Welcome to Behind the Plate With DJ, a weekly look at what is going on in the world of baseball. This series will weigh in on the interesting, the controversial, and the downright cool. The play of the week could be an incredible play or an unusual one. If something made you scratch your head, you will probably find it here. So sit back, relax, and let’s take a look at the week that was.
Jose Fernandez
The Marlins lost their 24-year-old ace over the weekend in a tragic boating accident. The Marlins, understandably, were devastated. So much so that they canceled their game against the Braves on Sunday. Major League clubs around the league held moments of silence out of respect for the young hurler.
Fernandez was having an exceptional season. He was 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA and a career high 253 strikeouts. He leads the league with a 2.29 FIP and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Fernandez won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2013 and was a 2-time All-Star.
The Rays were going to honor David Ortiz before the game to honor his last game in Tampa, but Ortiz asked to cancel the event. The Rays gave Ortiz his gifts in private. In New York, Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets taped a number 16 Fernandez jersey to the dugout wall. Fernandez jerseys were hung in several dugouts.
In Miami, the Marlins put the number 16 on the back of the mound and placed a hat on the rubber. Dee Gordon came out and paid his respects at the makeshift memorial.
On Monday, the Mets and Marlins played their game in Miami with heavy hearts. Fernandez was scheduled to pitch in this game. After the National Anthem was played, both teams got together and exchanged hugs. After that, the Marlins gathered around the mound, may writing in the dirt or taking some dirt and rubbing it on their pants.
All of the Marlins wore Fernandez jerseys honoring their fallen teammate. The Marlins will be retiring his number 16. Other than 42, which has been retired by all teams in honor of Jackie Robinson, 16 is the only number retired by the Marlins.
In the bottom of the first, Gordon came up wearing Fernandez’s helmet and batted right handed. After taking a ball, he donned his own helmet and proceeded to hit his first home run of the season. He could not stop the flow of tears as he rounded the bases, and they continued as he crossed the plate and embraced his teammates on his way to the dugout. Once in the dugout, there were more hugs and more tears. Nobody could have scripted a better start to this game.
The Marlins won the game 7-3. After the game, the Marlins again gathered around the mound. It was definitely an emotional day for the team as they remembered a bright light that was doused too soon.
Wild Finish
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All but one of the division crowns have been handed out, with the Indians, and Rangers winning in the AL and the Nationals, Cubs, and Dodgers winning in the NL. The Red Sox are just one win or one Blue Jays loss from winning the AL East. The Wild Card races, are far from over.
In the American League, the Blue Jays and Orioles had a hold of the 2 Wild Card slots at the end of the day on Tuesday. The Tigers got back to within a game of the Orioles and the Mariners were a game behind the Tigers.
In the National League, it’s a three team race with the Mets, Giants, and Cardinals all fighting for the 2 spots. The Mets are a half game ahead of the Giants, who are ahead of the Cardinals by a game.
This weekend has some intriguing match ups that could have major playoff ramifications.
The Orioles will be traveling to New York to face the Yankees while the Tigers travel to Atlanta to face the last place Braves. The Red Sox host the Blue Jays, who could be playing for the division or fighting for the last Wild Card spot. The Mariners host the A’s, which could be advantageous if they are still in the race.
The Mets are on the road against the Phillies as they try to lock up the first Wild Card spot. The Giants are hanging on to the second spot and they host the first place Dodgers, probably the toughest series for Wild Card hopefuls. The Cardinals host the Pirates, a team that has won 5 of 7 against the Cards in St. Louis.
On top of that, all 3 of the division leaders in the American League are fighting for home field advantage, with the Rangers a half game ahead of the Red Sox and a game and a half ahead of the Indians.
Get ready for an exciting weekend of baseball!
National Disaster
The Nationals received another devastating blow when they lost catcher Wilson Ramos after he tore his ACL on Monday. Ramos leapt to field a throw from right field and landed in a heap in the 6th inning against the Diamondbacks. An MRI on Tuesday confirmed the worst, and Ramos is done for the season, as well as a good chunk of next season.
Ramos is one of the best hitting catchers this season, hitting .307 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI. The Nationals are losing his production after Bryce Harper went down with a thumb injury on Sunday. X-rays were negative, which is good news. Daniel Murphy has also been out since last Tuesday with a strained Buttocks.
The Nationals are expecting both Harper and Murphy to be available for the playoffs. Ramos, on the other hand, will be hard to replace. The Nationals will go with the tandem of Jose Lobaton and Pedro Severino, who combined for 47 games this season. They can do a decent job behind the plate, but they are no Wilson Ramos.
Play of the Week
There is no way that the play of the week could be anything other than Gordon’s home run.