The Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball were rocked on Sunday morning upon hearing the news of the death of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez.
Fernandez died in a boating accident in Florida early Sunday morning. He was 24.
The All-Star pitcher was seemingly destined for greatness and a long, prosperous career. This season, he was 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA. In three MLB seasons, he was 38-17 with a 2.58 ERA.
News of his death hit home for many of the Rockies, who were on the other side of the country preparing to finish a four-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.
“It’s one of those moments in time where you read the headlines and see the news and it still doesn’t seem real,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss told reporters before Sunday’s game. “It’s an unspeakable tragedy that’s going to stay with everyone within the baseball community for a while. It’s not something we’ll get over quickly.”
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Several members of the Rockies took to Twitter to express their shock and sadness. Here are a few of their comments…
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“Having family in Cuba, I know what he went through to get here. My family is hurting for him,” Nolan Arenado said of Fernandez before Sunday’s game. “He brought out the Cuban side of the game. He had some serious swagger to him. It was a battle every time you faced him. It’s a sad day for baseball.”