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/jcohenapCheap Air Jordan Online . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Fake Jordan . U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in Manhattan agreed that lawyers on both sides could make their formal requests by Nov. 8. A hearing is scheduled for a day earlier. Jordan Siev, a lawyer for Rodriguez, wrote in a joint letter to the judge from lawyers on both sides that MLB lawyers planned to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed. https://www.wholesalejordanshoeschina.com/ .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. Cheap Jordan . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta. Wholesale Air Jordan . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans.The Los Angeles Rams waived cornerback Troy Hill as part of a series of roster moves Tuesday, three days after Hill was arrested on suspicion of DUI.Rams coach Jeff Fisher said hes not going to rule out a second opportunity.I think people deserve second chances in life, Fisher told reporters after Tuesdays practice. I think he learned from it, but I was just disappointed in his choices.The Rams also waived fellow cornerback Dwayne Gratz and put rookie linebacker Josh Forrest on injured reserve, promoting cornerback Michael Jordan and linebacker Nic Grigsby from the practice squad to the active roster.Forrest suffered a knee injury?Sunday that was expected to keep him out four to six weeks.Hill was arrested on Saturday morning, after his Mercedes swerved over multiple lanes on an L.A. freeway and crashed into the back of a semi-truck around 8 a.m. PT, according to multiple reports. The 25-year-old was then given a field sobriety test and was handcuffed on the spot, booked in Van Nuys, California, and de-activated by the Rams for Sundays game against the Miami Dolphins.Hill -- the Rams fourth cornerback on the depth chart, after Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines and slot corner Lamarcus Joyner -- was released from custody later in the afternoon on $15,000 bail and has a preliminary court date for Dec. 14.I was disappointed in his choices, as they relate to Friday night and Saturday morning, Fisher said. I dont think he put the team first. I got information, and we made the decision. Because Trroy was truthful with me in our conversations the last couple of days, I also said that Im not going to rule out a second opportunity.ddddddddddddThe Rams also signed linebacker Randell Johnson to their practice squad.Hill, undrafted out of Oregon, spent last season with the Cincinnati Bengals and had started four games for the Rams in 2016, emerging as a key fill-in with improved play. In a 9-6 win over the New York Jets in Week 11, Hill came off the bench to play in 52 percent of the defensive snaps and was the Rams highest-graded player by Pro Football Focus.Gratz, a third-round pick out of Connecticut in 2013, was claimed off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 11 to combat the release of Coty Sensabaugh and subsequent ankle injury suffered by Johnson.Fisher called parting with Gratz a tough decision and hinted at other moves in the secondary.Jordan -- not to be confused with the greatest basketball player of all time --- went undrafted out of Missouri Western State earlier this year and was among the Rams final cuts during training camp.Hes so excited, Fisher said. It was really fun to talk to him today. He understands our system. Hes played really hard in practice; he was productive in the preseason games. He understands that theres maybe a 50-50 chance of him being active this week, just because of numbers and things, but hes really excited. ' ' '