El treinta y uno de julio/July 31st

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Fernández with his sister in 2013. Photo from Sports
Illustrated. Click HERE. 
¡Feliz cumpleaños a ... José Fernández! (1992-Sept. 25, 2016)

A Cuban-born professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins, Fernández defected Cuba in 2008 after three unsuccessful attempts (each followed by a prison term). He saved his mother's life as they defected by jumping in to save her when she fell overboard in turbulent waters. In the United States, he attended high school in Tampa. His team won state championships his sophomore and senior years. He was drafted in 2011 by the Florida Marlins as the 14th overall selection. He was named to the 2013 MLB All-Star Game and won he NL Rookie of the Year Award.  Fernández announced that his girlfriend, Maria Arias, was pregnant on September 20, 2016, five days before his death in a boating accident. Their daughter, Penelope Jo, was born in February of 2017.

For resources for teaching Spanish, Level 1 through AP, CLICK HERE.


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