St. Louis Cardinals: Diaz Grand in Emotional Return

After taking time off for the funeral of his childhood friend Jose Fernandez, Aledmys Diaz returned to the St. Louis Cardinals in grand fashion.

There’s not a baseball fan left on earth who isn’t aware of what happened early Sunday morning. Shortly after 3 a.m., Coast Guard personnel noticed a boat upside down, resting on a rocky jetty. The Marlins lost their star pitcher, it was confirmed hours later, and baseball lost one of its brightest lights.  Moreover, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz lost his childhood friend.

Cuba is filled with talented young baseball players, most of whom dream of nothing but a major league contract, and a chance to change their lives forever.

Years ago, on a tiny street in Santa Clara, Cuba two such players lived two doors down from each other. Neighbors, and friends, Diaz and Jose Fernandez grew up side-by-side, dreaming of the day when they would both represent their country on the major league stage.

Fernandez’s future was never in doubt. Fans will remember him as having an infectious personality, and one of the most electric arms in the world and was destined to be a star in the states. Everyone who knew him drew their energy from him, they borrowed his passion for life and for the game, and they were better off for it.

His loss has affected millions, most of us total strangers—but Diaz was no stranger. To Diaz, Fernandez was like his brother, and this had him overcome with grief. When he learned of the news on Sunday, Diaz was devastated and was unable to play in the game against Chicago.

The Cardinals organization gladly granted him a leave of absence for Monday, and he flew home to attend the service for his friend. In the midst of a heated wild card race, baseball took a backseat to an unimaginable pain and an inevitable sense of loss that are both inherent to the human experience.

Professional athletes display an otherworldly level of talent polished by an uncanny work ethic. Routine, discipline, and razor sharp focus can often deceive us into understanding them as more machine than man. Despite what we want from our athletes, they too are human. This kind of pain is crippling, and no one would have blamed Diaz for missing Tuesday’s game. But Diaz didn’t miss Tuesday’s game.

The Cardinals were trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning and they were in danger of dropping their second straight to Cincinnati—a loss that may have undone this team’s fragile playoff hopes. It’s hard to know what Diaz was thinking during this at-bat. Perhaps he was locked in utilizing that razor sharp focus or perhaps he was an emotional wreck unable to separate himself from the loss of a friend.

More from St Louis Cardinals News

• Cardinals Rumors: 3 pros and cons of signing Carlos Rodon
• Cardinals: Here is Willson Contreras’ first message for St. Louis fans
• How do the St. Louis Cardinals stack up with Willson Contreras?
• Cardinals: The insane asking price the Athletics had for Sean Murphy
• St. Louis Cardinals: Ask me anything with Josh Jacobs – 12/8

Diaz took full advantage of the loaded bases by launching the ball 408 ft from home plate and over the wall in left-center. Goosebumps. I wonder if we could turn back our watches and relive the moment if we could have seen it coming; if we could have felt it coming.

Overcome with emotion, Diaz crossed home plate and pointed up to the sky, as if to say “For you” to his hometown friend. Diaz returned to the dugout and was greeted by cheers humbly requesting a curtain call. When he emerged from the dugout, again, he looked up and pointed to the sky.

Diaz would need a moment and retreated to the tunnel to gather himself, and several teammates followed in an effort to console him. The death of Jose Fernandez was undoubtedly and irrefutably bigger than baseball. Last night’s win is attributable to Diaz’s decision to return to the game he loved and the team that needed him.

Next: This team stinks and it starts from the head

The grand slam would prove to score the go-ahead runs, and the Cardinals never turned back, winning 12-5. Again, this tragedy is bigger than the game. But as we saw on both Dee Gordon’s towering shot, and Diaz’s grand return last night: Even in death, Jose Fernandez is impacting the game of baseball.