Mets sign Fernandez jersey to honor Marlins ace
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MIAMI -- As they entered their clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon, Mets players walked by the José Fernández jersey that hung in their dugout the previous two games. One by one, they signed the 1986 throwback Mets jersey, which they planned to present to the Marlins as a gift.
Consider it closure for a team looking to move past the emotions of Monday's game, Miami's first since Fernandez's death.
"It was sad, no question," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "You don't wish that on anybody. So it was hard. It was a tough game. When the game started, nobody was saying anything -- not a thing. When you went to home plate, the umpires didn't even say anything. So it was just a strange night, and we're glad we're moving on."
The idea for the jersey hatched from Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, who asked the team's clubhouse staff to print it up on Sunday morning.
When Yoenis Céspedes -- like Fernandez, a Cuban defector -- caught wind of it, he requested to be the one to hang it in the Mets' dugout at Citi Field. The Mets then carried the jersey with them to Miami, hanging it in their dugout once again on Monday, before signing it as a team on Tuesday afternoon.