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WEDNESDAY:
MIAMI (AP) -- A hearse carrying the body of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez has been escorted from the team's ballpark by players and personnel.
More than 1,000 people turned out Wednesday to pay tribute to the 24-year-old Fernandez, who died in a boating crash Sunday with two friends.
Many in the crowd chanted "Jose! Jose!" and waved Cuban flags as the hearse passed by. Marlins players, coaches and personnel wore white T-shirts with the letters "RIP" and an image of Fernandez.
A public viewing is scheduled later Wednesday at a Miami-area Catholic church, followed by a private funeral Mass on Thursday.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash early Sunday into a rock jetty off South Beach.
-- The Associated Press
Original story from Evan Grant (Sunday):
OAKLAND, Calif. -- He is from South Florida, of Cuban heritage and a pitcher.
Perhaps no Ranger on Sunday was more aware of who Jose Fernandez was and what he meant to baseball and the city of Miami than Nick Martinez.
"He was the reason people went to Marlins games," said Martinez, who grew up a Miami Marlins fan. "My brother went to watch his start [Tuesday]. He went to see him, not really the Marlins. The impact he had on Miami and the community was something special."
Fernandez, 24, died in a boating accident off Miami Beach early Sunday, sending shock waves throughout baseball. The Marlins canceled their game and moments of silence were held at every stadium, while players took to social media to express their sadness. In Oakland, during the moment of silence, a pair of fans stood in the front row behind home plate holding a Cuban flag; Fernandez left Cuba on a boat in 2008.
Martinez was one of two Rangers to call Fernandez a teammate, though their tenure lasted only a day. They were part of the South Atlantic League All-Star team in 2012. Reliever Sam Dyson spent two-plus seasons with the Marlins. While he said he was not extremely close with Fernandez, the two had worked out together for several weeks one offseason with Fernandez's personal pitching instructor.
And in the tangled world of baseball, Dyson's ties ran a little deeper, too. Both were avid fishermen. Both went to high school in Tampa.
The interconnecting lives of the small, close-knit baseball industry made the loss hit that much harder. If they hadn't been a teammate of Fernandez, they knew somebody was. If they hadn't played with him, they'd played against him.
Cole Hamels faced him twice and allowed the Marlins three runs on seven hits in 14 innings. Fernandez outpitched him, going 13 scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. Fernandez also picked up his first career RBI against Hamels.
"When we hooked up, you knew everybody in our lineup was going to strikeout and he was going to come up big," Hamels said. "He enjoyed the spotlight and he always entertained people. I think anybody who played with him or against him, they knew the passion and intensity he had and the kind of positive person he was. He lived life every day to the fullest."
Said manager Jeff Banister: "We didn't just lose a baseball player, we lost a bright star as a human being. You read his story and he was an exceptional talent and an exceptional person. It's a reminder you aren't guaranteed anything. I heard the news this morning and was sure I wasn't seeing correctly. When I got to the stadium, I came outside and sat in the sun to feel the warmth on my face. I needed to be back in that place. It's absolutely tragic."
