The world of sports grieves deeply the loss of two great men

By Brittany Smith
December 13, 2016

Star pitcher for the Miami Marlins, Jose Fernandez, died in a tragic boating accident on Sunday, Sept. 25. That night, Fernandez, just 24 years old, and two of his friends Eduardo Rivero, 25, and Emilio Macias, 27, took a boat out to the coast of Miami Beach where the 32-foot SeaVee struck jetty rocks and flipped over. Officials say that the boat was traveling at a high speed, around 50-60 mph. Officials also said that drugs and alcohol were not present.

During a very emotional news conference the president of the Marlins, David Samson, spoke about the tragic loss.

“There’s no words to describe how this organization feels,” Samson said. “Jose was someone who we’ve known since he was a drafted young man, and I think when you talk about a tragedy like this, there are no words that come to mind. 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 recognize how precious life is and how taking things for granted is a fool’s game.”

Not long before the boating accident, Fernandez announced the pregnancy of his girlfriend and that he would soon be a father. Fernandez made this announcement in a post on his Instagram page.

In honor of their pitcher, the Marlins made the announcement that they will retire Fernandez’s number 16 jersey. Before their game against the New York Mets on Sept. 26, there was an emotional pre-game ceremony with a marching band and choir. For that game, every Marlins player wore a jersey with Fernandez’s name and number on the back. After defeating the Mets 7-3, the Marlins huddled around the pitcher’s mound, prayed and were not afraid to hold back tears. They placed their hats on the mound and exchanged many hugs.

Fernandez was born in Santa Clara, Cuba and had three unsuccessful attempts from his home country before he was eventually successful in 2008. He was picked by the Marlins in the first round of the MLB draft in 2011.

“Jose was the epitome of the American Dream,” head coach for Cabrini University’s baseball team Nick Weisheipl said. “Escaping Cuba after multiple attempts as a young teenager and his ascension to the elite ranks of MLB is a testament to his mental strength, work ethic and commitment to the achievement of a dream. He was a focal point for the Cuban-American community and his death is an incredible loss for baseball worldwide.”

Fernjose-fernandezandez had a tremendous impact while being a part of the Marlins organization. He was their number one pitcher and achieved success quickly after his MLB debut in 2013 which included being named to the 2013 MLB All-Star Game and winning the National League Rookie of the Month Award.

“He took immense joy in the accomplishments of his teammates and played the game with his emotions on his sleeve,” Weisheipl said. “The tribute by his teammates the other night, especially Dee’s Gordon’s actions, shows how much he meant to the brotherhood of the Marlins organization and MLB as a whole.”

Fernandez’s story impacts players and coaches everywhere as an example as to what someone can achieve.

“Getting a call late at night that something has happened to one of my players is the scariest scenario I can think of as a coach,” Weisheipl said. “I constantly remind my team about the importance of decision making, taking care of each other, and being conscious of the ramifications of their choices. I can’t control their every move but I hope my positive guidance steers them clear of danger.”

Sunday, Sept. 25 was a very sad day in the world of sports. Not only did they experience the loss of the young, talented Jose Fernandez, but they also lost one of the most legendary golfers to ever live.

Arnold Palmer, 87, passed away due to complications of the heart, according to Alastair Johnson, his longtime agent and the CEO of Arnold Palmer Enterprises. A man that was nicknamed “The King” had such an legendary impact on the game of golf, and affected so many golfers on every level of the game.

The United States Golf Association made a statement that emphasized the loss that the world of sports, specifically the world of golf, endured with the death of Palmer.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Arnold Palmer, golf’s greatest ambassador,” the United States Golf Association said in a statement. “Arnold Palmer will always be a champion, in every sense of the word. He inspired generations to love golf by sharing his competitive spirit, displaying sportsmanship, caring for golfers and golf fans and serving as a lifelong ambassador for the sport.”

“Arnold Palmer had influenced countless amounts of people to play the game of golf,” sophomore member of the Cabrini golf team David Gall said. “He just shaped the sport into such an enjoyable game to watch and play. I, along with everyone I’ve ever played with, looked up because he was such an amazing role model. It’s such a shame that he passed away, but he definitely left behind a legacy that will be remembered by all.”

Palmer left behind a legacy that will live long after he did. After a professional career of playing the game for over five decades, he collected numerous victories on all fronts. Winning seven major championships, Palmer claimed the Masters four timesarnold-palmer-1, the Open twice and the U.S. Open once.

Fellow sophomore and teammate of Gall, Nick Alizzi, felt the same about Palmer.

“Arnold Palmer impacted the game of golf stronger than any other man to compete on the tour,” Alizzi said. “He popularized the game of golf when it wasn’t seen as a sport to everyone. He was the example that the game could be for anyone. He brought personality to the game with his looks, swagger and charismatic and competitive style of play. He shaped the game to where it is now, and did it with class.”

The world of sports was blessed to have had two amazing athletes to leave such a huge impact behind. Rest in peace Jose Fernandez and Arnold Palmer.

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Brittany Smith

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