This Video of Jose Fernandez Finding Out He'll Have a Daughter Will Break Your Heart

Miami stopped dead in its tracks today to mourn the loss of Jose Fernandez, one of baseball's brightest stars, one of Cuba's most-visible young immigrants, and one of the most rawly talented people to ever wear a Miami Marlins jersey. After Fernandez and two others were killed in a boating...

By Jerry Iannelli

September 28, 2016

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Miami stopped dead in its tracks today to mourn the loss of Jose Fernandez, one of baseball's brightest stars. He was among Cuba's most visible young immigrants and perhaps the greatest raw talent to ever wear a Miami Marlins jersey. Fernandez and two friends were killed in a boating accident around 3 a.m. Sunday. A funeral procession is currently making its way across town.

Thousands of people have lined the streets to pay their respects. Many are waving Cuban flags and chanting "Jose! Jose! Jose!"

As Miami mourns, a video of Fernandez finding out he'll have a daughter is making rounds online. In the cruelest of twists, Fernandez left behind a girlfriend pregnant with his child. In the clip, Fernandez is presented with a cake — after cutting into it, he notices the icing inside is tinted pink, and his girlfriend tells him he'll be having a girl. Tears well in his eyes as a friend wraps his arms around Fernandez.

"I knew it!" Fernandez shouts, as that massive, contagious smile lights up his face.

The death of any young person in the prime of his or her life is a tragedy. But what made Fernandez's death so horrifically upsetting wasn't just how immensely talented he was — it was how warm he was with everyone around him. His teammates adored him. His opponents did too.

Fernandez's little girl will never know her father. But hopefully thanks to this clip, she'll never question how much love he had for her.

Jerry Iannelli is a former staff writer for Miami New Times from 2015 to March 2020. He graduated with honors from Temple University. He then earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

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