away from Marlins Park in Miamis Little Havana neighborhood. | Forum
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Oct 15 '18
MIAMI -- Somber Miami Marlins players and personnel escorted a hearse carrying the body of star pitcher Jose Fernandez from the teams ballpark Wednesday, as the farewell for their beloved teammate marched on. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Hoodie/ .As players and fans honored Fernandezs memory, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio sought a safety probe into the rock jetty where a boat crash claimed the lives of the baseball star and two friends.Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, manager Don Mattingly, hitting coach Barry Bonds and the players including Marcel Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton wore white T-shirts emblazoned with Fernandezs image and the letters RIP as they slowly walked the hearse away from Marlins Park in Miamis Little Havana neighborhood. Many in the crowd of about 1,000 chanted Jose! Jose! and some waved Cuban flags in honor of the popular Cuban-American player.Jose Portuondo, 55, came to the event with his dog, Sophie. He said Fernandez, 24, was a shining example for Cubans who often risk their lives at sea to come to the U.S. seeking freedom. Fernandez defected from the communist island at age 15.His is the story of many in South Florida. He brings it home, said Portuondo, who drives a city trolley bus. Being here, the sadness is just thick in the air.Junko Sasaki, 40, who is Japanese but spends a lot of time in South Florida, brought an offering of fruit, rice and water to a makeshift memorial to Fernandez that has sprouted up outside the ballpark. She said it was a traditional Japanese way of ensuring the honored dead have what they need in the afterlife.It is a Japanese custom. Every day he can eat, she said, adding that Fernandez once tossed her a baseball from the field at a game.Hundreds of fans streamed into St. Brendans Catholic Church later Wednesday for a public viewing, which was scheduled to last into the night. Many said they felt compelled to come not only because of Fernandezs popularity as a player but also because he was a hero to many in the Cuban-American community.I have to be here. Im a huge fan, said Rick Gerena, 31, an environmental project manager. He loved everybody. You almost felt like he was one of us out there.Inside the church, mourners filed past a closed casket framed by flower arrangements in the shapes of the U.S. and Cuban flags, with a large family photo of Fernandez off to one side. Many touched the casket lightly and crossed themselves.A private funeral Mass is set Thursday for the Fernandez family and Marlins players and personnel.Rubio, a Florida Republican, sent a letter Wednesday to the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers asking for a review of the century-old jetty and whether it poses a chronic danger to boaters. The jetty, which extends out from Miamis port, is difficult to see at night especially at high tide, Rubio said.While our hearts are heavy with grief for the numerous lives lost every year on the water, we can do more to save others, Rubio wrote. As a boater myself, I have experienced firsthand the challenges this particular jetty can present to others trying to navigate around it.Shortly after the 32-foot boat owned by Fernandez crashed early Sunday, the Coast Guard said a lighted buoy that marks the channel opening at the end of the jetty was working properly. The jetty itself does not have lights, but officials say routine reviews have concluded the existing navigational aids are adequate for safety.Back at the ballpark, the Marlins still had a game to play Wednesday night against the New York Mets. Mets manager Terry Collins and some Mets players were out on the plaza for the procession of Fernandezs hearse.I thought it was important to be there, Collins said. This is a very large fraternity, and its an exclusive fraternity. Its hard to get in. You need the representation of everybody else out there. We were represented very well and I was proud of that.Mattingly said he would talk to the team about trying to get back to baseball.Ive never been involved in anything like that. I just keep going back to his mom. Its hard to see that. Its hard to imagine that, he said.The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In addition to Fernandez, Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero also died in the crash.Investigators have said no evidence of alcohol or drug use was found at the scene, but medical examiner toxicology reports are pending. A Miami River bar and restaurant has confirmed that Fernandez was there before the crash, but it is unclear if he was drinking.Fernandez was an emerging baseball star known for his exuberant personality and style of play. He was National League Rookie of the Year in 2013 and was a two-time All-Star. This year he set a single-season Marlins strikeout record with 253.Instead of flowers, the Fernandez family asks for charitable contributions to the JDF16 Foundation, which is online at www.MiamiFoundation.org/jdf16 .-----AP Sports Writer Steve Wine in Miami contributed to this story.-----Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/miamicurthttp://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Adrian-Amos-Jersey/ . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Prince-Amukamara-Jersey/ . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Akiem-Hicks-Jersey/ . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. Do you want big names? Big numbers? Big personalities? Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history.To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value.The top 100 will roll out next week. This week, we bring you the top 10 at each position. Thursday brings the top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday.Have fun!TOP 10 THIRD BASEMENJoin the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along?@BBTN?and on Facebook.10. Ron SantoTeams Chicago Cubs (1960-73), Chicago White Sox (74)Honors Nine-time NL All-Star (1963-66, 68-69, 71-73), five Gold Gloves (64-68), Hall of Fame (2012)Championships NoneCareer stats .277/.362/.464, OPS -- .826, Hits -- 2,254, HRs -- 342, RBIs -- 1,331The playerHis Hall of Fame case was a heated debate for years until the Veterans Committee finally elected him, after he had passed away. He should have gone in much sooner as the National Leagues premier third baseman of the 1960s, a player with power, on-base ability and Gold Glove defense.?-- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writerOne of the victims of the Hall of Fames frequently clueless processes for recognizing its best, Santo ranks ninth all time among third basemen in WAR, sixth all time in offensive WAR and fourth all time in WAR across his best seven seasons. That the electorate missed everything he was doing on the field is an indictment of them, not him. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer9. Edgar MartinezTeams Seattle Mariners (1987-2004)Honors Five Silver Sluggers (1992, 95, 97, 2001, 03), seven-time All-Star (92, 95-97, 00-01, 03)Championships NoneCareer stats .312/.418/.515, OPS -- .933, Hits -- 2,247, HRs -- 309, RBIs -- 1,261The playerMartinez gets a bum rap for being a designated hitter for most of his career, because he should really be celebrated for his accomplishments with the bat. He batted .312/.418/.515 in a career of 2,055 games. Only Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams had better numbers than Martinez in all three triple-slash categories while appearing in at least as many games in their careers, and all of them are in the Hall of Fame. -- Tristan Cockcroft, ESPN.com senior writerYes, hes really a DH more than a third baseman, although he did play more than 500 games there and was moved only because of injuries and not an inability to play the position. His peers regarded him as maybe the best right-handed hitter in the game while active, a doubles machine who hit .312 lifetime with an OBP over .400. The greatest DH of all time? Well, his career WAR is significantly higher than David Ortizs. Just sayin. -- Schoenfield8. Adrian BeltreTeams Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), Seattle Mariners (05-09), Boston Red Sox (10), Texas Rangers (11-present)Honors NL Silver Slugger (04), three AL Silver Sluggers (10-11, 14), four AL Gold Gloves (07-08, 11-12), four-time AL All-Star (2010-12, 14)Championships NoneCareer stats* 285/.337/.476, OPS -- .813, Hits -- 2,856, HRs -- 425, RBIs -- 1,522*Stats through July 10, 2016The playerBeltre has always received recognition for his glove, but I dont know that people realize how good a hitter he is. He has 11 seasons of at least 250 total bases, tied with Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews for the lead at the position, eight seasons of at least 25 home runs, and his 404 career homers hit while playing third base trail only Schmidt (509) and Mathews (461).?-- CockcroftLate in his career, everyone has come around to appreciate his greatness, and hes now widely considered a future Hall of Famer. Hes going to reach 3,000 hits -- hes already over 2,800 -- and will come close to 500 home runs, a credit to his durability and aging well as he enters his late 30s. In his prime, he was a gifted third baseman, one of the best ever at charging bunts. -- SchoenfieldIf hes elected to the Hall of Fame -- and his candidacy grows exponentially with each passing year -- maybe he finally will allow someone to pat him on the head. Have you ever seen a player look more impressive making flat-footed, sometimes-sidearm throws from third base? -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter7. Paul MolitorTeams Milwaukee Brewers (1978-92), Toronto Blue Jays (93-95), Minnesota Twins (96-98)Honors Seven-time All-Star (1980, 85, 88, 91-94), four Silver Sluggers (87-88, 93, 96),?World Series MVP (1993), Hall of Fame (2004)Championships 1 -- Toronto (1993)Career stats .306/.369/.448, OPS -- .817, Hits -- 3,319, HRs -- 234, RBIs -- 1,307The playerThe first time I saw Paul Molitor play, he had two hits. Or at least I assume he did. Because Molly always had two hits. Unless he had more. Some might downgrade him for his time as a designated hitter, but theyre missing the point -- hitter is the only word that should come to mind when you are talking about Molitor. His 3,319 career hits say that loud and clear.?-- Dan Mullen, ESPN.com senior MLB editorDavid Ortiz was all ears when the Twins called him up to play with Molitor in 1997. Its no wonder. Molitor is the only player in the post-integration era with at least 3,000 hits, a .300 lifetime average and 500 steals. -- LauberHe could have played shortstop for the Brewers, but there was a guy named Robin Yount there. On offense, he had the shortest swing, the fastest hands and was one of the best baserunners in baseball history. His 39-game hitting streak for Team Streak in 1987 captured the nations attention. Ted Williams once praised Molitors swing as the closest thing hed seen to Joe DiMaggios. If it was good enough for Teddy Ballgame, its good enough for me -- and should be for you, too. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com senior MLB editor6. Wade BoggsTeams Boston Red Sox (1982-92), New York Yankees (93-97), Tampa Bay Rays (98-99)Honors Eight Silver Sluggers (1983, 86-89, 91, 93-94), 12-time All Star (85-96), two Gold Gloves (94-95), Hall of Fame (2005)Championships 1 -- New York (1996)Career stats .328/.415/.443, OPS -- .858, Hits -- 3,010, HRs -- 118, RBIs -- 1,014The playerIn his day, Boggs was actually underrated, as people focused on the lack of home runs and ignored the high OBPs in that generally pre-sabermetric era. But he won five batting titles -- since 1960, only Tony Gwynn topped Boggs five .350 seasons -- six OBP crowns and topped 3,000 career hits even though he didnt reach the majors until he was 24 and drew all those walks.?-- SchoenfieldWhen Rich Donnelly was a coach with the Rangers, and Wade Boggs was hitting the ball all over the field every year, 200 hits a year, Donnelly devised a strategy to stop Boggs: All nine fielders should line up behind the pitchers mound, and when thee ball is released, they should just scatter. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/T-Shirts/. . It would work better than it has been working.?-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN senior writer5. Brooks RobinsonTeams Baltimore Orioles (1955-77)Honors 18-time All-Star (1960-74*), 16 Gold Gloves (60-75), MVP (1964), All-Star MVP (66), World Series MVP (70), Hall of Fame (83)*Played in two All-Star Games in 60, 61 and 62Championships 2 -- Baltimore (1966, 70)Career stats .267/.322/.401, OPS -- .723, Hits -- 2,848, HRs -- 268, RBIs -- 1,357The playerThe all-time leader at third base in value generated on defense with 38.8 WAR on defense alone, Robinson is sort of like Bill Mazeroski at second base -- a big postseason performance or two plus best-ever defense plus a bat thats good enough gets you to Cooperstown. His 64 and 68 seasons are inner-circle awesome.?-- KahrlBrooks Robinson came before my time. Ive seen the highlights, but Ive never seen the man play live. But I know just how good he was at baseballs hot corner -- and you do, too -- because I have seen some pretty good third basemen play the game, and every time one of them makes an incredible play -- every time -- someone who has seen Robinson play says the EXACT same thing: Shades of Brooks Robinson. And theres no way they could all be wrong. -- MullenBrooks Robinson drove in the only run in 10 1-0 victories in his career, a major league record. He is the nicest, unassuming great player ever. After Robinsons retirement, a Baltimore sportswriter said at a banquet, In New York, they named a candy bar after Reggie Jackson. Here in Baltimore, we name our children after Brooks Robinson.?-- Kurkjian4. Chipper JonesTeams Atlanta Braves (1993, 1995-2012)Honors Eight-time All-Star (1996-98, 2000-01, 08, 11-12), MVP (99), two Silver Sluggers (99-00)?Championships 1 -- Atlanta (1995)Career stats .303/.401/.529, OPS -- .930, Hits -- 2,726, HRs -- 468, RBIs -- 1,623The playerChipper should waltz into the Hall of Fame when he gets on the ballot for the first time, after hitting .303 with 468 home runs. Its odd to say this about a contemporary player, but I feel like hes almost underappreciated. He did win an MVP Award, but he didnt put up some of the same monster numbers as his peers (he hit 40 home runs just once). All he did was hit .300 almost every season, get on base at a high rate and play on our TV screens every October. And ask Mets fans about his clutch ability. Hes right up with George Brett, Wade Boggs and Eddie Mathews in the line behind Mike Schmidt.?-- SchoenfieldIn spending all 19 years of his professional playing career with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones racked up eight All-Star appearances, two Silver Slugger awards and 468 home runs. Jones was also named the National League MVP in 1999, earned the NL batting title in 2008 with an average of .364 and went 14 straight seasons hitting 21 home runs or more. -- Katie Strang, ESPN.com Tigers reporter3. Eddie MathewsTeams Boston Braves (1952), Milwaukee Braves (53-65), Atlanta Braves (66), Houston Astros (67), Detroit Tigers (67-68)Honors 12-time NL All-Star (1953, 55-62*), Hall of Fame (78)*Played in two All-Star Games in 59, 60, and 61Championships 2 -- Milwaukee (1957), Detroit (68)Career stats .271/.376/.509, OPS -- .885, Hits -- 2,315, HRs - 512, RBIs -- 1,453The playerKind of a forgotten star of the 1950s and early 60s, Mathews hit .302 with 47 home runs at age 21 and spent the rest of his career trying to live up to expectations, unfair since he finished with 512 home runs. Similar to Mike Schmidt in many ways -- lots of power, lots of walks -- except he wasnt quite the same defensive player.?-- SchoenfieldBefore Hank Aaron, Mathews was the Braves slugger. The only player to play in all three cities where the Braves franchise called home, he hit 40 homers in a season four times in his career, including three straight seasons (1953-55) in which his slash line was .294/.414/.611 with a 1.025 OPS. He averaged 43 HRs, 112 RBIs and 107 walks in that time. Strong. Oh, and another neat nugget -- he was on the cover of the first Sports Illustrated in 1954. -- Peterson2. George BrettTeams Kansas City Royals (1973-93)Honors 13-time All-Star (1976-88), MVP (80), three Silver Sluggers (80, 85, 88), Gold Glove (85), Hall of Fame (99)Championships 1 -- Kansas City (1985)Career stats .305/.369/.487, OPS -- .857, Hits -- 3,154, HRs - 317, RBIs -- 1,596The playerThe value here is almost all on offense -- his 88.4 offense-only WAR ranks fourth, against just 1.2 dWAR -- which is reflected in how few scaled peaks as memorable as Bretts; between the .390 season in 1980 or the 1985 season, he thoroughly outhit Don Mattingly but didnt get the MVP Award. Im pretty sure settling for a ring more than made up for it. -- KahrlThe term baseball player gets thrown around too often. It shouldnt. Not in a sport that has known George Brett. Need a hit? Hes got 3,145 of them. A home run? Yeah, he could do that, too. An intense competitor? Go to Google, type in Pine Tar Incident and let me know what you think. I grew up watching George Brett in the 1980s, and everything No. 5 did is exactly what baseball is to me.?-- Dan Mullen, ESPN senior MLB editorOne of four players ever to rack up 3,000 hits, 300 homers and a career .300 batting average. The others: Stan Musial, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Enough said. -- LauberWhen George Brett, in his final season, was asked what hed like his last at-bat in the major leagues to be like, he said, I want to hit a really hard ground ball to the second baseman and run as hard as I can to first so all the young players understand how the game is supposed to be played. -- Kurkjian1. Mike SchmidtTeams Philadelphia Phillies (1972-89)Honors 12-time All-Star (1974, 76-77, 79-84, 86-87, 89), 10 Gold Gloves (76-84, 86), World Series MVP (80), three-time MVP (80-81, 86), six Silver Sluggers (80-84, 86), Hall of Fame (95)Championships 1 -- Philadelphia (1980)Career stats .267/.380/.527, OPS -- .908, Hits - 2,234, HRs -- 548, RBIs - 1,595The playerSo Schmidt hit just .267 in his career? As Bill James once said, well, if hed hit for a higher average hed be the greatest player of all time. Schmidt dominated the home run leaderboards in his era, winning eight home run crowns, was one of the best-fielding third basemen ever with nine Gold Gloves, had good speed early in his career and annually drew 100-plus walks. Hes the best third baseman ever and there isnt really much debate.?-- SchoenfieldMike Schmidt was one of the great combinations of power and finesse with 548 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves at third base: He could play the piano, and move it, too. -- Kurkjian Cheap Jerseys Store Wholesale NFL Gear Jerseys From China China NFL Gear Cheap NFL Jerseys Outlet Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys Stitched Jerseys Black China NFL Jerseys China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Camo China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Cheap Jerseys 2020 Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Wholesale NFL Gear Cheap Jerseys 2020 ' ' '
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