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Tearful Mattingly remembers Fernandez in heartbreaking presser

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

During a moving press conference hours after the announcement that Jose Fernandez had been killed in a boating accident, Marlins players, coaches, and members of the front office remembered the beloved pitcher who, at 24 years old, was on a fast track to superstardom.

"Just joy with him when he played," a visibly shaken Don Mattingly said Sunday when asked how he'd remember Fernandez. "And when he pitched I think that's what the guys will say, too, is as bad as he would make you (look) with the stuff he would do, you just see that little kid that you see when you watch kids play little league or something like that. That's the joy Jose played with and the passion he felt about playing. That's what I think about."

In a statement released prior to the presser, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said: "Sadly, the brightest lights are often the ones that extinguish the fastest. Jose left us far too soon, but his memory will endure in all of us. At this difficult time, our prayers are with his mother, grandmother, family and friends."

Dee Gordon was among several Marlins players who appeared overcome with grief as teammates honored Fernandez, who is survived by his pregnant girlfriend, Carla Mendoza. Hours after the Marlins canceled their game against the Braves, Gordon was spotted kneeling by the pitcher's mound where Fernandez's No. 16 was painted in memory.

Amid tributes across the sport, Major League Baseball announced Sunday there would be a league-wide moment of silence prior to each game.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)

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