Jose Fernandez Remembered As ‘Special’ Ballplayer By High School Coach

TAMPA, FL – Alonso High School baseball coach Landy Faedo remembered the first time he saw Jose Fernandez, a young man full of energy whose passion and love was playing baseball.

“When I first met him the first day of trials, he was very focused, very determined and he worked hard,” Faedo said.

An All-Star pitcher for the Florida Marlins, Fernandez was one of three people killed in a boating crash off Miami Beach on Sunday, Sept. 25.

• More at Patch: Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins Pitcher, 2 Others Killed in Boating Accident

Alonso High's baseball coach since opening in 2001, Faedo coached Fernandez from 2009 to 2011, after Fernandez, along with his mother and sister, finally defected from Cuba after three attempts.

Faedo said he has received numerous calls from friends and former baseball players since the news broke Sunday morning. Grief counselors are on hand at Alonso High School on Monday, mainly for the teachers and staff who knew Fernandez.

'I Knew He Was Special'

Fernandez led Alonso to two state championships, once in 2009 and again in 2011, going 13-1 and pitching two no-hitters in his senior season.

“When I first saw him, I knew he was special,” Faedo said. “I had no doubt that he was going to be drafted and play pro ball.”

He was drafted in the first round by the Miami Marlins in 2011, and quickly advanced through the minor leagues and made the Opening Day roster in 2013.

His meteoric rise continued through that year, as he earned a trip to the All-Star Game and the National League Rookie of the Year award. The Marlins’ ace had his 2014 season cut short when he underwent Tommy John surgery. He was out until July 2015.

In 2016, Fernandez once again appeared in the All-Star Game, adjusting his pitching style to include more off-speed pitches to relieve the strain caused by the Tommy John surgery. In his final game on Sept. 20, Fernandez pitched eight shutout innings in a 1-0 victory against the Washington Nationals, striking out 12 batters.

But it wasn’t just baseball skills that were special about Fernandez. “He was a great guy,” Faedo said. “His teammates gravitated toward him. People just gravitated toward him. He was so full of energy and he lived life to the fullest.”

The accounts of his escape from Cuba made Fernandez’s story even more legendary. According to FOX Sports writer Deiter Kurtenbach, Fernandez dove into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico to save his mother, who fell out of their boat. They were also robbed trying to make their way from Mexico into Texas.

Fernandez’s Hispanic heritage also made him a popular figure in the West Tampa area, where Faedo has lived all his life.

“He was very popular, him being of Spanish heritage and with the Spanish people who live out in that area,” Faedo said.

'Pillar to Our Community'

The capsized 32-foot SeaVee center console boat was first spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard around 3:15 a.m. Sunday, officials said. When first responders arrived on the scene, they found two victims under the boat and one in the water nearby, said Lorenzo Veloz, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman.

Although many details of the crash are still under investigation, speed is likely to have been a factor in the crash, although drugs and alcohol did not appear to play a role, Veloz said.

Veloz and other officials gathered at the press conference were visibly shaken at the loss.

"He was a pillar to our community," Veloz said of Fernandez. "He was involved in everything he could to give back."

The sports world also shared its grief and condolences across social media and in displays of respect. The Marlins canceled their game with the Atlanta Braves Sunday. Baseball teams across the country held moments of silence for Fernandez throughout the day, as well as the Miami Dolphins in their home game against the Cleveland Browns.

Retiring Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, a close friend of Fernandez, asked the Tampa Bay Rays to cancel their planned pregame ceremony to honor Ortiz on Sunday. The Rays played a compilation video between innings during the game and honored Ortiz in a private ceremony.

Mike Carraggi and Sherri Lonon contributed to this report.

Image Credit: Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr, Creative Commons