José Fernandez Killed in Boating Accident

[nymr83]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Fernando Valenzuela?

no, and its driving me nuts - I wonder if Stark misspoke and there is nobody?

[Edgy MD]

Ron Shmidrey. Dynamite start to his career, and not bad on the skins either.

[fimg=450:lwxbkblo]http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/ron-guidry-of-the-new-york-yankees-puts-together-a-drum-in-front-of-picture-id145008208[/fimg:lwxbkblo]

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Don Gullett had some tremendous years with Cincinnati.

After looking him up he did have a great start, but his third year (as a 21 year old) pretty well knocked him out of contention.

[Frayed Knot]

Nymr83 wrote: Among right-handed pitchers whose careers began since World War II, do you know how many had a better ERA+ through 70 starts or more? That would be none. Zero. Behind Fernandez you'll find the likes of Dwight Gooden, Tom Seaver and Roger Clemens. Fernandez was off to a greater career start than all of them. Wow.

I don't know about that stat.

Gooden's ERA+ through his first three seasons (99 starts) was 155 (and if limited to just his first 70 it would be better still - like 180-ish) while Fernandez's through his career of 76 starts was 'only' 150.

Not sure what exactly it is he's comparing here and it might take a bit of creative math to make things work.
Like can you root around and find a point in JF's career when his ERA+ is better than a particular point in the careers of others? Maybe, but what does that show? I just found a couple of points when it didn't within five minutes and that was checking on one guy that he already dismissed.

Something's not worded correctly somewhere.

[Frayed Knot]

Ballplayers who died during their careers

Not all listed were major leaguers.

[nymr83]

I think there are players missing - I remember reading that 2 players, not 1, died in WW2

[Edgy MD]

Doubtless that minor league and amateur players who we never heard of, but were otherwise destined for stardom, died during World War II.

[Frayed Knot]

Nymr83 wrote: I think there are players missing - I remember reading that 2 players, not 1, died in WW2

I remember hearing/reading that too, but that both were marginal players (and far before my time) so I never knew who either were and therefore don't know who the 'missing man' is.
On the other hand it's good to see that there are far fewer ballplayer deaths from tuberculosis these days as compared to a century ago.

[Centerfield]

Marcel Ozuna was invited to go on the boat with him. He declined to spend time with the wife and kids.

Reports say Fernandez was drinking at a local bar and purportedly fought with his girlfriend before heading out on the boat around midnight.

[Guest themetfairy]

So long as he wasn't driving the boat (and by all accounts it appears that he wasn't), then it shouldn't matter whether he was drinking.

[seawolf17]

A friend -- who is an avid boater -- said "not to belittle the tragedy, but if you're out on a boat at that hour of the night, you'd better really know what you're doing and not be speeding."

[Benjamin Grimm]

That does seem rather obvious.

[nymr83]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: That does seem rather obvious.

"If you are driving down [insert rural highway with no lights here] late at night, you'd better not be doing 90 if you don't know the bends (or else...)"

"if you are in the company of Donald Trump, you'd better not be speaking Spanish (or else...)"

[Edgy MD]

It's exactly the kind of foolish decision young men make every day. From 17-25, young men pretty much play a daily game of Russian Roulette. I also think of him out the night before a day game and being the spokesman for Five-Hour Energy Drink.

[Centerfield]

Edgy MD wrote: It's exactly the kind of foolish decision young men make every day. From 17-25, young men pretty much play a daily game of Russian Roulette. I also think of him out the night before a day game and being the spokesman for Five-Hour Energy Drink.

This is exactly right. A 24 year old who gets into a fight with someone then takes out his anger by driving something too fast (and recklessly) happens every day. It's the type of mistake that one looks back on later and thinks "Wow, was that stupid." Except some don't get that luxury.

I may end up being wrong, but if I had to guess, Jose probably had a few drinks, got into a fight with his girlfriend, then released that anger by driving his boat 100 mph.

The texts exchanged by his friends are pretty damning. It sounds like they knew about his temper and had an idea that he was going to do something stupid.

[Frayed Knot]

Dan LeBatard (somewhat intentionally) comes off as a clown on TV (hey, it's what they want) but his background is in newspapers, his base is Miami, and his heritage Cuban

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/dan-le-batard/article104096841.html

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Centerfield wrote: The texts exchanged by his friends are pretty damning. It sounds like they knew about his temper and had an idea that he was going to do something stupid.

Yeah. Very much recognizable among 20-something bros dealing with a dangerous buddy.

[Edgy MD]

I was afraid to type anything like that shortly after the accident, because I didn't want to come across as judgmental of a fallen hero. But the reality is that I did a lot of stupid dangerous shit while brimming with attitude when I was a young man. And I did it without drugs and alcohol. I survived by luck and grace and sometimes by having a saner second thought.

But I would later go to work for an education magazine, and ended up getting to do a lot of reading on brain development, and realized that, by some evolutionary kink, the judgment center in a young man's brain isn't fully formed until 25 or 26. It doesn't mean teenage girls don't make stupid choices, but generally, you're a lot safer with a 16-year-old girl keeping track of the uranium than a 23-year-old young man. The research suggests that young men's brains can do pretty much anything at 23 that they'll ever be able to do, except make safe, smart decisions.

In a prior age, these guys would be put under an authoritative thumb — conscripted into the army or working off their apprenticeship — holding the world together but protected from having to make any life-or-death calls, but now they are freely moving among us, throwing their splitters and driving their boats and staffing neighborhood watch patrols.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I flash back to a troubled housemate I had in college, nice kid but a maniac with a deathwish and a fast VW Sirocco that I was riding in at least twice I can remember when I knew I shouldn;t have been. Once I'm just glad we didn;t crash cuz no one would have survived, the second time was a minor accident (no injuries) that would have been worse had the car had enough time to get to speed before running the red at the corner.

[Centerfield]

Yup.

I had the same thoughts riding in the passenger side of a Honda CRV driven by a buddy of mine who had a propensity to pass cars even over a double yellow.

I see him post support for Trump now on Facebook and wonder why I trusted that kid with my life.

Not that I was any smarter during HS or college. It's just that I had no money for a boat or a motorcyle, and my car topped out at about 38 MPH.

Edited September 28, 2016 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

I can only imagine how big an asshole I would had been if I had millions of dollars as a 24 y/o.

Edited September 28, 2016 by Guest

[Centerfield]

And also, now that the touching tributes are over, everyone should prepare themselves for the toxicology reports, the accusations, rumblings of criminal charges, and most likely, the wrongful death suits that will follow.

Such is the trajectory of tragedies.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

LOL. I had a 1976(?) or 78 Honda Civic parked alongside the Sirocco for awhile, back when Honda made better lawnmowers than cars.

[Edgy MD]

Young men are also very good at being vicariously stupid, climbing into the passenger seat of a car (or a boat) that they know their crazy friend is going to operate in a manner they perhaps never would themselves.

If we survive, we can totally do the intellectual gymnastics to absolve ourselves of the stupidity.

[Lefty Specialist]

I've always told my wife that it's a good thing she didn't meet me when I was twenty, because if she had she would have run for the hills. Had to get my ya-ya's out first.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I've been wondering about that FERNANDEZ 16 jersey that was hanging in the Mets dugout. I read that they're bringing it with them to Miami. I think they should leave it there, donate it to the Marlins museum, if they have one, or just to the organization in general if they don't have a museum yet. If they don't do that, sooner or later we may find out that they're selling it at auction, which would, of course, be crass and tasteless. Which is why I'm afraid they might do it.

They're doing the right thing!

Adam Rubin wrote: The jersey on display in the New York Mets' dugout the past two games to show solidarity with the Marlins will be presented to Miami team officials. Mets players were asked to sign the Mets jersey, which included Jose Fernandez's last name and the No. 16, before Tuesday’s game.

[metirish]

Cocaine and alcohol in his system , a series of bad choices , sucks

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/29/us/miami-jose-fernandez-toxicology/

[Edgy MD]

It also speaks to how some of these guys are floating under the radar with regard to illicit drug use, despite the testing regime in place.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Good point. I assume they're still testing for cocaine and heroin, right? And not just for PEDs?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Coke/alcohol kinda matches up with the sort of behavior those night-of texts from the buddy was describing (aggressive and agitated, unable to be constrained, IIRC).