Jose Fernandez: Who is the promising young baseball star who risked his life to escape Cuba?

The talented pitcher has died in a boating accident at the age of just 24

While eventually leaving Cuba alongside his mother and sister in 2007, he was forced to dive into the water and rescue his mother after she fell overboard (Getty)

Jose Fernandez was a rising star in Major League Baseball. The tireless young pitcher quickly rose through the league, going from strength to strength. Not only was Fernandez the first pitcher in the modern era to win his first 17 career home decisions, he was also named All-Star player in both 2013 and 2016.

In a tragic set of circumstances, the Cuban native has been killed in a boating accident on Sunday. He was just 24.

“The Miami Marlins organization [sic] is devastated by the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez,” a statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.“

Today’s match between the Marlins and the Atlanta Braves, which Fernandez had been due to feature in, has been cancelled.

He was imprisoned in Cuba for trying to defect

Born in the gritty city of Santa Clara in central Cuba, Fernandez’ early years were very different to many of his teammates. “The way of life in Cuba is completely different,” he explains in an interview with MLB.com. “For example, I used to ride a bike there. Now I drive a car, that's amazing. I've learned to deal with so many struggles, trying to make ends meet and not having a lot of material things.”

After three unsuccessful attempts at defecting from Cuba, Fernandez eventually left the country at the age of 15. But this was not without its obstacles. He was imprisoned several times before leaving.

Reflecting upon the experience, he said it was a difficult period of his life. “Honestly, I didn't enjoy it at all. It was tough, I had to learn and see things I shouldn't have seen and learned about. Those things happen in life for a reason. The best thing about it is that I learned a lot from that particular ordeal.”

He saved his mother from drowning while leaving Cuba

While successfully escaping Cuba alongside his mother and sister in 2007, he was forced to dive into the water and rescue his mother after she fell overboard when the boat encountered stormy seas.

His love for baseball was born in Cuba

It was his love for baseball which prompted him to leave Cuba. In his own words, “I wanted to try things out and I wanted to prove to my family that I was going to pitch in the Major Leagues. I wanted to accomplish my dreams.” Of course, it was a difficult decision and Fernandez has previously spoken about how hard it was leaving his relatives behind.

However it was in Cuba that this passion for baseball first emerged. “In Cuba, the streets are made of dirt and I was always pitching rocks and I carried a wooden stick all the time with me, hitting stones.”

He prided himself on being a positive role model

Enrolling at Braulio Alonso High School in Tampa in Florida, Fernandez was handpicked by the Marlins in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft, making his MLB debut with the Marlins on 7 April 2013.

Playing in Little Havana, Fernandez relished playing for fans who have had had similar experiences to himself and prided himself on being a strong positive role model for them.

His grandma was the love of his life

Fernandez had a very special relationship with his grandma, Olga, who he referred to as “the love of [his] love”. She listened to all of his games from the roof of her home in Cuba as that was the only place she could manage to track down radio reception. After spending a whole six years apart, the two were reunited in Miami after the 2013 season.

He loved the sea

Fernandez had a real affection for the sea. “I love the sea,” he said in a past interview. “I enjoy watching it in the morning. Looking at cruise ships coming in and out. It's beautiful. I like Miami a lot.”