Fernandez was killed in a boat crash off Miami Beach on Sept. 25, 2016. He was just 24.

Investigators said Fernandez was legally drunk, had cocaine in his system and was behind the wheel when the boat crashed, overturned and killed him and two others onboard.

Fernandez was a cultural hero to many in South Florida’s Cuban community following his escape from the communist island.

He was a first-round pick of the Marlins in June 2011 and less than two years later, he was starting in the big leagues as a 19-year-old.

In less than four seasons with the Marlins, Fernandez went 38-17 in 76 career starts with a 2.53 ERA and 589 strikeouts. He was the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2013 and a two-time All-Star.

In a post on social media, Fernandez’s mother said his memory, his smile and his hugs continue to live within her heart.

Telemundo 51 will broadcast the Marlins against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 1:40 p.m. ET, and against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 3:10 p.m. ET – the final game of the 2026 regular season – on free over-the-air television in South Florida.

Both games will be played at loanDepot park.

“Our viewers have a deep passion for baseball, and we are proud to make Marlins baseball available to Spanish-speaking fans on Telemundo 51 for the first time,” said Jorge Carballo, President and General Manager of Telemundo 51 and NBC6/WTVJ. “This initiative underscores our shared commitment to serving South Florida’s vibrant Hispanic community.”

“Baseball is deeply rooted in the Spanish-speaking community, and that is especially true here in South Florida,” said Caroline O’Connor, Miami Marlins President of Business. “Our partnership with Telemundo 51 Miami allows us to connect with Spanish-speaking fans in a more meaningful way through Spanish-language broadcasts while expanding access to Marlins baseball across the region.”

Dressed in kilts and belting “No Scotland, No Party,” they marched roughly one mile from a popular Miami bar to loanDepot Park on Monday night, turning the stadium into the latest stop on the Tartan Army’s Major League Baseball takeover tour after they filled the streets of Boston and New York for Scotland’s previous matches.

Inside the ballpark, the atmosphere was more lively than for most weeknight games for the Marlins, who in recent years have had some of the worst attendance in baseball. Longtime supporters were looking forward to seeing their ballpark transformed by the boisterous Scotland fans.

“It’s going to give a really good experience to us fans,” said Victor Munoz, a Miami native. “Usually the stadium’s not full, now it’s going to be full. It’s going to be packed. It’ll be fun.”

Scotland fans roared during a routine groundout in the first inning and chanted in anticipation of nearly every pitch. Some kicked around empty beer cans as if they were soccer balls. They took over the concourse, wearing traffic cones atop their heads while cheering.

“We’re loving everything,” said Johnnie Sloan, who flew to Boston from Glasgow, Scotland, and drove to Miami for Wednesday’s match. “We’re here for the World Cup, obviously, but tonight we’re here in Miami going to watch the baseball (game). This is a warmup for Wednesday. I guarantee the Miami Marlins win tonight because they’ve got the full support of the Tartan Army.”

The Marlins lost 4-3 to the Texas Rangers, but the Scots embraced the experience, singing afterward as if they were celebrating a victory.

“Lively out there tonight,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “That was quite the atmosphere.”

The announced crowd of 20,008 included about 8,000 members of the Tartan Army, and it was a striking sight. The ballpark was used for the World Baseball Classic, where a sellout crowd of 36,190 watched Venezuela beat the United States in the final earlier this year. But the Marlins entered Monday’s game averaging 12,604 fans per game in the regular season.

They’ve been one of the hottest teams in baseball, going an MLB-best 14-4 in June with an eight-game home winning streak entering Monday.

Munoz hopes the Tartan Army takeover leads to more attention for the ascending Miami team.

“It’s going to give us visibility,” Munoz said. “The Marlins are a fairly new team. So it’s good because that way, the world is going to get to know us. And we’ll eventually get to become like a Yankee team.”

The Scots had descended on bars and filled the pubs in the Boston area as they celebrated their team’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years, and a historic victory over Haiti in their opener.

“I don’t think the ballpark is ready to supply so much beer,” said Harry Guerrero, a Marlins season ticket holder who was born and raised in Miami. “I honestly think it’s going to be out of hand. But I wish the ballpark well.”

Members of the Tartan Army met at the bar Ball & Chain to begin their march to the ballpark. Guerrero showed up to share a few drinks. He said it was the earliest he’d arrived at a Marlins game in at least five years.

“It’s kind of crazy. We’re so glad to have them in Miami and we hope they enjoy themselves,” he added. “I hope they’re getting hydration — I told them — and their sunscreen because they’re a bunch of pale guys.”

After singing along to a live pregame performance by Nick Morgan, who released the song “No Scotland, No Party,” fans turned the famed chant into “No Marlins, No Party” throughout the night.

The players noticed.

“They brought their spirit over. It was really cool to see,” said Owen Caissie, who had to corral a few water-filled beach balls in the outfield.

Added Marlins starting pitcher Tyler Phillips: “If it was up to me, I would have us paying those people to show up to the games. That was unbelievable. Like from the second I walked out and then up the dugout, I felt it in my chest. It felt great. … And man, if I ever see them, like if I’m ever out there, I got their backs.”

___

Associated Press journalist Gracie Fisher contributed to this report. Fisher is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup

These die-hard Scottish fans are making their presence known as they follow their team to its matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Rumor has it they drank all the beer in Boston, and now it’s Miami’s turn.

The Tartan Army is expected to party at Ball and Chain in Little Havana and march under the sun at Miami Beach all before Scotland takes on Brazil on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Miami Stadium.

But first, baseball.

The Miami Marlins confirm to NBC6 that more than 8,000 tickets have been purchased by Tartan Army supporters for Monday night’s game against the Texas Rangers as part of their visit to South Florida.

The group is expected to gather along Calle Ocho from 2 to 4 p.m., before they’ll start to march southbound on Southwest 15th Avenue toward loanDepot Park.

Don’t miss the spectacle. Here’s the agenda for the evening:

• 5:45 p.m. – Performance on the West Plaza of “No Scotland No Party” by Nick Morgan
• 6 p.m. – Tartan Army on-field parade
• 6:30 p.m. – Ceremonial first pitch by Scotland National Team midfielder Billy Gilmour

Snelling, the team’s No. 2 prospect, was called up from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier this month and made his MLB debut in a loss to Washington on May 8, giving up three runs on five hits while walking four in five innings. He later reported discomfort in his left elbow after a bullpen sessions, and an MRI revealed a sprained UCL.

Snelling was evaluated Thursday in Dallas by Dr. Keith Meister, who recommended surgery, the team said. A recovery timeline will be given following Friday’s surgery.

“Disappointing for him and us,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “That’s an unfortunate part of our industry. Guys go down. We just keep going, and Robby will come back from this a stronger person.”

McCullough said the Marlins will try different pitchers to fill the fifth spot in the rotation, mentioning Braxton Garrett, who was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, and Tyler Phillips, who has allowed four earned runs with 27 strikeouts in 30 relief innings this season.

“We have some others in Jacksonville that have thrown the ball well and (can) potentially get that opportunity,” he said. “We have ways here with the group we have that we can cover those games. So I think that we’ll just continue to kick the tires on what we think is best. And guys will have chances to step into that spot and have a chance to perform here.”

Snelling was moved to the 60-day injured list amid a handful of roster moves ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves.

Also Thursday, the Marlins acquired outfielder Rece Hinds in a trade with Cincinnati in exchange for right-hander Zach McCambley. Hinds was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Miami also recalled infielder Graham Pauley from Triple-A Jacksonville and placed infielder Leo Jiménez on the seven-day concussion injured list.

Miami’s closer left Yankee Stadium after pitching in the first inning in order to get home Sunday night ahead of his wife giving birth.

When it became clear the start of the game against New York was going to be delayed by rain, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough decided to open the game with the 32-year-old right-hander and send scheduled starter Chris Paddack to the bullpen.

Fairbanks’ wife Lydia was scheduled to have labor induced on Monday morning.

“Let’s just go ahead and let’s bank an inning here at the start of the game, and then you can take off and go enjoy,” McCullough said after the Marlins’ come-from-behind 7-6 win, recalling his pregame discussion with Fairbanks.

This will be the third child for Fairbanks and his wife after a son, Isak, and daughter, Lotte. A daughter, Ellis, died after 19 weeks, 6 days of gestation during the 2023-24 offseason due to Turner Syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by a missing or partial X chromosome.

Rain caused the game to start at 5:10 p.m. after a 3-hour, 35-minute delay. McCullough made the decision while speaking with Fairbanks during breakfast in the visitors clubhouse.

Fairbanks threw a 27-pitch first inning, allowing Ben Rice’s three-run homer that put New York ahead 3-1. He then left to catch a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Tampa International Airport.

“Today being the last we’re going to have him for a few days, we knew we were going to pitch him today,” McCullough said.

Left-hander Andrew Nardi relieved for the bottom of the second and the right-handed Paddack entered in the third.

“Skipper told me early on when I got to the ballpark that there was going to be a little change in the game plan,” Paddack said. “It was a little weird.”

Paddack allowed an unearned run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings while striking out four and walking four, rebounding from a loss to Colorado in his first start when he gave up eight runs over four innings.

“I actually threw my pregame bullpen there in the first inning,” Paddack said. “It was a little longer inning than we were expecting out of Pete, so was able to sit down there in the second. And then once we started swinging the bat at the top of the third, I walked over and mentally right there, I said: `The switch is on. This is a start.’”

A 32-year-old right-hander, Fairbanks agreed to a $13 million, one-year contract with the Marlins in December after the Tampa Bay Rays declined an $11 million team option. He had 27 saves last year and has two for the Marlins, raising his total to 92 in eight major league seasons.

Fairbanks had last pitched on Tuesday and the start was just his third in 279 big league appearances, the first since he pitched 1 2/3 innings for Tampa Bay at the New York Mets.

After Fairbanks left the mound, catcher Liam Hicks didn’t speak with the closer.

“I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled with how he did,” Hicks said. “He’s not really a guy you want to approach if he didn’t do that well.”

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rockies: Kyle Freeland (0-0); Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (0-0)

BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins open the season at home against the Colorado Rockies with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. EDT.

Miami went 79-83 overall and 38-43 in home games a season ago. The Marlins slugged .393 as a team in the 2025 season while hitting 1.0 home run per game.

Colorado went 43-119 overall and 18-63 in road games a season ago. The Rockies pitching staff averaged 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings while giving up 6.3 runs per game in the 2025 season.

INJURIES: Marlins: Esteury Ruiz: 10-Day IL (oblique), Kyle Stowers: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Adam Mazur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Max Acosta: 10-Day IL (oblique), Ronny Henriquez: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rockies: RJ Petit: 60-Day IL (elbow), Blaine Crim: 10-Day IL (oblique), Tyler Freeman: 10-Day IL (back), McCade Brown: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Zac Veen: 10-Day IL (knee), Pierson Ohl: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kris Bryant: 60-Day IL (back), Jeff Criswell: 60-Day IL (elbow)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Marlins -196, Rockies +162; over/under is 7 1/2 runs

Paddack can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses, the person said, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

Miami appears likely to slot him into its rotation after trading Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs and Ryan Weathers to the New York Yankees.

Paddack, who turned 30 last month, was selected by the Marlins in the eighth round of the 2015 amateur draft and was traded to San Diego in June 2016 for pitcher Fernando Rodney.

He was 5-12 with a 5.35 ERA in 28 starts and five relief appearances last year for Minnesota and Detroit, which acquired him on July 28. Paddack was 3-9 with a 4.95 ERA in 21 starts for the Twins and 2-3 with a 6.32 ERA for the Tigers.

He had a $7.5 million salary in the final season of a $12,525,000, three-year deal and earned $1 million in performance bonuses.

Paddack has a 32-36 record and 4.64 ERA in 110 starts and eight relief appearances over seven seasons with San Diego (2019-21), Minnesota (2022-25) and Detroit.

The six clubs — along with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels — terminated their deals after the Main Street Sports Group, which operates the regional FanDuel Sports Network stations, did not make scheduled rights payments.

The Braves, Tigers and Angels still have not made a decision about their local coverage plans.

“The Atlanta Braves are aware of the reports regarding Main Street Sports Group. While disappointed with this development, we have been actively preparing for this outcome and are well on our way towards launching a new era in Braves broadcasting,” the team said in a statement.

MLB will produce broadcasts for at least 13 teams this season. It also added the Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners during the offseason.

“Our focus, particularly given the point in the calendar, is to maximize the revenue that’s available to the clubs, whether that’s MLB Media or third party,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said last month. “The clubs have control over the timing. They can make a decision to move to MLB Media because of the contractual status now. I think that what’s happening right now clubs are evaluating their alternatives. Obviously they’ve made significant payroll commitments already and they’re evaluating the alternatives to find the best revenue source for the year and the best outlet in terms of providing quality broadcasts to their fans.”

MLB has touted expanded market reach when it takes over production of teams due to a combination of being on local cable systems, satellite and direct-to-consumer streaming.

Diamond Sports Group was the largest owner of regional sports networks when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2023.

At the time of the filing, Diamond operated 19 networks under the Bally Sports banner and had the rights to 42 professional teams (14 baseball, 16 NBA and 12 NHL).

The networks emerged from bankruptcy proceedings last March under the Main Street Sports Group with its networks rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network. However, the networks are on the verge of insolvency and going out of business if a new majority owner or investors are not found.

Main Street currently has 15 owned and operated networks under the FanDuel banner with the rights to 20 pro teams: 13 NBA and seven NHL.

The NBA and NHL teams have been crafting contingency plans if Main Street suddenly goes out of business, an increasingly possible scenario over the past three weeks even though the company has committed to carrying hockey and basketball through the end of the regular season.

“FanDuel Sports Network is continuing to broadcast NBA and NHL games, and we appreciate the leagues’ engagement in ongoing discussions on our go-forward plans,” a Main Street Sports Group spokesperson said in a statement. “We appreciate the relationships we have had with these MLB partners and their fans over many years, and we wish them the best.”

MLB took over broadcasts of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2023 season and the Colorado Rockies in 2024. It added the Cleveland Guardians and the Minnesota Twins last season.

Manfred said last month that local media provides more than 20% of industry revenue.

“The local media landscape is evolving very quickly. It’s still a very robust audience on the traditional cable model. But the economics are changing. They’re becoming more of a challenge,” Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said on Monday. “The bundle that fortified all of the large rights fees in the ecosystem of 15-20 years old is changing, and we’re adapting to it. The universe is going to be there. There’s going to be a local game element to baseball.

“Whether that evolves from the typical RSN model to solely streaming or a hybrid or other forms, to be determined. I think the fans will have optionality for local games. There’s so many games that we deliver — 162 — there’s plenty for everybody. I feel good about the future, even though I can’t predict where it’s actually going to land and when it’s going to land.”

___

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum and Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

Chicago sent outfielder Owen Caissie and infield prospects Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon to Miami for Cabrera, who went 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in a career-high 26 starts and 137 2/3 innings last year.

Caissie, 23, could compete for a starting job with the Marlins after making his major league debut in August. Caissie, a second-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft, hit .192 in 12 games with the Cubs, but he batted .286 with 22 homers and 55 RBIs with Triple-A Iowa last season.

Cabrera is eligible for arbitration and cannot become a free agent until after the 2028 season.

The Cubs finished second in the NL Central last year with a 92-70 record. They made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before they were eliminated by Milwaukee in a five-game NL Division Series.

Cabrera, who turns 28 in April, joins a deep rotation that also includes Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton and Jameson Taillon. Colin Rea and Javier Assad are two more starting options, and Justin Steele is coming back from left elbow surgery on April 18.

The 6-foot-5 Cabrera made his major league debut with Miami in 2021. He is 25-29 with a 4.07 ERA in 87 career starts and two relief appearances.

Cabrera arrives in Chicago with some injury concerns, including recurring blisters on his right middle finger. He also was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 1 with a right elbow sprain. He returned on Sept. 23 and pitched five shutout innings against the New York Mets in his final start of the season on Sept. 28.

While the addition of Cabrera strengthens Chicago’s rotation, Caissie was expected to compete for time in right field. Kyle Tucker is expected to leave the Cubs in free agency.

Miami went 79-83 in its first season under manager Clayton McCullough, a 17-game improvement from its last-place finish in 2024. Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez lead the team’s rotation.

Hernandez, 22, batted .252 with seven homers and 53 RBIs for High A South Bend last year. De Leon, 18, played for the Cubs’ team in the Arizona Complex League in 2025, hitting .276 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 43 games.

Also Wednesday, the Cubs claimed left-hander Ryan Rolison off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Rolison made his big league debut with Colorado in May.

Additionally, Frankie Piliere was promoted to vice president of amateur forecasting and player evaluation initiatives, and Vinesh Kanthan was moved to senior director of baseball operations.

Kapler will be the club’s sixth general manager after beginning his tenure with the Marlins in 2024 as an assistant GM focusing on player, coaching and staff development.

This past season, the Marlins’ minor league system made club history with four different affiliates reaching the postseason at their respective levels. That includes Jacksonville, which claimed the Triple-A National Championship.

Kapler spent the previous six seasons as a manager with Philadelphia (2018-19) and San Francisco (2020-23). The Los Angeles-native was also the World Series champion Dodgers’ director of player development from 2015-17, during which he worked with Marlins manager Clayton McCullough.

Miami outperformed many expectations in McCullough’s first season, going 79-83. The Marlins had an over/under of 62 1/2 wins before the season, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Their 16 1/2-win overperformance was the best in baseball, and they won 13 of their final 17 games.

“It is an exciting time to be part of the Marlins organization, and I am ready to continue the great work we are doing here, alongside Peter (Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix) and our entire Baseball Operations staff,” Kapler said in a statement. “The growth and momentum we’ve built are a direct reflection of a clear vision, a strong culture, and an incredible team working together toward a shared goal. I’m proud to help continue that progress and contribute to what’s ahead.”

Piliere joined the Marlins as director of amateur scouting, overseeing the club’s amateur scouts and draft. And Kanthan, before coming to Miami, spent five seasons with the Texas Rangers organization.

Miami’s 4-0 victory over the Mets on Sunday kept them out of the playoffs — even though New York got the help it needed in the form of a Milwaukee win over Cincinnati. It was deja vu for Mets fans after the Marlins also derailed New York’s postseason hopes in game 162 in 2007 and 2008.

It shouldn’t have been a shock this time. The Marlins had ex-Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, hard-throwing youngster Eury Pérez and solid right-hander Edward Cabrera lined up to start against the Mets, and Miami taking two of three — even with little to play for — was always a realistic possibility.

In the end, New York (83-79) only finished four games ahead of Miami (79-83) in the standings. The Marlins had an over/under of 62 1/2 wins before the season according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Their 16 1/2-win overperformance was the best in baseball, and they won 13 of their final 17 games.

Miami is one of eight teams that betting markets missed on by more than 10 games. Here are the others:

Atlanta Braves (preseason over/under: 93 1/2, actual win total: 76)

Colorado Rockies (preseason: 59 1/2, actual: 43)

Milwaukee Brewers (preseason: 82 1/2, actual: 97)

Toronto Blue Jays (preseason: 79 1/2, actual: 94)

Minnesota Twins (preseason: 84 1/2, actual: 70)

Los Angeles Dodgers (preseason: 105 1/2, actual: 93)

Baltimore Orioles (preseason: 86 1/2, actual: 75)

One team on that list is not like the others. The Dodgers underperformed by 12 1/2 games but still won the NL West. Los Angeles dealt with plenty of injuries and seemed to be on cruise control at times. This won’t be the historically great season that some thought possible, but the Dodgers can still become the first team since 2000 to repeat as World Series champs.

New heights

Aaron Judge won his first American League batting title with a .331 average. At 6-foot-7, he’s the tallest batting champion. The previous high of 6-foot-5 included Derrek Lee, Joe Mauer, John Olerud, Dave Parker and Frank Thomas.

Rock bottom

The Rockies were 9-50 at one point, then played just well enough to avoid surpassing the modern record for losses, set last year when the Chicago White Sox went 41-121. Colorado went 6-29 down the stretch and finished 43-119.

The Rockies did set another mark for futility, finishing with a run differential of minus-424, the worst in modern history. The previous record was minus-349 by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, who went 43-111.

Trivia time

A record seven players had 30-30 seasons this year. Name them.

Line of the week

Nick Lodolo struck out 12 and allowed two hits in 6 1/3 innings to help the Reds beat Pittsburgh 2-1 on Thursday — an important part of the push that eventually got Cincinnati in the postseason.

Comeback of the week

Down 8-3 in the seventh inning, the St. Louis Cardinals scored four runs in the seventh and two in the top of the ninth to beat San Francisco 9-8 on Tuesday night. The Giants had a 97.7% win probability at one point according to Baseball Savant.

Brendan Donovan hit four doubles, including one in the ninth that drove in the tying run. Alec Burleson’s RBI single put the Cardinals ahead.

Iván Herrera hit a three-run homer and Nolan Arenado a solo shot in the seventh.

Trivia answer

Juan Soto (43 homers, 38 steals), José Ramírez (30-44), Pete Crow-Armstrong (31-35), Corbin Carroll (31-32), Julio Rodríguez (32-30), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (31-31) and Francisco Lindor (31-31).

Scheduled for Dec. 8 at loanDepot Park, the one-time event will also feature No. 42 João Fonseca, No. 4 Amanda Anisimova and No. 33 Emma Raducanu.

The invitational will include two singles matches, each best-of-three sets with a 10-point tiebreaker deciding a third set.

Anisimova, a U.S. Open and Wimbledon finalist this year, will face the 2021 U.S. Open champion Raducanu. After that, six-time major champion Alcaraz will take on the 19-year-old Fonseca, Brazil’s top-ranked singles player. It’ll be the first meeting between Alcaraz and Fonseca.

Molly Pendleton, a senior vice president at Unified Events, which is partnering with loanDepot Park for the event, said the goal is in part to grow the game of tennis.

“To feature two of the brightest women’s stars in Anisimova and Raducanu alongside the first ever meeting between Alcaraz and Fonseca should prove to be an electric night for tennis fans,” Pendleton said in a statement.

Pawol will work the bases in Saturday’s doubleheader at Truist Park and the plate on Sunday, MLB said Wednesday.

Pawol, a 48-year-old from New Jersey, worked spring training games in 2024 and this year.

MLB’s move comes 28 years after the gender barrier for game officials was broken in the NBA, 10 years after it ended the NFL and three years after the men’s soccer World Cup employed a female referee.

Pawol in 2024 became the first woman to umpire big league spring training games since Ria Cortesio in 2007. Cortesio spent nine years in the minor leagues, including the last five in the Double-A Southern League, then was released after the 2007 season.

Pawol was an all-state softball and soccer player in New Jersey for three seasons in each sport at West Milford High School. She went to Hofstra on a softball scholarship and became a three-time all-conference pick and was on the USA Baseball women’s national baseball team in 2001.

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Pawol got a master’s degree and was living in the Binghamton area of New York and taking teacher certification classes at Elmira College while still playing on the side.

“I wasn’t really satisfied,” she said last year. “Coming off of a huge competitive career, just playing locally, I wasn’t getting my fix. And I remember looking at the umpire and being like, I think that’s it. I got to go for that.”

After umpiring NCAA softball from 2010-16, she attended an MLB umpire tryout camp in 2015, was invited to the Umpire Training Academy at Vero Beach, Florida, and was offered a job in the Gulf Coast League in 2016.

Violet Palmer became the NBA’s first woman referee when she worked Dallas’ opener at Vancouver on Oct. 31, 1997, and Sarah Thomas was the NFL’s first woman on-field official when she served as line judge for Kansas City’s game at Houston on Sept. 13, 2015.

Stéphanie Frappart of France became the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup game when she worked Germany’s 4-2 group stage win over Costa Rica on Dec. 1, 2022, and Rebecca Walsh became the first to referee in England’s Premier League when she officiated Burnley’s 2-0 win at Fulham on Dec. 23, 2023.

MLB has 76 full-time staff umpires and uses fill-ins on crews for openings created by injuries and vacations.

The Marlins play at the LoneDepot Park at 6:40 p.m. for their second game of the series against the Astros.

Even after yesterday’s 8-2 defeat against the Astros, the Marlins have been looking solid, winning 13 out of their last 20 games (65% winrate), and sit at an overall 55-56 this 2025 regular season.

Last night, Jason Alexander pitched six scoreless innings, Jeremy Peña doubled twice and the Houston Astros used a five-run fourth to beat the Miami Marlins 8-2.

Alexander picked up his second win of the season after holding Miami to three hits. He struck out six and walked one.

The Astros built a 5-0 lead during a disastrous fourth by Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara (6-10), who was perfect his first time through the Houston order before giving up six hits in the inning.

Peña led off the fourth with a double. Jesús Sánchez then drove in Peña with a double in his first game against his former team, which dealt him to Houston at the trade deadline. Yainer Diaz added a two-run double, Carlos Correa had an RBI single and Christian Walker drove in another run on a fielder’s choice.

Alcantara allowed nine hits and six runs. He struck out five over seven innings and threw 100 pitches.

Go to the Miami Marlins official website for more information.

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The Marlins (55-55) won all three games against the Yankees (60-52) to reach .500 for the first time since April 15. They became the first major league team to go from 16 or more games under .500 to a .500 record since the Rays in 2014.

Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after starter Luis Gil (0-1) was lifted 3 1/3 innings into his season debut.

Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in his return from a high-grade lat strain. He threw 77 pitches.

Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-5) pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. His only blemish came against the first batter he faced. Trent Grisham drove Cabrera’s 98.1 mph four-seam fastball to right-center.

Miami rookie Jakob Marsee, who made his major league debut on Friday, was 2-for-4 and finished a single short of the cycle.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a two-run homer off Josh Simpson that pulled New York within 6-3 in the seventh, as “Let’s go Yankees!” chants erupted at loanDepot Park. Marsee then ripped an RBI triple to center in the bottom half that stretched the lead to four.

Xavier Edwards had two hits, including an RBI single. Troy Johnston had a run-scoring double.

Key moment

The Marlins honored former manager Jack McKeon before the game. McKeon, 94, guided Miami to its 2003 World Series win over the Yankees.

Key stat

Miami is 24-24 against the Yankees, including the postseason, becoming the only franchise the Yankees don’t have a winning record against.

Up next

Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36) pitches the opener of a three-game series against the Houston Astros.

Yankees LHP Max Fried (12-4, 2.62) starts the opener of a three-game series at the Texas Rangers.

Stowers is the first Marlins player to hit three homers in a game since Brian Anderson on Sept. 18, 2020, in the second game of a doubleheader against Washington. The 27-yeaer-old left fielder also joins fellow Marlins Mike Lowell (2004) and Cody Ross (2006) in accomplishing the feat.

Ramón Laureano homered for Baltimore, which has lost consecutive games for the first time since July 1-2.

Stowers led off the second inning with a shot to right against Brandon Young (0-4) to open the scoring. An inning later, he sent Young’s first-pitch curveball 398 feet for a two-run blast to right-center.

In the fifth, Stowers worked a 2-2 count before homering over the scoreboard in right. The 27-year-old had a base hit in the seventh and added an RBI single in the eighth for his first career five-hit game.

It was Stowers’ fourth multi-homer game of the season. At the break, he has career highs in home runs (19) and RBIs (54).

Baltimore selected Stowers in the second round of the 2019 amateur draft. He debuted in 2022, and the Orioles sent him to Miami at last year’s trade deadline as part of a package for pitcher Trevor Rogers.

Otto Lopez followed Stowers’ homer in the third with a solo shot, the second time Miami hit consecutive home runs this season.

Miami starter Eury Pérez (3-2) allowed three hits and struck out six in seven shutout innings.

Young surrendered a career-high seven runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The game was delayed 1 hour, 38 minutes at the start due to rain.

Key moment

Stowers’ third homer made it 7-0 and ended the day for Young, who gave up more home runs (four) than he had in his first five starts combined (three).

Key stat

Stowers is the first player to hit three home runs against Baltimore since Toronto’s Bo Bichette in the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 5, 2022.

Up next

Miami hosts Kansas City after the All-Star break. RHP Charlie Morton (5-7, 5.18 ERA) starts Friday when Baltimore opens a series at Tampa Bay.

City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King announced Wednesday that she along with the Marlins, Urgent, Inc., Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency and other community activists will lead the restoration at Dorsey Park, where community leaders said a 7-year-old boy first discovered the vandalism last Sunday and asked his mother what the words and the Nazi symbols meant.

“This vile assault was an attack on our values, history, and community,” King said in a statement. “We are actively working with law enforcement and the public to identify the individual(s) responsible for this intolerable act. However, even in the darkest hours, light finds its way to shine. This is a reminder and testament to the strength of our community, coming together to restore peace, beauty, and pride to this neighborhood.”

Police were investigating the incident but have not made any arrests. City workers have since partially covered the murals of Robinson and Miñoso, an Afro-Cuban player, with wooden boards. The murals are along a fence at Dorsey Park, where Negro League teams once played baseball.

The Marlins’ home ballpark loanDepot park is just a few miles from the park.

“In light of the deeply troubling acts of vandalism at Dorsey Park, the Miami Marlins today proudly stand in solidarity with the City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King, and our local leaders in unequivocally condemning this hateful and racist act,” said Marlins owner Bruce Sherman. “Dorsey Park is not only a landmark of historical and cultural significance in South Florida — it is a powerful symbol of resilience, pride, and the enduring contributions of trailblazers to the game of baseball.”

Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 to become the first Black player. Miñoso became the league’s first Afro-Latino player and the first Black player for the Chicago White Sox.

The murals have been displayed in the park since 2011 and are a collaboration between artists Kyle Holbrook and Kadir Nelson and various community groups.

Ng is the former general manager of the Miami Marlins and has three World Series rings from a combined 21 years in the front offices of the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The AUSL brought Ng on as a senior adviser to get the league off the ground for its first year, and she helped hire the general managers and coaches. Athletes Unlimited co-founder Jon Patricof decided after watching her deliver for six months that she deserved a permanent role.

“I think this is truly one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the sport here in the United States, and certainly for Athletes Unlimited,” Patricof said. “Kim is probably the biggest executive addition we’ve made to the team since the founding of the company. She is a universally known and well-regarded executive. To have her join us as commissioner, honestly is massive. A massive win.”

The AUSL will feature four teams playing a 24-game season in a traditional league, starting on June 7. The teams will tour the country in the league’s first season before becoming city-based next year.

Ng said being named commissioner is significant, but the title isn’t as important as the opportunity.

“Having this be a project and then sort of blossom into this position has been has been a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s been a process.”

Instead of having two individual championship seasons, Athletes Unlimited now will crown an individual champion and a traditional team champion. After the initial AUSL season ends, Athletes Unlimited will feature its AUSL All-Star Cup, the former AU Pro Softball Championship Season that has crowned individual champions since 2020.

Even with the success the individual format has brought Athletes Unlimited, establishing a league with a traditional format has become a priority with the blessing of USA Softball as the preparation for the sport’s return at the 2028 Summer Olympics ramps up.

Ng already has things moving ahead of schedule. Originally, the league was set to tour in up to eight cities this season. That number has increased to 10.

“There was just such great interest in the league, in AUSL and what we’re putting together,” she said. “So, we originally started out, you know with the mindset of six to eight different markets. As we engaged in dozens and dozens of conversations with sports commissions … different government officials across the country, it became really apparent that there was a great desire for AUSL to become a part of their community.”

Patricof said naming Ng commissioner is a byproduct of growth in the sport. He said it’s the kind of move that eventually could help put the league in the same category as the Women’s National Basketball Association and the National Women’s Soccer League.

“A lot of work gets done over a long period of time, and then it’s a few things that really serve as the rocket fuel and the catalyst for dramatic growth, and I think that’s what you’re seeing right now,” he said.

CNBC on Friday unveiled the full list of this year’s MLB franchise valuations, sorting team worth, 2024 revenue and more. While some teams are in expected spots, others are more surprising.

The Miami Marlins, valued at $1.2 billion, come in in last place—30th. The franchise owned by Bruce Sherman brings in $296 million in revenue, less than half of what the top team brings in. See the whole break down here.

The New York Yankees are No. 1 on CNBC’s list. Owned by the Steinbrenner family, New York tops the ranking with a value of $8 billion, a lead of over $2 billion from the next highest team.

And how much did the Steinbrenner family pay for the Yankees when they took over in 1973? Just $8.8 million. The team collected $705 million in revenue last season alone.

Coming second after the Yankees is the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning league champions. Guggenheim Baseball Management took over in 2012, paying $2 billion for the franchise. The big market is now worth $5.8 billion and continues to soar following the acquisition of Shohei Ohtani, among other major stars.

In third is the Boston Red Sox, owned by John Henry and Thomas Werner. The pair bought the team for $380 million in 2022, and now the franchise is worth $4.7 billion.

Rounding out the top five are the Chicago Cubs ($4.45 billion) and San Francisco Giants ($3.8 billion). 

Flipping over to the bottom five, it’s a group of mostly small-market franchises – except for one surprise. Every team is valued at least above $1 billion, which is also the case in the NHL.

In 26th is the Cincinnati Reds, worth $1.5 billion. The Reds are followed by the Pittsburgh Pirates ($1.47 billion), Kansas City Royals ($1.45 billion) and Tampa Bay Rays ($1.4 billion).

Then last is Miami. In terms of revenue, only the Athletics ($275 million), now temporarily based in Sacramento ahead of a planned Las Vegas move, ranked lower.

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Matt Mervis homered and finished with three RBIs for the Marlins, who snapped the Mets’ six-game winning streak. Nick Fortes and Jonah Bride each had a run-scoring single.

The Mets hit just two balls out of the infield against Meyer (1-1) before Francisco Lindor’s single up the middle with one out in the sixth. The right-hander immediately induced Juan Soto to hit into a double play.

Soto finished 0 for 4 as his season-opening on-base streak ended at 11 games.

Meyer gave up a leadoff single to Pete Alonso in the seventh and exited after retiring Brandon Nimmo. The 6 1/3 innings tied a career high for Meyer, who walked two and struck out four.

Anthony Bender retired all five batters he faced before the Marlins scored three times in the ninth against Edwin Diaz, who gave up Bride’s single before Mervis homered to right.

Lake Bachar pitched the ninth for the Marlins, who got the final out when Dane Myers crashed face first into the center-field wall to catch a flyball from Alonso.

Mets starter Tylor Megill (2-1) allowed a pair of unearned runs in four-plus innings.

New York honored the Big East Conference champion St. John’s basketball team and its Hall of Fame coach, Rick Pitino, before the game. Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Key moment

Brett Baty threw wide of Lindor on a potential double-play ball in the fifth, allowing Kyle Stowers to reach second. Stowers scored on Mervis’ single to break the scoreless tie.

Key stat

Megill opened the game with eight straight balls and threw a season-high 90 pitches, including 56 strikes.

Up next

Both teams are off Thursday before opening three-game series on Friday. The Marlins have not announced a starter against the Washington Nationals in the first game of a six-game homestand. Mets RHP Griffin Canning (0-1, 2.79 ERA) is scheduled to start against the Athletics in Sacramento.