Marlins Pay Tribute To Jose Fernandez In Emotional Victory

Jose Fernandez was going to be a star. He was going to be the future of the Miami Marlins organization, but he was taken from this Earth far too soon.

The tragic death of the Marlins' young ace shook the sports world to its core. Nobody was hit harder than Fernandez's family, which extends to his brothers on the baseball field. Nobody knows how to deal with such a sudden and profound loss, but his teammates on the Marlins tried their best to pay tribute to one of their lost leaders.

For the Marlins, it was more than a game. It was a tribute to their fallen friend, and Dee Gordon made sure to represent Fernandez's number 16 jersey properly.

Heading into the game, Gordon had zero home runs on the season. After taking a pitch from the right side of the plate, in honor of Fernandez, he went back to the left side and sent a ball to the heavens.

Just amazing, @FlashGJr. #JDF16 pic.twitter.com/Tgg03ZSJlt

— MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2016

Gordon couldn't even make it all the way around the bases before breaking out in tears. The raw emotion of the Marlins loss was captured in one moment, a moment Gordon will remember forever.

"I don't have kids, so that was the best moment of my life, hitting a home run for him," Gordon said.

The Marlins went on to beat the Mets, 7-3, but the scoreline barely mattered. Nothing will bring Fernandez back to his family and friends, so all that's left is coping with his absence. They painted his number on the dirt, hung his jersey in the dugout and played every inning in his honor.

His friends didn't get to say goodbye, but if there is a heaven, I hope Fernandez had a clear view of the ballpark.