Jose Fernandez’s high school jersey that went missing after candlelight vigil is found

0
339

The high school jersey of pitcher Jose Fernandez that went missing after a candlelight memorial to the Miami Marlins star Wednesday night in Tampa has been found. The jersey Fernandez wore at Alonso High was returned to the school by Friday, the Hillsborough County, Florida, sheriff told Tampa Times digital editor Carl Lisciandrello on Friday.

[RELATED: Baseballs signed by José Fernández washed up ashore Monday about 1 mile from where he died]

Prior to the jersey going missing on Wednesday, friends, family and former teammates of Fernandez, who was killed early Sunday morning in a Miami boating accident, gathered at Alonso High’s baseball field to honor him.

Fernandez’s former Ravens jersey hung in the dugout, but after the candlelight vigil ended, Coach Landy Faedo and others noticed that it was missing and filed a police report.

The jersey showed up Thursday night in a large, sealed envelope labeled “Jose’s jersey” that was leaned against the ticket booth at the school, Tampa Bay’s Fox 13 reports. A family nearby said they noticed the package and retrieved it. The family then reportedly brought the package to the school on Friday, where officials unsealed it and found the missing jersey inside.

“The entire Alonso High School family is grateful to have the jersey back and would like to thank the media and the outpouring of social media posts which shared this story,” the school said in a statement reported by Fox 13.

Fernandez came to the high school as a 15-year-old who had escaped Cuba on his fourth attempt. He led the school to two state championships with his 94-mph fastball. He left Alonso with a 30-3 record as the 14th overall draft pick in 2011.

A private funeral was held for Fernandez on Thursday.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Cindy Boren, Marissa Payne

Facebook Comments