By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

You know the feeling.

Waking up to find an inordinate amount of missed calls on your cell phone.

And wondering if something was wrong? What could it be?

Everyone at one time or another has awoken to that feeling?  

Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) knew the feeling waking up in Peroia, Az. on Sunday morn. There were five missed calls on his cell.

And then his mom was on the phone.

“My mom called early in the morning, I was sleeping in my hotel room,” Naylor explained.

Mom Jenice asked the son if he had heard what happened? 

The son said “no tell me,” and then mom broke the news that Jose Fernandez, of the Florida Marlins, had died in a boating accident that morning in Miami.

“My heart kind of stopped,” said Naylor, from San Diego Padres instructional league, “I really didn’t know what to think. My first reaction was a whole body shock and really not knowing what to think because he was so young and so talented.”

Naylor may be a Padre this fall, but as Miami’s first-round draft pick in 2015, as someone who went to Jupiter, Fla. for the Marlins training camp this spring and someone who was in the Miami system with the class-A Greensboro Grasshoppers until July 29, he was hit hard by the news.  

Fernandez, 24, was beloved for the way he played the game with the excitement and joy of a Little Leaguer knowing for sure that win or lose he was headed to the Dairy Queen post-game and would get to place his own order “more chocolate please!” 

The news hit people hard in the American League clubhouses, around the National League dugouts, at instructional leagues where prospects, those minor leaguers whose season had ended and former players.

Fernandez’s passing was a reason Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays cancelled his walk up music Sunday afternoon.

It’s why Aledmys Diaz hit his first-ever grand slam for the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday a day after returning from Miami and paying his respects to his childhood friend.

It’s why a Cuban like Yasiel Puig took to Twitter, why Latin players Albert Pujols and David Ortiz did the same and same for former big leaguers Chipper Jones, Dontrelle Willis and Dan Haren, plus current major leaguers Todd Frazier, Mike Trout. Marcus Stroman, Chris Archer, Eric Hosmer. Matt Carpenter, Evan Longoria and Bryce Harper did the same. 

Jose Fernandez was the type-A personality that could touch ‘em all.

And it’s why a couple of Canadian players were touched deeply.

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SS Terrence Dayleg (Surrey, BC) was scrolling through his Twitter account last Sunday reading headlines when he was startled by the news.
 
“I said to myself “no way, this has to be fake,” Dayleg said. “I turned on ESPN and everything popped up I was in shock. It wasn’t fair, I was in shock.”

That day he hugged his baby daughter, now two years old, the way a lot of parents seek out their children for extra hugs when distressing news hits the 24-hour cycle. 

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“Even though we didn’t physically play on the same team we still had that connection of both being in the Marlins system,” Naylor said. “While I was there, he was like the big brother figure along with like Dee Gordon who is such an amazing person as well.” 

SS Dayleg and Fernandez did play on the same team.

Like Naylor, who played for the Canadian Junior National Team and coach Greg Hamilton, so did Dayleg, one of 43 Canadians drafted in 2005 (C Chris Robinson was the top Canuck in the third round to the Detroit Tigers, two picks ahead of 1B Nick Weglarz of Stevensville, Ont. selected by the Cleveland Indians.                                        

There were six Canuck middle infielders selected that June: Reed Eastley (Brandon, Man.) of Niagara University in the 13th to the Mariners, Josue Peley (Montreal, Que.) to the Washington Nationals in the 25th; Taylor Green (Courtenay, BC) Cypress College to the Milwaukee Brewers in the 25th, Philip Carey (London, Ont.) 25th from the Bolletari Academy and Dayleg chosen by the Padres from the Fraser Valley Chiefs where he played for coach Dennis Springenatic.

“Jeff Cowan was there that year too,” said Dayleg, who attended Seminole State Jr. College along with Peley, now the Blue Jays translator, and then transferred a year later to play for the University of Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Dayleg was drafted in the 22nd round by the Marlins in 2009 from the Hilltoppers. 

Dayleg played 39 games his first pro season with the rookie-class Gulf Coast Marlins and the class-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. And in 2010 he played 60 games with the Greensboro and class-A Jupiter Hammerheads. Then, in 2011, he was with the class-A Jamestown Jammers for 62 games. 

Fernandez, on the other hand, was a first-round selection, drafted 14th over-all in June of 2011 by the Marlins, Fernandez showed in upstate New York to make one start after one outing in the Gulf Coast League. It wasn’t pretty. He allowed five runs on four hits and three walks (a 19.29 ERA).  

“He came in, pitched that game and after it was over he was like -- no big deal,” said Dayleg from Bowling Green, Ky. “Obviously, he was a phenom out of high school, he had that aura about him. I’d never seen a guy with that type of swagger. He knew he was good.” 

Dayleg was 22, Fernandez was 18. 

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The next year Dayleg and Fernandez were together for the whole season, splitting the season between Greensboro and Jupiter. Dayleg played 72 games at Greensboro and 37 at Jupiter, hitting .226 with four homers and 39 RBIs in 109 games combined on the season. Fernandez made 14 starts at Greensboro and 11 at Jupiter.

And he dominated going 14-1 with a 1.75 ERA walking 35 and striking out 158 in 134 innings.    

“A lot of people took his confidence the wrong way -- I was a victim of it too -- he threw so easy, so effortlessly. He started at Greensboro and man he was confident. He knew how good he was. The more he pitched, you quickly realized that you respected him as a teammate and a pitcher. He gained everyone’s respect really quick. Man he was passionate, he loved to win.”

One night Greensboro was playing the Delmarva Shorebirds with Dayleg was at short and Fernandez on the mound. Looking back four years Dayleg called it an “eye-opening experience.”

“It’s early in the season, it’s cold, Jose is throwing a gem, we get to the sixth or seventh and it is bases loaded two out,” recalled Dayleg like he is talking of a game from last week. “Their best hitter is up. The No. 3 guy, a catcher but I don’t remember his name. Jose falls behind 3-0 -- this is the only time I’ve ever seen this -- and throws a sharp curve to make it 3-1. Then, another sharp curve to get to a full count. The hitter looks at him like ‘what’s going on?’ Jose steps back in and throws a mid 90s fastball up and in to strike him out. 

“We go into the dugout and I say ‘dude are you crazy? I’ve never seen that.’ He flashes that big smile of his, looks at me and says ‘if you are not confident to do those type of things you won’t make it far.’ I took those words to heart. You have to be confident and believe in yourself.”

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Fernandez was friendly and outgoing to everyone at the Marlins big-league camp, those inside Roger Dean Stadium, the minor-league clubhouse and those on the eight back fields in the complex Miami shares with the St. Louis Cardinals. His personality was so outgoing he would hug everyone from a September call-up to Giancarlo Stanton (“his brother”) to a security guard. With that spectrum of friends he was certainly going to pay attention to a slugger selected 12th in North America, a high schooler from another country.

After Naylor was drafted in June of 2015 from the Ontario Blue Jays, he headed to Marlins Park for a workout. 

“He came up, shook my hand and said ‘Hey I’m Jose, nice to meet you and congratulations,’” remembered Naylor.” 

Naylor was asked if the Fernandez description -- a “big kid, loving life and the game” was accurate. 

“I completely agree with that statement,” Naylor said. “During spring training he would come into the minor league clubhouse and say hi to the players. You would always see him smiling and joking around with everyone. We would always see him in front of cameras or with his teammates laughing etc.

“One of the nicest things he ever said to me was ‘just keep working hard, have fun and enjoy the ride. You were picked where you were for a reason. People believe in you.’”

Those words stuck with Naylor, whose chest stuck out a little that day after the compliment from Fernandez.

One day this spring after Naylor’s morning workout done, he took mom Jenice to a game at Roger Dean Stadium. They don’t recall who the Marlins were playing, but they sat up from the third base and saw Fernandez seated along the line with other pitchers. Fernandez was being bombarded by people seeking autographs from the stands but he held them off until after the game. 

Spotting Naylor, Fernandez took the time to flash a huge smile and nod to say ‘hi.’ Naylor went to the bottom of the of the stands and had a brief chat. 

How ‘bout that as Mel Allen used to say? Or how cool was that as the cool kids say nowadays? One of the “big guys” taking time to make sure that the first rounder felt part of the “Marlins family.” During the entire game Fernandez stretched, tossed the ball back and forth with other pitchers keeping his teammates entertained with jokes and laughter. After the game he made sure to say goodbye to Naylor and signed autographs for young fans. His energy and smile seemed contagious.

After the Marlins had been told that Fernández had died in an overnight boat crash they cancelled their Sunday game against the Atlanta Braves, Marlins players gathered for a tearful press conference featuring manager Don Mattingly, infielder Martin Prado, president of baseball operations Mike Hill and president David Samson. When the media left, when the TV cameras moved away the players sat in the clubhouse and thought what now? They decided to all head over to visit Fernandez’s mother and grandmother. So many people wanted to go they borrowed a Braves bus as bus No. 3 and headed out. 

The Marlins returned to the field Monday night to face the New York Mets with each player wearing No. 16 jerseys in honor of Fernández, a number that was retired following the game.

Dee Gordon took the first pitch batting right handed as Fernandez did. Then Gordon knocked a long home run to right field crossing the plate teary-eyed and walking into the dugout into the arms of his teammates. One by one they hugged him 

Naylor watched the game Monday.

“Watching Gordon take his first pitch imitating Jose’s stance from the right side really hit me hard,” Naylor said. “And when he hit the home run. That just shows you how good God works. That was such a special moment not only for the Marlins but for me. I felt like I knew him and he was always saying hi to me when he saw me. He was always smiling he was an incredible role model.” 

From Kentucky, Dayleg watched TV on Sunday and the game on Monday. 

“I definitely cried, I cried multiple times,” said Dayleg “it was a range of emotions, especially watching Gordon step into the right-handed hitting batter’s box, do an impression of his dear friend. I couldn’t help but laugh. That was exactly how he took his hacks.”

At Greensboro and Jupiter, Marlins affiliates used the DH, but in 2015 when Fernandez was assigned to the double-A Jacksonville Suns, Fernandez batted. 

“He hit, I’ve seen those mannerisms, he took pride in fact he worked on getting to be a better hitter,” said Dayleg who retired after the 2015 season and 474 games in the minors. “If he wasn’t swinging hard he wasn’t swinging. 

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Before the game and then after beating the Mets, Marlins gathered around the mound.

“When they were placing their hats on the ground after, that really hit me the hardest because I realized like ‘wow ... he’s actually gone.’ It was really touching. so special and a moment baseball, the Marlins and I will never ever forget because Jose wasn’t only an incredible player but also an incredible human being. 

“He was so special, extremely nice, always smiling and always happy. He had the ability to make a person who doesn’t know him well really comfortable. He was always joking around and stuff and being funny. He will be missed and I will always keep him and his family in my prayers. He was incredible.

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As this season draws to a close the Marlins right-hander is the best of the bunch from his draft class. Better than 3B Anthony Rendon (selected sixth over-all by the Nationals), OF George Springer (11th by the Houston Astros), SS Francisco Lindor (eighth, by the Cleveland Indians), RHP Sonny Gray (18th, Oakland A’s), RHP Gerrit Cole (first, Pittsburgh Pirates), OF Jackie Bradley (40th, Boston Red Sox) and 2B Joe Panik (29th San Francisco Giants). 

The Jays had four picks in the first 60. Read em and weep: RHP Tyler Beede (21st) who was unsigned, OF Jacob Anderson (35th, at class-A Lansing this year), RHP Joe Musgrove (46th, who made his debut with the Houston Astros appearing in 11 games), OF Dwight Smith (53rd, double-A New Hampshire) and RHP Kevin Comer (57th, double-A Corpus Christi). Musgrove and Cromer were sent to Houston along with Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Carlos Perez, David Rollins and Asher Wojciechowski for David Carpenter, J.A. Happ and Brandon Lyon. 

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Watching the funeral on Thursday there were Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Tony (Doggie) Perez standing at the head of the aisle as the crowd in the church filed by 1-by-1. 

On Sunday night we recall reading a line from Perez: “All I can do is scream in disbelief. There stood Perez, 74, and Dawson, 62, two Marlins advisors. They took turns greeting people headed to the front of the church. Perez would greet someone he knew, bury his chin into the person’s shoulder and sob. Dawson would watch, arms cupped wearing those large wrap-around sun glasses Cito Gaston popularized. The glasses hid his tears, but not his shoulders gently moving up and down.

I send Dawson a text: “Am watching you and Dog at the front of the church. Keep your chin up. You are a braver man than I Gunga Din. My best to Tony and you.”

Hours later he messaged back: “thanks.”

I took another look at my original message ... which actually read: “Am watching u and daWwg at the front of the xchurch mmm Keep your chinzs up. u are a braver man than I Gunga Dinnnnn. My best to doggggg and yoouuuu.” 

It’s tough to type when the scream is that blurry.   

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Dayleg described Fernandez as a “hell of a teammate,” and how you can feel the love,” for the man coming out of the TV each day.  

He said players from those 2012 teams were “texting back and forth, everyone was shocked.”

Naylor was asked if he could ever play a game like that after losing a teammate.

“I couldn’t imagine playing a game like that,” Naylor said, “especially in Dee’s case, knowing that one of your best friends is gone and not coming back. That’s rough, that’s a place in you’re heart empty. And him hitting that home run, again unexplainable. That was insane and all of God’s work because even Dee said he has never hit a ball that far -- not even in batting practice.”

At the field Padres prospects who knew Naylor came over from the Marlins asked if he had heard the news and how crazy the accident was. 

How would Naylor describe Fernandez’s personality to someone who had never seen him pitch?

“Watching Jose pitch, he always gave it his all and left it all on that mound,” said Naylor. “He was such an aggressive and smart pitcher it was almost like he wasn’t satisfied until he struck out every batter. 

“He wanted to win and he will always be a winner, even up in heaven.”

You know the feeling of the missed phone calls ... the fear something bad was going on and you were the last to know.

Josh Naylor answered the phone to find out that the heartbeat of the Marlins was gone way, way too young.

It was a feeling we hope no one reading this ever gets to know first hand.