Jose Fernandez's death hit hard, even for Monday's plate umpire
Even the plate umpire was emotional. How could he not be?
“It was very difficult for me,” John Hirschbeck said after the Marlins defeated the Mets, 7-3, on Monday in their first game following the death of Jose Fernandez. “It was one of the hardest plate jobs, one of the hardest games I’ve ever worked in my life.”
Hirschbeck, 62, knows what it’s like to experience loss. He lost his only two sons to Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a deadly genetic disease that destroys the protective sheath surrounding the brain’s neurons — the nerve cells that allow people to think and control their muscles.
So, before working the plate in Monday night’s game between the Marlins and Mets, Hirschbeck paid a private visit to Marlins manager Don Mattingly. The two hugged, and Hirschbeck said he expressed condolences on behalf of his entire crew, which also includes Vic Carapazza, D.J. Reyburn, and Bill Welke.
Hirschbeck and Mattingly first met in 1982, when both were at Triple A. Mattingly attended a benefit organized by then-Athletics manager Tony La Russa for Hirschbeck’s sons after they were diagnosed in 1992.
Hirschbeck lost his oldest son, John Drew, at age 7 in March 1993, and his youngest, Michael, at 27 in April 2014. He and his wife, Denise, also have two daughters — Erin, 27, and Megan, 25 — who are ALD carriers. The disease mostly affects boys and men, though women can pass it on to their children.
Mattingly told Hirschbeck, “John, I couldn’t believe it when I saw that you were here, of all people.” The Hirschbecks, back home in Poland, Ohio, have a photograph on their wall of Mattingly holding Michael, then 4, at the family benefit.
“There was a huge, circular light behind them,” Hirschbeck said. “It was like perfectly centered on Michael’s head and Don, like a halo. The photographer just caught it perfectly.”
Hirschbeck told Mattingly that the umpires wanted to show support for the Marlins, wanted to be on the field early for the pregame ceremony. In most ballparks, they take the field after the national anthem. Not on this night.
“We were out there for the whole thing,” Hirschbeck said. “And it was really, really hard. Michael just died two years ago. I was very, very emotional, feeling so sorry for Fernandez and the whole situation.
“A lot of times I thought about the (umpires) who worked the game the day Michael died. They had to work in Cleveland that night and I wasn’t there. I thought about that a lot. As bad as I feel for the young man dying, everything in the world ahead of him, a new baby coming, it hit home a lot. I felt very, very bad.”
Hirschbeck said he was not surprised when the Marlins’ leadoff man, Dee Gordon, began his at-bat from the right side in honor of Fernandez, even mimicking his stance, before moving to his customary left side.
The Marlins had alerted the umps to the tribute. Gordon followed with his first home run of the season, and perhaps the most emotional in any ballpark since Mike Piazza’s game-winning shot in the Mets’ first game at Shea Stadium after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Gordon reached home plate in tears, then embraced one teammate after another, along with Mattingly and hitting coach Barry Bonds.
“They asked us about it before the game,” Hirschbeck said of Gordon’s tribute. “In light of the situation, we would have let them do just about anything they wanted to do. And yeah, (switching sides) is legal.
“He just wanted to take a pitch. They wanted the ball. Then he went to the other side. Was that unbelievable or what? He told (umpire) D.J. (Reyburn) at second base, ‘Even in batting practice, I’ve never hit a ball that far in my life.’”
The first time each Marlins hitter stepped to the plate, Hirschbeck told him, “I’m very sorry for your loss." Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud did the same.
By the end of the night, Hirschbeck was exhausted.
“I’m worn out right now,” he said. “It was a terrible game, terrible pitching, 3-2 a hundred times. I’m just mentally, physically and emotionally drained.”
And yet, he felt fortunate, too.
“I told the (other umpires) when everything was over: ‘Guys, we are lucky to be a part of the family, the baseball family,’” Hirschbeck said.
“I’ve said that so many times in my life. We argue, we yell, we scream, like any family. But when push comes to shove, we’re a family. I thank God because I feel so blessed to be a part of this my whole life.”
After the pregame ceremony, the Mets exchanged greetings and hugs with the Marlins. The four umpires embraced the Marlins’ coaches. All in memory of Fernandez, the Marlins’ fallen star.
“The last time we were here, he pitched when I had the plate,” Hirschbeck said, referring to a June 26 game in which Fernandez beat the Cubs, 6-1, striking out 13.
“Any umpire loved working him because he threw strikes, he worked fast, he was just a joy to work. He was fun. He epitomizes to me the way the game used to be played and should be played. You’re supposed to have fun.
“I tell my guys every night when they’re working the plate and I leave to go to the bases: ‘Take your time, call strikes and try to have fun.’ He did. He had fun playing.”
As Hirschbeck spoke, it was after midnight. Denise was waiting. They were going out for a bit to unwind, to lean on each other once more after a long, draining, unforgettable night.
