Marlins' Johnson grew close to Fernandez after brawling past
Chris Johnson and Jose Fernandez had a bit of a history.
It was Sept. 11, 2013 - Fernandez's final start of his rookie season, as he'd reached his innings limit - and the Miami Marlins pitcher admired his first major-league home run against the Atlanta Braves with a bat flip and slow trot around the bases. This displeased the Braves, who - led by Johnson, their third baseman, who angrily charged in from his position - confronted the fiery pitcher and started a bench-clearing incident.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
This year, Johnson signed with the Marlins as a free agent, and he formed an unlikely friendship with Fernandez, whose life was tragically cut short when the pitcher died in a boating accident early Sunday morning. Sitting in the dugout together during games grew their bond and helped Johnson appreciate the pitcher's passion and joy that had ruffled his feathers as an opponent.
The 31-year-old quickly came to realize that his entire view of Fernandez as both a person and player was distorted because of that one incident.
"I'm one of the fortunate people who got to come over and see the other side of that, to see where those antics come from, where the fire comes from, where the smiles come from," Johnson told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald on Wednesday.
"I had one view of him, and it was completely wrong."
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Johnson said that he and Fernandez - who "didn't have an ounce of hate in his heart, ever, towards anybody" - often reminisced about that night three years ago, and how far they'd come as unlikely friends and teammates since then. In the midst of his intense grief, those memories have been at the forefront of Johnson's mind, and he's grateful to have shared those moments with Fernandez.
"We talked about it all the time,” Johnson recalled. "We'd be sitting in the dugout and he'd say, 'Who would have thought?' That's something I think about now. Who would have thought I would be here with the Marlins and we would be friends? Who would have thought he and I would become teammates and brothers?
"It's crazy what this game will do."