Jose Fernandez, the pitcher for the Miami Marlins baseball team, has died in a boating accident aged 24. The star player, who was one of the most prominent faces in baseball, was killed when his boat hit rocks at Miami Beach at high speeds before overturning.
We are stunned and devastated by the tragic news that Jose Fernandez, 24, has died in a boating accident. https://t.co/QIBcnIYJ1i pic.twitter.com/SDZoL6NMEb
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2016
Emergency crews reportedly responded to the scene at 3:30am on Sunday, confirming that Fernandez was killed in the accident alongside two other men. The other men have not been identified.
“All of baseball is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
Fernandez was one of the biggest stars in the sport, and TIME magazine describes his passing as a “gut punch to baseball”. His 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings is the fifth-best mark for a starting pitcher in history, and his youthful energy was often praised as a way to connect the sport to a dwindling younger audience.
My favorite Jose Fernandez highlight.????
Tulo: “Did you catch that?”
Jose: “Yes. Yes I did.” https://t.co/QI6ZThDoAc
— SPORTS ONLINE (@SportsOnIine) September 25, 2016
RIP.
Source: Daily Mail.
Photo: Getty Images.
