By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The MLB community was struck with grief Sunday morning after learning that Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who was just 24 years old, passed away, along with two others, in a boating accident.
Former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who debuted as an MLB analyst for TBS Sunday, had one of the better reactions to the tragic news, as transcribed by Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice:
Here's Jimmy Rollins on the passing of Jose Fernandez: pic.twitter.com/m3Lun1Cl65
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) September 25, 2016
"When I first met the kid, I had seen him on TV and seen his stuff and his dynamic arm, but it was his smile. You knew his struggle, you knew where he came from and what he went through to get here and he never lost who he was and that joy for the game and joy for life. I wanted to meet him because he was the next big thing… As a competitor, he was in your face and smiling and joking with you and letting you know he was a presence. From the field, you knew he was the same way off the field — he accepted everyone and wanted to bring joy and happiness to everyone's life. Not just the attention on him, but it was his journey and he wanted to be part of it and share it with those that he loved… For a life to end so young, you feel it and recognize how precious life is… Baseball is a family, you don't want to lose anyone, especially in a tragic way."
There have been many powerful responses to the tragic passing of the 24-year-old, but Rollins' may have been the best. Rollins always has had a gifted politician-like ability in terms of being genuine, which certainly will help him to become a good analyst, but in this case allowed him to lend his thoughts on one of the most tragic events that baseball has seen in years.
Fernandez, who was a Cuban defector, won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2013. In 2016, he had helped the Marlins remain within striking distance of one of the two Wild Card spots in the National League, as he had gone 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA and 253 strikeouts in 182.1 innings.
