MIAMI, United States. — This September 25 marks six years since the death of Cuban Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández, who in a few years became one of the icons of the City of the Sun.
Fernandez lost his life in a maritime accident in Miami Beach, Florida, when he was just 24 years old and a successful career that pointed to the Hall of Fame.
Fernandez’s boat (Kaught Looking) was found by the Coast Guard around three in the morning. The boat was overturned on a pier near South Point.
There, the rescue teams found the lifeless bodies of Fernández and his friends Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesús Macías.
After his death, Fernández received a heartfelt tribute from the entire city and the Miami Marlins franchise.
“Today marks six years since that terrible night in which José Fernández died. Even if you try to omit the image of him, the legacy of ‘Dolphin’ remains intact: an eternal Hall of Fame of hearts, “he wrote in social networks the writer and journalist specialized in baseball Francys Romero.
Despite the infinite and almost unanimous love of baseball fans for Fernández, the circumstances surrounding his death and that of his two friends continue to generate controversy.
A report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission indicated that Fernandez was intoxicated and had used cocaine when the fatal accident occurred.
The results of the investigation confirmed the responsibility of the young star in the incident, a fact that generated disagreements between the families of the deceased.
The reaction to the results of the investigation did not stop there. The following management of the Miami Marlins, headed then by the ex-player of the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter, was taking Fernández’s image out of circulation with the supposed objective of cleaning up the image of the franchise. In that sense, the club also canceled its plans to honor the late pitcher with a street and a park in his honor.
On the events regarding the death of José Fernández and his legacy in baseball, The New Herald published a editorial on March 17, 2017 in which he highlighted, above all, the human value of the pitcher over the circumstances that led to his death and that of the other two young people.
“Fernandez was charismatic and friendly, and the fans loved watching him pitch. He was fearless on the mound, and that jubilant abandonment that made him so promising probably caused the tragedy that night. Those who criticize that he had used drugs should remember that he was a hero, but above all a human being, ”said the Miami newspaper on that occasion.
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