Mets Fall to Marlins in Emotional Game Full of Tributes for Jose Fernandez

Curtis Granderson grounded out to end the game. Giancarlo Stanton flipped his jersey backwards so “Fernandez” and his number 16 were on the front. Dee Gordon removed his jersey to reveal a white “RIP” t-shirt with Jose Fernandez standing in place as the “I”. The team then circled around the mound and said a prayer for their fallen ace pitcher. The players left their caps and the game ball on the mound. “Jose” chants rained down from the crowd.

It was a touching and powerful scene at Marlins Park. A scene that will be replayed on highlight reels for decades to come.

The game itself did get off to a rather memorable start. In the bottom of the first inning, Dee Gordon led things off for the Marlins. Gordon, a left-handed hitter, stepped up to bat in the righty batter’s box to pay tribute to Fernandez who was a right-handed hitter and a very good one for a pitcher. After switching over to the lefty batter’s box, Gordon hit a solo homerun to the upper deck. It was his first homerun of the season. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he circled the bases and hugged his teammates in the dugout.

It was a weird night for baseball. It was a night full of tributes and supernatural moments. Things that you just don’t see. It was a special night for the Marlins and the city of Miami. It just seemed like a game that no one from either side was prepared to play, yet it was a game that had to be played.

In my opinion, baseball is the greatest game in the world. Baseball represents real life in so many ways while providing an escape from real life. Unlike any other sport, baseball is played daily. For three hours every day between April and September, you can be happy or upset with your team. But at the end of the day, it is a game. A game that can teach life lessons like it did at Marlins Park on Monday night. What the Marlins did in their pre-game and post-game ceremonies will go down in MLB history. It was the most touching moment that most of us had ever seen on a baseball diamond.

Oh and in case you were wondering, the Mets lost 7-3.