Jose Fernandez, Ace Miami Marlins Pitcher, Killed in Boating Accident

Baseball mourns the tragic, too-soon loss of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who thrilled and delighted fans over four stellar seasons.

It can be easy for even the most ardent fan to forget the real point of sports. You get consumed by the adrenaline and competitive spirit, the visceral elation of seeing athletes perform seemingly superhuman feats, and you lose sight of the fact that athletes aren’t actually superhuman. They may be extraordinarily talented, but at the end of the day, they’re still human.

The baseball world received a cruel reminder of this fact on Sunday morning, when the Miami Marlins confirmed that Jose Fernandez, their 24-year-old star pitcher, had died in a boating accident.

Lorenzo Veloz, an official from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said that the U.S. Coast Guard found a fishing boat capsized on rocks off Miami Beach. Two other men, Emilio Jesus Machias and Eduardo Rivero, died in the crash as well.

The Marlins released a brief statement, announcing that that afternoon’s game against the Atlanta Braves had been canceled:

Later, they hosted an emotional press conference attended by team president David Samson, president of baseball operations Michael Hill, manager Don Mattingly, and all the Miami players and coaches. Relief pitcher Mike Dunn held up Fernandez’s jersey, with its No. 16 stitched in bright orange.

“This is not about today or tomorrow,” Samson said. “Jose is a member of this family for all time, and a member of the city of Miami and all of South Florida, all of Cuban Americans. His story is representative of the story of hope and love and faith, and no one will ever let that story die.”

Across baseball, shock and grief erupted. Many of Fernandez’s teammates shared their thoughts on social media. Others offered condolences for Fernandez’s family, including his unborn daughter. Fans and the grounds crew at Marlins Park created impromptu memorials. Before each of the MLB games played that day, teams held a moment of silence.

MIAMI, FL – SEPTEMBER 25: Flowers, a hat and the number of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez is shown on the pitching mound at Marlins Park on September 25, 2016 in Miami, Florida. Fernandez died in a boating accident. (Photo by Joe Skipper/Getty Images)

There’s no question that Fernandez was one of baseball’s most promising talents, a fire-throwing right-hander who boasted a wicked slider. Over 76 MLB starts, he posted a 38-17 record, with a 29-2 record at home. This season, he had a 16-8 record with a 2.86 ERA and a franchise-best 253 strikeouts. In four major-league seasons, including one shortened by a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery, he was an All-Star twice.

Yet, for the most part, Sunday’s laments focused on his personal achievements. Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, Fernandez tried defecting to the United States three times before finally succeeding with his mother in 2008. His story of secrecy and danger has become increasingly familiar as Caribbean players grow increasingly prominent in MLB (other defectors include Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers and Jose Abreu of the White Sox). In 2013, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria helped to arrange a surprise reunion between Fernandez and his grandmother, who had stayed in Cuba and whom he hadn’t seen since he was 15.

Despite the difficulties he endured along the way, once he reached the majors, Fernandez quickly endeared himself to fans and fellow players, thanks to his boundless enthusiasm. He was the kind of guy who celebrated a teammate’s walk-off home run as if it were his own, who smiled during an on-field scuffle, who didn’t hesitate to show his happiness and pride. Even if you were rooting for the opposing team, you rooted for him, because really, how could you not? It was fun seeing him have fun.

Next: ESPN Signs Sarah Spain To Multi-Year Contract With Perks

So, even as his death reminds us that sports, like life, are transient events and not entirely fair, his life reminded us to enjoy them while they lasted. Jose Fernandez was why we watch in the first place.