Miami Marlins Pitcher Jose Fernandez Had Cocaine, Alcohol in System at Time of Death: Reports

MIAMI, FL — Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez had cocaine in his system and was intoxicated at the time of his September death. A toxicology report released Saturday indicated the standout pitcher, who attended Tampa’s Alonso High School, had a blood-alcohol content of nearly twice the legal limit.

Fernandez, 24, died in the early morning hours of Sept. 25 when the 32-foot boat he was on crashed into a jetty in Miami Beach. Eduardo Rivero, 25, and Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, also died in the crash that rocked not only the baseball world, but also the Tampa and Miami communities.

Saturday’s release of the toxicology reports came after a legal dispute erupted involving the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Miami Herald.

See also: Jose Fernandez Remembered as ‘Special’ Player by High School Coach

The county was prepared to release the report earlier but was informed FWC was conducting a criminal investigation into the death. That agency wanted the county to abstain from releasing the autopsy and toxicology reports until its investigation was concluded, a statement from Miami Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said.

The Miami Herald filed a lawsuit against the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner for the release of the report. When FWC wouldn’t join the public records suit as a co-defendant, the county opted to release the report, Gimenez said.

“Because our role in this matter is complete and Fish and Wildlife has the responsibility to prove an active criminal investigation, I have directed the Medical Examiner to fulfill public records request for the autopsy and toxicology reports today,” Gimenez said Saturday.

See also: Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins Pitcher, 2 Others Killed in Boating Accident

Those reports revealed Fernandez’s intoxication. His blood alcohol content was 0.147, which is well above the legal limit of .08, the Herald reported. The reports also indicated that both Rivero and Macias had alcohol in their systems at the time of their deaths, but neither was legally drunk. Rivero also had cocaine in his system, the Herald added.

FWC’s investigation into the September crash remains active. It remains unclear if Fernandez was driving the boat. He was its owner, however.

An affidavit released earlier this week indicated that Fernandez and his two friends had been drinking at the time of the crash. The report indicated the three had a “strong odor of alcohol emanating from them.”

See also: Miami Marlins' Pitcher Jose Fernandez and 2 Others Killed in Boating Crash Had 'Strong Odor of Alcohol'

According to the affidavit, the three men were at a bar before the crash. A receipt for alcohol purchased at the bar was found in the pocket of one of the occupants. The affidavit does not mention a cause of death, but the associate medical examiner is quoted as saying all three males died with water in their lungs and had blunt trauma consistent with death from a boating collision.

Fernandez, a native of Cuba, had strong ties to Tampa. He attended Alonso High School and was a standout member of the Ravens baseball team.

News of Fernandez’s death rocked the Tampa Bay area and the Alonso High School community. Alonso High's baseball coach since the school opened in 2001, Landy Faedo, coached Fernandez from 2009 to 2011. Fernandez attended Alonso after he, his mother and sister defected from Cuba after three attempts.

“When I first saw him, I knew he was special,” Faedo told Patch after Fernandez’s death. “I had no doubt that he was going to be drafted and play pro ball.”

That prediction came true when he was drafted in the first round by the Miami Marlins in 2011. Fernandez quickly advanced through the minor leagues and made the Opening Day roster in 2013.

Fernandez has been described as a pillar of the Miami community. That assessment held true in Tampa, as well, Faedo said.

“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.”

With reporting by Amanda Lamela and Feroze Dhanoa

Main Image Credit: Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr, Creative Commons