Jose Fernandez
Deceased
Conexión con Miami
Fernández revitalized interest in Marlins games during his tenure, with fans showing up in numbers not seen in over a decade. His emergence as a Cuban-American star in Miami created a powerful community connection, with the city discussing naming streets after him and placing tribute plaques throughout the community. His death left a significant void in Miami's sports landscape and the broader Cuban-American community that had embraced him as a beacon of hope.
Acerca de
José Delfín Fernández Gómez was born July 31, 1992 in Santa Clara, Cuba. After three failed defection attempts and imprisonment as a teenager, he successfully escaped to the United States in 2008, heroically saving his mother from drowning during the journey. He attended Braulio Alonso High School in Tampa, Florida and was selected by the Miami Marlins in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft. Fernández made his MLB debut on April 7, 2013 and became known as 'Niño' to teammates and fans for his youthful exuberance. He played for the Marlins from 2013 until his death on September 25, 2016, setting a major league record for consecutive home wins by a single pitcher with his seventeenth such win on the day he died.