It was four years ago September that the Miami Marlins and broader baseball world lost a true rising star in Jose Fernandez. © Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

It was four years ago in September that the Miami Marlins and broader baseball world lost a true rising star.

When news broke that Miami Marlins star Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident at the age of of 24 on Sept. 25, 2016, it caught the entire sports world by surprise. Those of us who were preparing for a fun day of NFL action and baseball games saw the entire day come to a halt.

How could this happen to such a young man who was not even in the prime of his career or life? A personality that was infectious, Fernandez’s tragic passing left a hole in all of our hearts.

The Cuba native would have turned 28 years old on Friday. It goes to show us how fast time flies in this life, and just how important it is to live every day like its your last. That’s what Fernandez taught us.

On what would have been his 28th birthday, the Major League Baseball world paid tribute to a man that left this life way too early.

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