CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler played with Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez when the two were growing up in Cuba. They traveled together to Venezuela for a youth tournament.Soler said Fernandezs ability was obvious, right from the start.Since he was a child, since we were kids, I knew he had something, Soler said through a translator. He had a talent. It was very impressive.Fernandezs death in a boating accident at the age of 24 cast a dark shadow over the major leagues on Sunday. Miamis home game against Atlanta was canceled, and several ballparks observed moments of silence. Wrigley Fields iconic hand-operated scoreboard displayed Fernandezs No. 16 in its pitching column next to Miami.But the loss of Fernandez was felt most acutely in baseballs growing Cuban community.He was one of those guys that everybody loved, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena said. He was one of those guys that everybody knew exactly what he meant to our community. For us, its a big, big loss. Its one of those things where our thoughts and prayers are obviously with his family, the Marlins organization and the fans. But it gets a little bit closer because he was part of our Cuban family.There was very little mention of Fernandezs death by Cuban state media, which were virtually silent with none of the countrys main newspapers mentioning it.The sole state-run evening news program also said nothing about the fatal accident. A brief story in Cubadebate, the countrys main news website, said Latin American baseball and the Major Leagues are undoubtedly in mourning, and many of his followers cant believe the news.The flight of baseball talent for rich contracts in the U.S. remains a sensitive topic in Cuba, where a baseball program that was a source of national pride has been devastated by departures for the Major Leagues. With few exceptions, state media do not mention Cuban players who have gone to the U.S. and games featuring those players are not rebroadcast on government-run TV.There were 23 Cubans on opening-day major league rosters this year, an increase of five over last season and the most since the commissioners office began releasing data in 1995. Many of the players share similar stories when it comes to their perilous journey from the communist country to the majors, and the difficulty of adjusting to life in the United States.A native of Santa Clara, Cuba, Fernandez was unsuccessful in his first three attempts to defect, and spent several months in prison. At 15, Fernandez and his mother finally made it to Mexico, and were reunited in Florida with his father, who had escaped from Cuba two years earlier.He was drafted by the Marlins in 2011, and quickly turned into one of the majors top pitchers.How he was on the mound was a reflection of him, Oakland first baseman Yonder Alonso said. A guy who had a lot of fun, was himself. A very talkative guy, he would come into the room and youd know he was in the room. Never big-leagued anyone, very professional. No matter what, he would talk to you about hitting, because he thought he was the best hitter, and he (would) talk to you about pitching, because he thought he was the best pitcher.Alonso said Fernandezs death was a big-time shock. Yasiel Puig used torn pieces of white athletic tape to display Fernandezs jersey on the wall in the home dugout at Dodger Stadium. Cardinals rookie Aledmys Diaz, who had known Fernandez since they were little kids, declined an interview request through a team spokeswoman.We Cuban players know each other well and all of us have a great relationship, Pena said. For us, its devastating news when we woke up. We were sending text messages to each other and we were showing support. Its something that obviously nobody expects.Fernandez, who became a U.S. citizen last year, also was beloved for his stature in the Cuban community in Miami.He was a great humanitarian, Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman said through a translator. He gave a lot to the community and I think thats why he got a lot of respect from the community in terms of what a great person he was and always giving, in terms of always willing to help out in whatever way he can to try to better and progress within the community someone that perhaps wasnt as fortunate as he was.The 28-year-old Chapman lives in the Miami-area in the offseason. He said he spent some time with Fernandez while he was home.He would come by my house. I would go by his, Chapman said. We would have long conversations. We would talk a lot. We spent a lot of good amount of time together. It was very special for me.---Associated Press Writer Michael Weissenstein contributed to this report from Havana---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Mike Matheny Jersey . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Junior Fernandez Cardinals Jersey . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/1284t-tony-cingrani-jersey-cardinals.html .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Andrew Knizner Jersey . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. John Gant Cardinals Jersey .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals.PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed outfielder Cody Ross on the 15-day disabled list with a dislocated right hip and recalled pitchers Chaz Roe and Tyler Skaggs from Triple-A Reno. Arizona also optioned right-hander Zeke Spruill to Reno. Ross was injured while running to first base in the first inning of Arizonas 9-5 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday. He stumbled just before reaching the bag and was taken to the hospital after being carted off the field. The Diamondbbacks said Ross will have surgery on Tuesday to repair a small fracture in his hip.dddddddddddd Ross was hitting .278 with eight homers and 38 RBIs in his first season with the Diamondbacks. The left-handed Skaggs was 2-3 with a 5.35 ERA with Arizona before being sent down on July 27. Roe, a right-hander, was 1-0 with a 5.79 ERA in four appearances over two stints with Arizona earlier this season. Spruill was 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA in six games with the Diamondbacks. ' ' '