One year ago today, Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident off the coast of Miami at the age of just 24. It was an incredibly sad day for the entire baseball world. Most of us have fully moved on from the tragedy—isn't it crazy how humans can do that?—but on days like today we look back and remember.
Paul wrote a post following José's passing that is probably the best thing we've ever done as a podcast. You should read the entire thing here, but I'll quote my favorite section:
Given the timing, I couldn't help but think of parallels between José Fernández and Dodgers' legendary broadcaster Vin Scully. What I believe makes José and Vin so attractive and compelling to us is the way in which they approached their craft. When you watched Fernández pitch or listened to Scully broadcast a game, you had the sense that this was their favorite part of the day.
So what can we learn from the death of one of the brightest stars in baseball? In these moments following a tragedy, the typical response is to focus on the fragile nature of life and the fact that none of us are guaranteed another day. And while that’s true and perhaps appropriate, I think we can learn the most and remember Fernández the best by focusing not on how he died but on how he lived.
For many of us, there’s a natural tendency to merely survive the moment of life we’re in, waiting for the greener pastures of the next chapter where we’ll truly experience life’s fullness. But the lesson we see in the lives of Fernández and Scully is that a life well lived is a life that is enjoyed in the everyday moments.
A life well lived is a life that is enjoyed in the everyday moments. Baseball is full of those. May we enjoy them—and José Fernandez—as long as God allows us each to live.
Baseball is here! And more importantly, that means the over/under game is back. It seems as though everyone is an expert this time of year. Somehow we convince ourselves that we are better at predicting baseball outcomes than everyone else. Well, AFITB is putting that to the test for the third year in a row. Think you know more about baseball than us? You probably do. But go ahead and prove it anyway.