The funeral for 24-year-old Marlins pitching ave Jose Fernandez is today. As close family, friends, and teammates will bury one of baseball’s most promising talents and young men, stories about Fernandez’s impeccable character are beginning to flood the internet.
The story that put a particularly large lump in my throat was the deed Fernandez did when he saw a young boy crying in the stands before the Marlins game a few months back. Fernandez approached the boy and consoled him by asking the boy for his autograph, which immediately plugged up the tears and made the boy feel like a superhero. I’m not sure I’ve been more moved by an athlete unnecessarily going out of his way to make a fan feel special since Lebron gifted a brain damaged Special Olympics bro with his game-worn sneakers during halftime last year.
Jose Fernandez has passed, but deeds like this will help cement his legacy as a great one, both on the field and off.
A Miami mother also posted a story of her 6-year-old son’s interaction with the superstar before a game. The story reportedly left the entirety of the Marlins clubhouse in tears.
The Marlins team walking alongside the hearse carry their teammates body is heartbreaking.
Emotional scene at José Fernández's memorial as teammates, friends and family gather to remember the pitcher. pic.twitter.com/kLpB1zrgKY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 28, 2016
[h/t Bleacher Report]