Pitcher beloved by S. Fla. Cubans

Young star cherished the freedom he found in U.S. after escaping Cuba.

MIAMI — Jose Fernandez never took freedom for granted.

How could he? The Marlins pitching phenom was forced to live without it for the first 15 years of his life.

Fernandez was born in Cuba and arrived in the United States in 2008 at age 15 on his fourth attempt to leave the island. Fernandez made the most of those nine years of freedom before he died early Sunday at age 24, and South Florida’s Cuban community will always celebrate him for that.

Fernandez used his trademark smile and passionate playing style to send a message — one that he put into words with a quote Marlins President David Samson relayed to the media in a news conference Sunday afternoon, hours after the boat in which Fernandez was riding slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach.

“You were born into freedom, you don’t truly understand freedom,” Fernandez would say.

That was obvious when the always energetic Fernandez was l e f t speechl e s s when he was reunited with his grandmother, Watch and listen to fans remember Jose Fernandez online at myPalmBeachPost.

Olga, in 2013 after leaving her behind in Cuba. Fernandez even proved it on the mound when he stared down batters after strikeouts or celebrated after getting out of a tough inning.

At times, opponents felt disrespected and even confronted him on the field. But Fernandez always felt free to play the sport the way he wanted to. He valued his freedom too much to change