The Latest: Fernandez Remembered As Larger Than Life
MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on the death of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (all times local):
4:10 p.m.
Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez was remembered as a larger than life figure during a homily at his funeral.
"Jose was too good for this league," the Rev. Jose Alvarez said during the Thursday afternoon service. "He's a going to a higher league."
The service lasted more than two hours. Those in attendance included Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, current and former Marlins players and two hall-of-famers, Marlins executives Tony Perez and Andre Dawson.
The private service drew about 300 mourners, who nearly filled the large sanctuary at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Miami.
Pallbearers wore black Fernandez jerseys as they carried his casket.
Fernandez, a 24-year-old, two-time All-Star, died early Sunday along with two friends in a boating accident off Miami Beach.
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1:15 p.m.
Busloads of Miami Marlins players, coaches, former players and front office personnel Rob Manfred have arrived at St. Brendan's Catholic Church for the funeral service of pitcher Jose Fernandez.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and singer Mark Anthony area among the hundreds of mourners attending the Thursday afternoon service.
Fernandez, an All-Star pitcher, died along with two friends when his boat slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach early Sunday.
Following the service, the Marlins players will fly to Washington, D.C., where they'll play in the final series of the 2016 season.
The Mass is a private service, but the public was invited to a viewing at the church Wednesday evening.
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11 a.m.
School officials in Tampa say the high school jersey that belonged to Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez disappeared following a candlelight vigil.
In a news release Thursday, Hillsborough County School District officials said the jersey was in the dugout during the vigil in his memory at Alonso High School.
Fernandez and two friends died when his boat crashed into a jetty off Miami Beach early Sunday.
Officials say that when the high school's coach and school leaders cleaned up after the vigil, the jersey was gone. The school filed a police report with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Fernandez led the Alonso Ravens to two state titles and had a 30-3 record in his high school career. He became an All-Star pitcher for the Marlins.
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3:15 a.m.
The family of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, along with Marlins players and personnel, are set to attend a private funeral Mass.
The ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at St. Brendan's Catholic Church.
Fans were able to say goodbye a day earlier during a memorial at the team's ballpark. Fernandez and two friends were killed in a boat crash off South Beach early Sunday morning.
Fernandez was an emerging baseball star known for his exuberant personality and style of play. He was National League Rookie of the Year in 2013 and was a two-time All-Star. This year, he set a single-season Marlins strikeout record with 253.
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