By Kyle Boris
It can be difficult to explain how much of an impact someone had once they are gone. Outside of the baseball world, many might not know who Jose Fernandez was. Well, the 24-year old star pitcher who was born in Cuba and fought for years to make it to the United States and eventually to the Major Leagues, really did have a huge impact on the game of baseball in his short time in the league. You wouldn’t be able to tell or comprehend his struggle based on his demeanor or his personality. You can read all about his journey and the difficult road he took to make it to the United States, but the fact is that once his journey was a success, he never took a day for granted and enjoyed every moment he spent on a baseball field.
Jose brought an infectious smile and personality to the game that sometimes could be overlooked. Baseball has a rich history of written rules and non-written rules, but Jose was changing the rules every time he entered the ballpark. He was just a kid living his dream and wanted to enjoy every moment. Jose Fernandez may not be with us anymore, but his spirit and what he brought to the game will stay with Major League Baseball for a long time to come. For now, here are 16 gifs to remember #16 Jose Fernandez by.
When he impressed in his first career start against the Mets
Sometimes his performance was just too hot to handle
And sometimes his stretching just happened to be right on camera
He’d even have the competition smiling
The competition wasn’t always smiling when he was on the mound
He would get into some pre-game hi-jinx with the mascots
And had his coaches laughing
And took the time to take some batting practice
Even though when he faced pitchers, he was sometimes left speechless
Other times he was crushing home runs
But, he could still do this to you
His impressions of his teammates were always on point
And his dancing was even better
His skills always had his opponents amazed
But most of all, he always had fun and brought a smile to the game
We’re all going to miss that.
RIP Jose Fernandez 1992-2016
Kyle Boris is a contributing editor for YourSitch.com
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