José Fernández — HUM & CHUCK

It was hard to focus on baseball today. When someone as young, beautiful and talented as José Fernández dies, it can make things that are priorities fade into the background.

I cried during the Jays/Yankees game, completely unprompted and out of nowhere. It just hit me. The sadness of it all.

This commercial that played repeatedly during the MLB.tv broadcast hit me, too. "What are you even doing here?"

Hard work and dedication aren't enough. Bring something new and different to the game. Tap into your imagination and use your creativity to be the difference. If you call yourself an athlete, create something. Sport needs you. ------------------------------------- From the pool to the hockey field.

There were many beautiful tributes to this remarkable guy. One of my favourites was by Jeff Passan:

Eduardo Pérez also spoke about what Fernandez meant to him, and what he meant to baseball and Cubans in Miami.

There was also this beautiful video of the Marlins surprising him with the grandmother he left behind in Cuba.

Jose Fernandez's grandmother attended the Miami Marlins' opener and saw him pitch for the first time since he left Cuba at age 15. Olga Fernandez, who lives in Cuba, sat behind the Marlins Nation dugout for Monday's 10-1 victory over Colorado. She wore a Marlins uniform with her grandson's No.

The more video I watched of this kid, video which is abundant on Youtube, the more I realized how much fun José Fernández had playing this game.

10/1/15: Jose Fernandez jokes with Evan Longoria between innings after Longoria hits a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com: Commissioner Allan H.

9/18/15: After Jose Fernandez hits Jayson Werth with a pitch they stare each other down but later appear to clear the air and make up Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com: Commissioner Allan H.

Kenta Maeda has spent his first season on this side of the Pacific confounding hitters and even socking the odd dinger. Tonight, he did it again, hoodwinking Jose Fernandez into chasing this pitch way up in the zone. Fernandez was so charmed by Maeda's pitch that he couldn't keep from laughing all the way into the dugout.

my favorite jose fernandez moment pic.twitter.com/VVES3EI61t
— matthias (a guy) (@Wecknerd) June 26, 2016

The benches clear and Jose Ramirez is ejected after he throws a ball with Jose Fernandez batting in the top of the 7th inning Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com: Commissioner Allan H.

(There is kind of a theme here. The theme is the Braves seem to think they are the baseball fun police, and should maybe stop thinking that. The commentary on this video below is unintentionally hilarious.)

9/11/13: Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez hits his first career homer, but the Braves take exception as he admires the blast, which causes the benches to clear. Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com: Commissioner Allan H.

From ESPN's Bryce Harper profile in March, when he nailed what made Jose Fernandez so fun and special. https://t.co/hxlsKEH5Fl pic.twitter.com/IQnBEzqbOJ
— Jon Tayler (@JATayler) September 25, 2016

It's not just that he had a great time. Fernández had the best time.

So the lesson I take from José D. Fernández's life, if a lesson can be taken by a 24 year old with all the talent in the world being snuffed out, it is this one:

Find something you love as much as José Fernández loved baseball and celebrate the hell out of it.
— Joanna (@HumandChuck) September 25, 2016

Barry Bonds, who has come to think of Fernández as a son, greeted him after what was to be the last start of his too short career. It was a dandy. Eight scoreless with 12 strike outs. Barry Bonds showers him with kisses.

Jose Fernandez gets Daniel Murphy to ground out to end the top of the 8th and is congratulated by Barry Bonds when he returns to the dugout Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com: Commissioner Allan H.