Two families sue estate of Jose Fernandez
The families of the t wo men who were with Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez when his boat crashed into a Miami Beach jetty — killing all three — last September are suing the AllStar’s estate.
At t o r n e y C h r i s t o p h e r Royer, representing the families of 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero and 27-year-old Emilio Jesus Macias, told the Sun Sentinel that Rivero’s claim was filed Friday and Macias’ would be filed Monday. Each family is seeking $2 million.
The Miami Herald reported that Fernandez’s mother petitioned to take over his estate, which is valued between $2 million and $3 million, late last month.
Authorities say Fernandez had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, though it’s not clear whether Fernandez was driving.
The attorney representing Fernandez’s family, Ralph Fernandez, told the Sun Sentinel a settlement is “highly unlikely,” saying the official crash investigation has not been completed, but he expects it to find Jose Fernandez was not driving the boat when it crashed.
Big Papi missing from Red Sox camp: When the Boston Red Sox started to report for spring training Monday in Fort Myers, David Ortiz was missing. For the first time since 2002, Big Papi is not on the roster.
“It’s going to be different,” second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. “He’s been here every year that I’ve been here. We just have to find a way to overcome his absence and it’s going to have to be a team effort to find a way to do that.”
Ortiz retired last October after helping Boston win its first three World Series titles since 1918. He hit 541 home runs in 20 major league seasons and decided he didn’t want to put himself through another season at age 41.
Hanley Ramirez took over Ortiz’s locker, the one closest to the exit to the players’ lounge and cafeteria. He also is expected to take over the majority of Ortiz’s duties as designated hitter, with Mitch Moreland also getting some at-bats.
“N o b o d y i s g o i n g t o replace Ortiz,” Moreland said.
Ortiz led the AL with a .620 slugging percentage last year and hit .315 with 87 extra-base hits and 127 RBIs. Moreland, who signed a $5.5 million, one-year deal with Boston after spending the past seven seasons with Texas, had 43 extra-base hits and 60 RBIs last year. Ramirez, in one of his best power seasons since 2008, had 59 extra base hits and 111 RBIs.
“No matter who was available to us, we were never going to be able to replace David,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “What he has meant to us with his production, I don’t know that you can just pencil in 30 and 100 as frequently as we did with David.”
Jeter, wife expecting a girl: Derek Jeter’s wife, Hannah, says they are expecting their first child together, a girl.
The S por t s I l l us t r a t e d s wi msu i t s t a r made t h e announcement Monday in an essay on her husband’s Player’s Tribune website. The announcement includes a photo of the 42-year-old Yankees legend holding a bouquet of pink balloons.
She says Derek already has a name picked out, but she’s not settled on it yet. Hannah Jeter writes: “Whatever her name is, I know she’ll run circles around him.”
The 26-year-old says they want her “kids’ lives to be as ‘normal’ as possible,” because “they’re going to be born into such an extraordinary situation.”
Jeter and the former Hannah Davis married in July.