MIAMI — Early Sunday, Miami Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez died at age 24 in a boating accident off Miami Beach. Fernandez is survived by his family, which includes his grandmother, his mother and his girlfriend, Carla Mendoza, who Fernandez recently revealed was pregnant with their child.
Fernandez's fun-loving and enthusiastic demeanor, both on and off of the field, left a lasting impression on not only the Miami sports community but also the sports world as a whole.
Several prominent South Florida sports figures and teams tweeted out their condolences to Fernandez’s family and friends.
The baseball community also took to social media to mourn the loss of a teammate and competitor that they had grown to respect during his impressive, yet all too short four-year MLB career.
Fellow National League All-Star and Cuban Yoenis Cespedes paid tribute to Fernandez by taping a Mets jersey with Fenandez’s name and number on it in the Mets dugout. The team posted video of the tribute on Twitter.