he got to the majors, he struck up enough money to buy his mother a new house, and he even got his grandmother out of Cuba as well. These were some of the things he was proud of most in life, which just shows you just how big his heart really was.

The baseball world was incredibly shaken at the learning of this tragedy and the Marlins’ game that day was cancelled in respect for José and the rest of the Marlin players coping with this immense loss. However, when the Marlins came to play the next day, something extraordinary happened in the very first inning against the Mets.

Dee Gordon, Marlins’ second basemen and close friend of Fernández, led off the bottom of the 1^st inning, wearing José’s helmet on the first pitch of the at-bat. Then on the very next pitch, he crushed an upper deck home-run that sparked a convincing 7-3 win that night. As Gordon made his way around the bases, anyone watching the game could see the incredible tears streaming down his face, saluting to José as he crossed home plate as well.

At the end of the victory, the Marlins players (all wearing number 16 for José) came to the pitcher’s mound and laid their hats down for him. Fellow Marlin Giancarlo Stanton gave a heartfelt speech on the mound that perfectly summed up how everyone was feeling that night.

Despite all of this happening in South Beach, the effects are also felt even here in WHB. I talked with fellow WHBHS baseball player Ben Osborne about the loss of José Fernández and he said, “It was heartbreaking news. I was speechless when I found out and it’s really impacted not only the way MLB, but everyone goes about life. He was not only a stellar pitcher but a role model as well. On and off the field he did good things.”

The family of José Fernández had a service for his death later that week, which was filled with heartfelt speeches by Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria, José’s agent Scott Boras, and fellow teammate and outfielder Marcell Ozuna. The church was filled with Marlins players and even players from other teams, which again shows how much he meant to the entire baseball community.

Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in baseball in 1947, once said “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” I think a lot of people will look back on José Fernández and see that this quote perfectly sums up his impact on baseball, and life for the people who had the privilege of knowing this great man.