14 CARDINALS MAGAZINE
In September 2016, shock and grief
pierced the baseball world when talented
Miami Marlins righthander Jose Fernandez
died in a boating accident at 24 years old.
Few players were more affected than
teammate Marcell Ozuna. Even after being
traded to the Cardinals this offseason,
he referenced their friendship and bond
during his introductory phone call with
local reporters and at his first onsite media
session of the spring.
The connection endures as Ozuna has
settled in to a new clubhouse and new
surroundings in St. Louis.
He pays tribute to Fernandez every game
he plays, continuing a tradition he began
in Miami. As he trots out of the dugout for
left field, Ozuna stops at the foul line, just
beyond the first-base bag (or third base, if the
team is in the opposite dugout on the road).
He takes a few sidesteps along the baseline,
drops to one knee, and extends his right
forefinger to write “JDF 16” in the dirt. As
he rises, he points and looks skyward.
It’s not unlike another ritual Cardinals
fans have witnessed in recent years: that of
fellow Dominican Carlos Martinez, who
kneels behind the mound before the first
pitch of every start and etches “18” and
“30” into the clay to honor countrymen
Oscar Taveras and Yordano Ventura.
The promising Cardinals outfielder and
world champion Royals pitcher died in car
accidents in 2014 and 2017, respectively, at
the ages of 22 and 25.
At last year’s All-Star Game in Miami –
the city where Fernandez spent his entire
major league career – Martinez joined
Ozuna to keep the pitcher’s memory close.
Ozuna asked that the Cardinals pitcher
(who knew Fernandez) occupy an adjoining
locker. The empty stall on the other side of
Martinez remained as it had that season: a
memorial to the deceased pitcher, who’d
pitched in All-Star Games as a mere
20-year-old in 2013 and again in 2016, two
months before his death.
Ozuna shared memories of Fernandez
and details of his “JDF 16” ritual with
Cardinals Magazine.It comes from my heart. Every time
I play, you will see me stop at the line and do
that. When we are the visiting team, I will
do it after we bat in the first inning and I am
going out for defense the first time. When
we are at home, I always stop by the line
on my way to defense in the top of the first
inning. The sidestepping that I do when
I get to the line is just something I created.
Jose wanted me to go with him on
the boat that night. I told him I couldn’t
go because I had my wife and kids waiting
for me at home. I told him not to go.
Everybody knew he was crazy about that
boat and how much he liked the water. He
told me if I didn’t hear from him by 10 a.m.
(the next morning) to call him so he could
get to the ballpark on time. I woke up andthat’s when I found out. It was very hard.
I cried a lot. I didn’t think my brother
would be gone so soon.
He was my best friend. I met him after
he signed with Miami (in 2011). We played
together at Jupiter (high-A in 2012), and
then we both reached the big leagues the
next year. We just got closer and closer.
I hit my first home run in the same game
that he got his first win in the big leagues.
He was so young (20) when he got to
Miami, but his talent was so great (he’d be
selected NL Rookie of the Year). He got
better and better, too. When he died, the
Marlins were no longer the same team.
I dedicate every game to him. I miss
him still, a lot. You will see me look up to
the sky. I say, “Brother, are you there? Help
me the most you can.” Sometimes when
I would go into the clubhouse last year and
not see him, it was hard. Someone you spend
so much time with, and now they are not
there. I will take him with me the rest of my
life. I am never going to forget.MARCELL OZUNA
Ozuna draws inspiration from the late Jose Fernandez and honors his former Marlins
teammate before each game, etching “JDF 16” into the dirt beyond first or third base.Redbirds share the rituals, routines and peculiar
practices that make us ask: “Why do you do that?”OCCUPATIONALHABITS