MIAMI (AP) - The Latest on baseball ace Jose Fernandez’s death in a boating accident (all times local):
3:30 p.m.
Florida authorities say Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was the registered owner of the vessel that crashed into a jetty off South Beach, killing him and two others.
According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission statement, a Coast Guard crew heading out on patrol discovered the boat overturned on the jetty around 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Wildlife commission investigators have not determined who was at the wheel and what caused the crash.
Spokesman Rob Klepper said he could not confirm whether the 32-foot SeaVee center-console powerboat had interior lights on that may have impaired the driver’s vision. That’s part of the investigation.
The commission says the boat was heading south when it hit the jetty. The boat has been towed from the scene.
2:30 p.m.
Cuba’s state media have been virtually silent on the death of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez.
None of Cuba’s main newspapers are mentioning his boating accident. There’s no word on the sole state-run evening news program.
A brief story in Cubadebate, the country’s main news website, said “Latin American baseball and the Major Leagues are undoubtedly in mourning, and many of his followers can’t believe the news.”
The flight of baseball talent for rich contracts in the U.S. remains a sensitive topic in Cuba. Its baseball program was a source of national pride, but has been devastated by departures for the Major Leagues.
With few exceptions, state media do not mention Cuban players who have gone to the U.S. and games featuring those players are not rebroadcast on government-run TV.
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1:40 p.m.
Comedian LeJuan James says Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died Sunday in a boating accident, wasn’t like many other professional athletes.
James says even though Fernandez was one of the game’s best pitchers and became “a pillar of the Hispanic community” since escaping Cuba, he was humble off the field.
James says Fernandez “was a caring person every single time.”
James, who does online videos about Hispanic life, says they met several years ago when he threw out the first pitch and they discovered they were fans of each other.
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10:25 a.m.
The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office is releasing the names of the two men who died in a boat crash that also killed Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez.
Director of Operations Darren Caprara said Monday that 27-year-old Emilio Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero died when the 32-foot boat slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach.
The 24-year-old Fernandez had been scheduled to start against the New York Mets on Monday night in Miami.
The Marlins cancelled their game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon and the entire team attended an emotional news conference.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating.
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10:15 a.m.
The Miami Marlins are preparing to open a series against the New York Mets without their All-Star pitcher Jose Fernandez who was killed along with two friends when their 32-foot boat slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach.
The crash happened early Sunday morning. The 24-year-old pitcher was scheduled to start Monday night’s game. Instead, he’s being mourned by teammates, coaches, family and friends.
The team cancelled its Sunday afternoon game against the Atlanta Braves and the entire team, clad in black Marlins jerseys, attended an emotional news conference. They then boarded buses and went to pay respects to their teammate’s mother and grandmother.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the crash.
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Jose Fernandez made his major league debut against the New York Mets in 2013 and was scheduled to face them again Monday night.
Instead, Miami mourns and the Marlins must push on without their ace, who was killed in a boating accident early Sunday.
“Deep in our hearts there is a lot of pain,” third baseman Martin Prado said. “Somehow we’ve got to overcome that.”
Fernandez and two other men died when their 32-foot vessel slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach, authorities said. The capsized boat was found shortly after 3 a.m., and the news sent shock waves throughout Major League Baseball.
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