RIP Tony Fernandez, 1962-2020

[G-Fafif]

Tony Fernandez, shortstop for the 1993 Mets — and World Series winner for the 1993 Blue Jays — has died from kidney and stroke complications. He was 57.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Terrific player, not necessarily during his brief time with the Mets

[LWFS]

Had heard he was circling the drain as early as a few weeks ago, despite the Best Medicine Money Can Buy.



57's YOUNG for a rich dude to die because something explodes inside him. Yikes.

[Edgy MD]

I think it was retroactively believed that early symptoms of his health problems hampered him during his Mets days. Like Garry Templeton, spent the first half of his career as a terrific, two-way All-Star switch-hitting shortstop, and the second half of his career as a pretty good journeyman utility infielder.



If I recall correctly, I think he was to the Blue Jays what Ricky Henderson was to the Athletics, amazingly totaling four separate tenures.

[G-Fafif]

Nineteen future Mets were born the same year as the Mets. Tony Fernandez is the first of them to have died.



Tony was born the same day Sandy Koufax no-hit the Mets, so maybe not the best of signs.

[Frayed Knot]

He also became the poster boy for those who believed there are players who couldn't or, in his case helped by the fact that he was Latin, wouldn't play in NYC.



After starting out with parts of eight seasons (4,000 ABs) in Toronto and two more in SD where he compiled an OPS+ of just over 100 (more than respectable for an early '80s glove-first SS) he

moved to the Mets where, still just age 31, he racked up a stunning 69 OPS+ while getting just over 200 PA. So back he went to Toronto for the remainder of the '83 season where his OPS+ of

115 made NYM fans wonder why they were getting the short end of the Canadian exchange rate. Then (like Bill Belichick) it was on to Cincinnati (one season, OPS+ = 105), after which he wound

up in the Bronx for one year where he tumbled to a 75 (had he played well George might have been tempted to keep him and trade away that Jeter fellow).

That he then went on to rebound during his third stint w/the Jays with OPS+'s of 121 & 125 as a mostly full-timer at ages 36 & 37 pretty much cemented the CPiNY label in many minds.

[MFS62]

Don't remember whether or not he was a ground ball-type hitter, but those numbers make me think he liked to bat on 'Turf fields.



Later