Every Marlins Player Will Be Wearing Jose Fernandez' #16 When They Take The Field Against The Mets Tonight

In honor of Jose Fernandez, all Marlins players will wear his No. 16 tonight against the Mets.

— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) September 26, 2016

It's difficult to put into words how awesome I think this gesture is, because the fact of the matter is that - through no fault of a Marlins organization that hasn't even begun to finish mourning - it doesn't even come close to expressing how important Jose Fernandez was to baseball. Honestly, I don't know of any one gesture that could pay enough of a tribute to a young, vibrant starting pitcher who truly loved the sport and was quickly blossoming into the face of his franchise. I don't know how an organization recovers from losing not only such a valuable piece of their team, but such an invaluable presence in their locker room. I don't know how grieving teammates lace up their cleats and take the field throughout the initial stages of the grieving process. I don't know how it's possible to focus on a game when the chilling remembrance of a fallen friend is stitched across the back of everyone in the dugout. There is so many unknowns in this situation, and that speaks to just how tragically rare it is. I guess if there is one thing I do know it's that we should all be rooting for the Marlins tonight. Sorry Mets fans, but this one's bigger than any amount of fan loyalty. This one's for Jose. Hopefully one day this is too...

Something for MLB to consider: A Jose Fernandez spirit award, presented to the player who best exemplifies love and passion for the game.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 26, 2016

​h/t Uproxx