Fernandez relishes chance to give back at Thanksgiving
To opposing hitters, Miami Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez is remarkably stingy. To denizens of south Florida, however, the 23-year-old is becoming known for his generosity.
Though his name has surfaced repeatedly in trade rumors of late - as well as in some unflattering reports about his relationship with the Marlins' front office - Fernandez still helped distribute turkeys last week to local families in need with Thanksgiving just around the corner.
Fernandez - the one-time All-Star who made his season debut July 2 following a 14-month recovery from Tommy John surgery - also signed autographs and posed for pictures.
"It means everything," Fernandez told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. "What can I say? Being out here with the families, giving back to the community.
"I'm here in Miami. I live here now," Fernandez added. "I'm not too far away. It's something where I can talk to people a little bit and interact, because I enjoy doing this. It's fun."
Despite experiencing a considerable health setback early in his career, Fernandez still has plenty to be thankful for. Only five years after his harrowing defection from Cuba - his first three attempts to leave the island amounted to nothing more than several months in prison for the teenager - Fernandez was pitching for the Marlins, tormenting National League hitters en route to the 2013 Rookie of the Year award.
The next year, a faulty ulnar collateral ligament ended his season in May, but the resilient hurler returned with aplomb in 2015, authoring a 2.92 ERA with a 5.64 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 11 starts upon returning from the disabled list. And even after missing more than a year recovering from surgery, the nascent stages of Fernandez's career are still historically exceptional: only six other pitchers made at least 40 starts with an ERA below 3.00 and a strikeout rate above 25 percent before turning 24.
Season | GS | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | HR/9 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 28 | 2.19 | 0.98 | 9.75 | 0.52 |
2014 | 8 | 2.44 | 0.95 | 12.19 | 0.70 |
2015 | 11 | 2.92 | 1.16 | 10.99 | 0.56 |
"Thanksgiving, when you're sitting with your friends and your family around the table, you really appreciate the special moment and the special day," Fernandez said. "To me, it means a lot."
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