As everyone who follows baseball or the news knows Jose Fernandez, an All-Star pitcher for the Miami Marlins was killed early Sunday morning in a South Florida boating accident.
Miami cancelled their game on Sunday, but played on Monday against the New York Mets. Players for the Marlins honored Fernandez by all wearing his No. 16 jersey. Following the game, the players left the game ball and all their hats from the game on the pitcher’s mound.
Prior to the game, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said that no other player for the Marlins would wear the No. 16 ever again.
In addition, it is not as if another player wills every want to put the number on any time in the near future.
Miami has only retired one number, that was 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, and that was done by each of the 30 MLB teams.
There may be a time that the Marlins eventually retire the No. 16 of Fernandez through an official event. The team will hold their own internal talks at some point to determine what they feel is the best way to honor the late pitcher, even beyond just retiring his jersey number.
Though he was just 24, the young hurler already had two of the franchise’s best individual seasons for a pitcher. The two-time All-Star was the Rookie of the Year and will likely be in the top five for the Cy Young award for the second time this season.
This season, his 253 strikeouts shattered the 209 that was the previous record of the franchise.
Of course, it is much more than just that. It is about the defection of Fernandez from Cuba, his rise from a Miami community of Cuban Americans to stardom. His involvement with his community and a personality that was infectious to all around him.
His number may not officially be retired anytime soon, as the grieving process over his death has just begun, but rest assured that no on the club will wear the No. 16 and that one day the Marlins organization will officially announce an event to retire it.
