Every Marlins player will don an identical number Monday.
Jose Fernandez’s tragic death in a boating accident Sunday sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball and inspired the Marlins to plan for each player wear Fernandez’s No. 16 against the Mets on Monday.
“Somebody said if Jose were here he would be saying, ‘We’re going to get out there and play and honor the game and honor the people who wish they could play the game but can’t, and honor the oppressed people of Cuba who can’t play this game but want to.’” Marlins president David Samson said, per the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Marlins third baseman Martin Prado acknowledged how hard it will be to play while in grief.
“We’re not robots. We’re humans, and we feel things,” Prado told the Sun Sentinel. “He made an impact on every single person on this team in different ways. Deep in our hearts there’s a lot of pain. In some way we’ve got to overcome that. But right now it’s something that’s hard to explain.”
Fernandez’s bright personality was showcased by several national media outlets Monday.
“As mad as he would make you with some of the stuff he would do, you just see that little kid you see when you watch kids play Little League,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly told the New York Times. “That’s the joy that Jose played with, and the passion he felt about playing. That’s what I think about.”
As somber as the Marlins will be Monday, having a tribute to Fernandez on their back might remind them to keep having fun.
