After Winning For Jose, The Marlins Shared One More Emotional Moment At The Mound

The Miami Marlins played baseball with heavy hearts on Monday. The team had its first baseball game since the untimely death of 24-year-old star pitcher Jose Fernandez, and the Marlins beat the Mets, 7-3.

Before the game, there were several moments dedicated to remembering the former Rookie of the Year. The team also announced that every player would wear his number and the name “FERNANDEZ” across the back of their jerseys, and that his number will eventually be retired. During the game, we got one of the best sports moments of the year, when Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon hit his first home run of 2016 in the team’s first at bat of the night, a moment he later called the best of his life:

Maybe the most poignant tribute to Fernandez, though, came after the game. The Marlins’ dugout came together and formed a circle around the pitcher’s mound, which prominently featured Fernandez’s number. After Giancarlo Stanton addressed his teammates and one person led the team in prayer, Derek Dietrich said the entire team should leave their hats on the mound. Everyone raised their caps, placed them on the mound, and manager Don Mattingly got on his hands and knees to kiss the rubber.

As a “Jose” chant rang throughout Marlins Park, everyone on the field dropped to one knee one in one last moment of reflection.

You may not see a more powerful image in sports this year than the one above. Fernandez meant so much to the Marlins organization as a player and a person, and there’s no way that anyone on this team feels anything other than sadness. But together, they’re managing to get through this tragedy.