Jose Fernandez, RHP

[jOOj]

Jose Fernandez is filing a grievance since we are sending him down.

[Ramp]

When Jose Fernandez fled his native Cuba, he dreamed of freedom. He dreamed of breaking from poverty, dreamed of owning more than “three T-shirts, two pairs of shorts and shoes and one pair of pants.” He dreamed of not having to go to jail for saying the wrong thing — or, for that matter, saying anything.

On his fourth escape attempt, taking off on a speedboat with his mother and sister in 2008, Fernandez reached Cancun, Mexico, before crossing U.S. border in Hidalgo, Texas. Finally, he could leave him home whenever he wanted. He could speak his mind.

“You sit back and think, all those things that you went through, you don’t believe it. It’s incredible. It’s surreal. It’s something you don’t imagine. It’s something crazy,” Fernandez said. “Being in jail and all that stuff, it’s hard. That’s not something that a kid at 15 years old should be going through. But that makes you stronger.”

Fernandez also dreamed of playing professional baseball. But unlike his other dreams, which seemingly were realized after joining his father in Tampa, he didn’t exactly know how to accomplish his goal of stepping on a big-league mound.

“I didn’t even know what the draft was when I came here,” said Fernandez, whom the Marlins selected with the 14th overall pick in June’s draft. “I didn’t know anything.

“When I was throwing 94 during my sophomore year, people started noticing and scouts started showing up. People start talking, ‘Oh, you could be in the draft. Did you know you could be drafted?’ I started looking it up, finding things out, learning a little bit.”

Three years later, Fernandez has fulfilled another dream. Baseball sources confirmed the Marlins signed their first-round pick roughly two hour before Monday’s midnight deadline for a $2 million. The sides agreed to a deal about 25 percent more than MLB’s slot recommendation, $1,602,000, according to Baseball America. Fernandez had committed to the University of South Florida.

Fernandez, 19, throws three swing-and-miss pitches: a fastball that rests between 92-96 mph with heavy sink and occasionally touches 99, a knee-buckling curveball that ranges from 69-85 and a low-80s changeup with fade. With a high glove point toward home plate before releasing the ball to keep his front side closed, some scouts have said Fernandez looks like Tim Lincecum in mechanics.

Fernandez also has a track record of winning. He went 30-3 during his career at Tampa Alonso High School, and led the Ravens to three consecutive appearances in the state championship game, helping the team win the title as a sophomore and senior.

Orlando Chinea, Fernandez’s trainer and the former Cuban National Team pitching coach who previously worked with big-leaguers Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, Livan Hernandez and Rolando Arrojo, said he thinks Fernandez could reach the major leagues within two years because of his advanced repertoire, pitchability and makeup.

Miami Herald

[MiamiHomer]

MiLB.com's Matthew Stucko talks to Jose Fernandez, Miami's top pitching prospect, following his latest solid start for the Grasshoppers

He says "pretty good" a lot.

[Mainge]

Really like those mechanics. Very simple drop and drive delivery.

Holy thunder thighs Batman. They probably start clapping at a light jog.

[Ramp]

yea, he's quite Billingsley-esque

[Mainge]

Jose Fernandez made the Futures Game roster

[Anonymous]

Jose Fernandez promoted to Jupiter.

[emkayseven]

yay

[Bucklin12]

Where did you see that?

[Bobbob1313]

JCR reported it.

[Bucklin12]

Cool

[LocoMarlinFan]

Miami Marlins: Top pitching prospects Jose Fernandez, Adam Conley Jupiter bound
by: Juan C. Rodriguez June 22nd, 2012 | 6:59 PM
Arguably the Marlins’ most exciting pitching prospect since Josh Beckett, right-hander Jose Fernandez is getting closer to the big leagues both geographically and organizationally. Fernandez, who the Marlins’ selected in the first round of the last year’s draft, is getting promoted from low-Class A Greensboro to advanced-A Jupiter.

Fernandez is not coming alone. Fellow Greensboro starter Adam Conley, last year’s second round pick out of Washington State, is making the jump as well. Both pitchers dominated the South Atlantic League and were chief among the reasons the Grasshoppers clinched the Northern Division First Half title.

In 14 starts, Fernandez went 7-0 with a league-best 1.59 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 79 innings. Conley in his 14 starts went 7-3 with a 2.78 ERA, 24 walks, 84 strikeouts and a 1.10 WHIP in 74 1/3 innings.

Fernandez and new Hammerheads teammate Christian Yelich will represent the Marlins at the Futures Game in Kansas City next month.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports...ter-bound.html

[Miamarlin21]

Fernandez warming up prior to his first High-A Start:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=linQ7f6Gg&feature=player_detailpage[/ame]


No more high socks
--------------------
Four runs given up in three innings.

[Miamarlin21]

So-so High-A debut for the Cuban-defector.

Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Jose Fernandez (W, 1-0) 5.0 5 4 4 1 4 0 7.20

[Mainge]

So so is being nice. More like god awful.