Victoria Noe

Award-winning Author, Speaker, Activist

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Jose Fernandez

A Grand Slam for a Friend

A Grand Slam for a Friend
Sep 28, 2016 by Victoria Noe
Jose Fernandez   -   ESPN.com

Anyone who’s a baseball fan – and probably a lot who aren’t – heard about the tragic death of Miami Marlins star pitcher, Jose Fernandez. The 24 year old died along with two other men in a boating accident Saturday night.

I couldn’t help but think of the 2002 death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Daryl Kile, who died of a heart attack during a road trip in Chicago. His was the first death of a major league player during the regular season since Yankee great Thurman Munson died in a plane crash in 1979.

I wrote about Kile and his teammates’ reactions to his death – both immediately and long-term – in my book...