Reporting from Miami — Jose Fernandez, the pitching ace who as a teenager survived a harrowing escape from his native Cuba to become one of the brightest young stars in baseball, was found dead early Sunday morning after a boat crash on the jetty rocks off Miami Beach. He was 24.
Fernandez, a two-time All-Star and the 2013 National League rookie of the year, was the ebullient face of the Miami Marlins franchise and his passing was acknowledged around Major League Baseball.
Some players penned remembrances on their caps or cleats while others turned to social media to express their emotions. In Tampa, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz asked the Rays to cancel a pregame ceremony in his honor to instead offer a moment of silence for Fernandez.
“As you see around you, there are no words to describe how this organization feels,” Marlins President David Samson said at a news conference attended by every Miami player and coach, plus other team personnel.
“There’s no playbook. There’s no words of consolation. There’s prayer and there’s thought toward his family, toward his soon-to-be-born daughter. You realize how precious life is, how taking things for granted is a foolish man’s game.”
The Marlins and Atlanta Braves canceled their Sunday afternoon game at Marlins Park, but scores of fans — many of them tearful — showed up to pay tribute to Fernandez. They formed a makeshift shrine of flowers and handwritten notes outside one of the stadium’s entrances.
“Jose was the leader of this team, and we should also remember the risks he took to pursue the American dream,” said Brett McMurrain, a manager for a food distributor, referring to Fernandez’s three failed attempts to reach the United States by sea before succeeding in 2008.
“He is an example for us in this country to be inclusive. That is really important.”
Inside the ballpark, first-year Marlins Manager Don Mattingly broke down several times during a news conference.
“When I think about Jose it’s going to be thinking of that little kid,” he said, pausing as he wiped away tears. “I see such a little boy in him when . . . the way he played . . . just joy with him when he played . . . and when he pitched.”
Fernandez was one of three men killed in the accident. The other two had not been publicly identified as of Sunday night, but one was the son of a Miami-Dade Police detective, the department said.
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Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon stands in front of a memorial on the pitcher’s mound at Marlins Park for pitcher Jose Fernandez after the Marlins ace was killed in a boating accident early Sunday morning. (Gaston De Cardenas / Associated Press)
A routine Coast Guard patrol spotted the wreckage about 3:15 a.m., U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Megan Dean said. There was no indication of alcohol or illegal drugs, said officer Lorenzo Veloz of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“It does appear that speed was involved due to the impact and severity of it,” said Veloz, speaking at a news briefing at the U.S. Coast Guard station on Miami Beach. None of the victims was wearing a life jacket.
The boat is owned by one of the other two men who died, and the owner often took Marlins players out on the boat, Veloz said.
“Unfortunately, sometimes at night you deviate, because there are no lights out there and you can’t see anything, so we’re going to look into that and find out more,” Veloz said.
Among those who watched solemnly as the wrecked vessel was towed away were several fans wearing orange No. 16 Fernandez jerseys.
At Marlins Park, the video board in center field, as well as electronic signage outside the stadium, went all black with orange lettering of Fernandez’s name and number.
On the mound, the grounds crew stenciled in a white “16.” Someone added a Marlins hat and flowers. The team store was open, and many fans snapped up Fernandez T-shirts and jerseys.
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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez gestures to the stands after the Marlins defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, in Miami. Fernandez tied a career high with 14 strikeouts. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee / AP)
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Miami Marlins’ Jose Fernandez smiles as he takes batting practice before the start of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee / AP)
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Miami Marlins’ Jose Fernandez pitches against the Washington Nationals in the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) (Alan Diaz / AP)
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Miami Marlins’ Jose Fernandez looks out from the dugout during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 9, 2016, in Miami.
(Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) 5/31
Jose Fernandez returned from Tommy John surgery, and despite a setback in August with a biceps strain, returned to the dominant form prior to his 2014 elbow injury, finishing 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA. He set a major league record by extending his career mark at Marlins Park to 17-0.
(David Santiago / AP) 6/31
Miami Marlins’ Tom Koehler douses teammate Jose Fernandez after they defeated the the Atlanta Braves 12-11 in a baseball game on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in Miami. Fernandez became the first pitcher in the modern era to win his first 17 career home decisions. (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT (David Santiago / AP)
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Jose Fernandez was a comet across the sky – rookie of the year, two-time All-Star, 38-17 record, 2.58 earned-run average and a life story that made him a symbol of hope to Cuban-Americans in South Florida. All of which makes his career read like an incomplete sentence considering he died in a boat crash at 24.
(Rob Foldy / Getty Images) 8/31
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez laughs after throwing during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky / AP)
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Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins pitches during the game against the Cincinnati Reds.
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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, left, leaves the dugout with Marlins owner and CEO Jeffrey Loria, after the Marlins defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers during a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee / AP)
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Miami Marlins’ Jose Fernandez, right, talks with Atlanta Braves catcher Tyler Flowers after Atlanta reliever Jose Ramirez threw inside to Fernandez in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Atlanta, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016. The benches for both teams emptied in the seventh inning after the pitch to Fernandez, who had been knocked to the ground by a pitch from Teheran in the fifth. No punches were thrown and Ramirez was ejected. (AP Photo/David Goldman) (David Goldman / AP)
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Marlins ace Jose Fernandez died Sunday.
(Wilfredo Lee / AP) 13/31
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 14: Jose Fernandez #16 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the first inning to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on September 14, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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MIAMI, FL - JULY 09: Jose Fernandez #16 of the Miami Marlins pitches during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Marlins Park on July 9, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 538586497 (Rob Foldy / Getty Images)
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Contract status: One-year, $651,000; first-time arbitration-eligible after 2015. Good stat: In 26 career starts, has allowed as many as four earned runs in a game five times. Bad stat: Per PITCHf/x, from 2013 to 2014 began relying considerably more on his slider (12.7 percent to 21.3 percent) than his fastball (57.3 percent to 52.2 percent). Comment: The 2013 NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award runner-up, Fernandez will open the season on the disabled list as he concludes his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He could make his 2015 debut as early as late June. (Jeff Roberson / AP)
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Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez takes the “Oath of Allegiance” as he becomes a U.S. citizen during a naturalization ceremony Friday, April 24, 2015, in Miami. (J Pat Carter / AP)
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MIAMI, FL - JULY 09: Jose Fernandez #16 of the Miami Marlins looks on during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Marlins Park on July 9, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 538586497 (Rob Foldy / Getty Images)
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PHOENIX, AZ - JULY 22: Jose Fernandez #16 of the Miami Marlins stands on deck during the second inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 22, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 538587105 (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez walks to the dugout before a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky / AP)
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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez gets set to throw in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky / AP)
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Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, left, talks with hitting coach Barry Bonds during a spring training baseball workout Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, in Jupiter, Fla.
(Jeff Roberson / AP) 22/31
MIAMI, FL - JULY 23: Jose Fernandez #16 of the Miami Marlins hits an RBI single during a game against the New York Mets at Marlins Park on July 23, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
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Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, right, talks with fellow pitcher Jose Urena during spring training baseball practice Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, in Jupiter, Fla.
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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) laughs with third baseman Martin Prado after striking out the New York Mets’ first batter, Alejandro De Aza, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 5, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky / AP)
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Miami Marlins’ Jose Fernandez delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee / AP)
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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Sunday, June 26, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky / AP)
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MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 24: Eric Hosmer #35 of the Kansas City Royals and Jose Fernandez #16 of the Miami Marlins smile from first base during the game at Marlins Park on August 24, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Rob Foldy / Getty Images)
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Miami Marlins’ Jose Fernandez wipes his face in the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, June 14, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) ( / AP)
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Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley) ( / AP)
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Miami Marlins’ Jose Fernandez pitches against the Washington Nationals in the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, in Miami. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) (Alan Diaz / AP)
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MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 20: Jose Fernandez #16 of the Miami Marlins pitches during the game against the Washington Nationals at Marlins Park on September 20, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Rob Foldy / Getty Images)
Fernandez was the Marlins’ first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2011 amateur draft. Through his four-year career he posted a 38-17 record and 2.58 earned-run average. This season, Fernandez struck out 12.49 batters per nine innings, the fifth-best average in the last 100 years.
“Sadly, the brightest lights are often the ones that extinguish the fastest,” Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. “Jose left us far too soon, but his memory will endure in all of us.”
In Los Angeles, Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez recalled his former Marlins teammate’s “unique passion for the game” and spoke of what a hero the young pitcher was in Cuba.
Hernandez said his grandfather recalled that every time Fernandez pitched “the entire country stopped and watched or listened on the radio.”
In a radio-television simulcast, Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully quoted a tweet Fernandez wrote last year:
“If you were given a book with the story of your life, would you read the end?”
Healey and Clary are staff writers with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, as is Linda Trischitta, who contributed to this report. Times staff writers Dylan Hernandez and Mike Hiserman contributed from Los Angeles.
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UPDATES:
9:08 a.m.: This post was updated with reporting from the Sun Sentinel.
6:56 a.m.: This post has been updated with details throughout.
An Associated Press report was originally published at 6:25 a.m.
