MIAMI — Hundreds of fans streamed into a Catholic church for a public viewing of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who was killed in a weekend boat crash along with two friends.
St. Brendan’s Church opened its doors for the viewing at 5 p.m. Wednesday. People could be seen lined up for blocks and many said they felt compelled to come because of Fernandez’s popularity as a baseball player and a hero to many in the Cuban-American community.
The viewing was scheduled to last until about 11 p.m. A private funeral Mass is set Thursday for the Fernandez family and Marlins players and personnel.
Earlier, Marlins players and officials gathered outside the team’s ballpark to send off a hearse containing Fernandez’s body.
Many in the crowd chanted “Jose! Jose!” and waved Cuban flags as the hearse passed by. Marlins players, coaches and personnel wore white T-shirts with the letters “RIP” and an image of Fernandez.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash in which the 24-year-old Fernandez’s boat slammed into a rock jetty off South Beach early Sunday.
CUBS: Chicago agreed to a five-year contract extension with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, rewarding him for an overhaul that has the long-suffering franchise eyeing its first championship since 1908.
The extension comes with the Cubs wrapping up one of the greatest seasons in franchise history and their attention clearly fixed on winning their first World Series in more than a century.
They reached 100 wins for the first time since 1935 and clinched the best record in the majors with more than a week left in the regular season.
• Left fielder Chris Coghlan left a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after crashing into the outfield wall.
Coghlan was attempting to catch Sean Rodriguez’s fly in the fifth inning when he ran into the wall. He was attended to by trainer Ed Halbur and walked off the field under his own power.
Coghlan has missed time this season with a pair of rib-cage injuries that required trips to the disabled list.
Coghlan was 0 for 1 with a walk and is batting .268 with one homer and 16 RBI in 45 games for the NL Central champions since being acquired from Oakland in June.
NATIONALS: Bryce Harper was out of the starting lineup for the third straight game because of an injured left thumb.
With rain forecast, Manager Dusty Baker did not want to risk the NL MVP in a wet outfield during Wednesday night’s game against Arizona.
METS: Batting second in each of the first five innings, Tim Tebow wasted no time hitting the first pitch he saw from Cardinals lefty John Kilichowski, a 2016 draftee who played in Class A short season, for a home run in an instructional league game.
Tebow has displayed some power in the early stages of his attempt at a baseball career, hitting home runs in batting practice, but had yet to face any in-game action.
He went 2 for 4 against live pitching from his Mets teammates during intrasquad games.
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