We’ll move on from Jose Fernandez eventually because life goes on and because Jose would want us to. But today we’re still dealing with the aftermath.
- Just in case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s Dee Gordon’s emotional home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning in the Marlins first game after Fernandez’s death. It’s one of those “It has to have happened in real life because no one would believe it in fiction” moments.
- Gordon called the home run “the best moment of his life.”
- Grant Brisbee calls the moment a perfect tribute to Fernandez.
- Another tribute is coming as the Marlins have announced that they will retire Fernandez’s number 16. He’ll be the first player so honored by the Marlins.
- Several writers have suggested that MLB create a “Jose Fernandez Award” that would be given to the player who best exemplified the spirit and joy of the game. I worry that there are already too many awards and that MLB would sell the sponsorship to a corporation, but it theory, it’s a good idea.
- Because as David Schoenfield writes, Fernandez reminds us about what’s good in baseball.
- Robert O’Connell looks at the entire first game back for the Marlins and calls the game sad, strange but also comfortingly normal.
- Jeff Sullivan calls it a “Beautiful Baseball Game.”
- You may or may not want to read this, but Jeff Passan has the story of what happened the final night of Fernandez’s life. He also writes about the story of the game and the memorial on Monday.
- Passan notes that Fernandez asked several of his teammates to come on the boat trip with him. Marcell Ozuna was one of those that stayed home.
- Also of note, a bag of baseballs signed by Fernandez washed up on shore on Sunday.
- For those of you wondering why we care so much about the passing of someone we never met, Jonah Keri tries to take a stab at explaining why so many of us were so touched by his passing.
- Ben Reiter talks to those who knew him about the passion he brought to the game.
- Dave Cameron can’t wait to tell his son about Fernandez one day. As an aside, my daughter came home from school yesterday and I saw her homework and discovered that they were reading about Roberto Clemente. You better believe I took a moment to sit her down and tell her what a great ballplayer and even better person Clemente was. (I did see Clemente play on TV, but I was very, very young and remember his baseball card that I had more than anything else.)
- Alden Gonzalez writes how much Fernandez meant to South Florida. Also, how he made it acceptable to cheer for the Marlins again.
- One other tribute to Fernandez came from Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who grew up on the same street with Fernandez in Cuba. He left the team to mourn with Fernandez’s family and came back and hit a grand slam in the Cardinals win last night.
- Eduardo Encina had the Tampa Bay area high school sports beat when Fernandez played there. He remembers the cocky kid who played with joy and a passion to learn and get better. It’s worth your time to see the obstacles that Fernandez had to overcome after arriving in America. Also, and rather creepily, Fernandez won an award in high school for spirit and character named after the late Nick Adenhart, who was also taken from us too soon.
- Jamie Ramsey does have a story however that had Fernandez been declared ineligible for his senior season, the Cincinnati Reds were ready to make him a huge offer to sign with them as a free agent. It’s not clear whether MLB would have allowed the signing though.
- On to other topics. Ken Rosenthal writes that some player agents are not happy with the direction the current CBA talks are going in. Of course, they don’t get a say unless they can influence their clients to insist on changes.
- Also, it’s been reported that the Twins have decided on Indians assistant GM Derek Falvey as their new president of baseball operations. And there was much celebrating among Cub fans, as VP Jason McLeod was one of the candidates. But before you celebrate too much, the Diamondbacks job is likely coming open next week.
- Speaking of the Cubs, with so many teams “tanking” this season, David Schoenfield wonders why are the Cubs the only team to win 100 games this year? He does have some suggestions.
- Also, Jay Jaffe looks at the three potential NL Wild Card teams and says the Cubs should most want to face the Cardinals in the NLDS.
- Bob Nightengale notes that the Cardinals can’t run and can’t field but are still in contention.
- The Cardinals got booed at home on Monday. #BFIB
- Jayson Stark has a guide to the final week of the regular season.
- There was a trade yesterday, believe it or not. The Giants acquired Gordon Beckham from the Rays. Grant Brisbee is not sure what the point of that was.
- Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is unlikely to pitch in the NLDS.
- And Nats catcher Wilson Ramos tore his ACL and is out for the rest of the year.
- Jeff Sullivan thinks that these injuries are setting up the Nationals for another playoff disappointment. I’d love to face them in the NLCS.
- The Blue Jays lost reliever Joaquin Benoit for the rest of the season and maybe the playoffs after he tripped running onto the field for an on-field fight. Second baseman Devon Travis was also injured in the melee and is day-to-day.
- Mets pitcher Steven Matz will undergo elbow surgery and will miss the rest of the year.
- Royals pitcher Dillon Gee was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs and shoulder.
- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz praised Yankees fans, saying that “you pulled the best out of me.”
- Andrew Marchand wants fans in the Bronx to give Big Papi a standing ovation, not a Bronx cheer.
- Yankees rookie Gary Sanchez is hitting a lot of home runs in very little time, folks.
- The Marlins have signed Martin Prado to a three-year extension.
- Matt Snyder notes that this makes an already weak winter free agent market even worse.
- Cliff Corcoran breaks down the NL Cy Young Award race.
- Ben Lindbergh tries to find someone to pin the blame on for Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph not having an RBI this season. Someone other than Joseph, of course.
- There was a dramatic proposal at the Yankees game last night when the man (temporarily, thank goodness) lost the engagement ring.
- A look at Pesapallo, baseball’s cousin from Finland.
- And finally, you need to read this article to find out why the World Baseball Classic is so terrific. Lindsey Adler tells you that Pakistan’s national team just wants the world to know they exist. The obstacles the team faced just to make it to Brooklyn were immense. For some players, the WBC was the first time they’d ever used a wood bat. For all of them, it was the first time they’d ever played on a proper baseball field. They weren’t 100% sure of all the rules. But the fact that they stayed on the diamond with teams from Brazil and Great Britain made up of minor leaguers for seven innings felt like a victory to them.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.