It was the spot from which his booming voice and often jovial banter with teammates could easily be heard.
And this season, Jose Fernandez's corner of the Marlins' clubhouse will still bear his name.
There on display Tuesday behind plexiglass doors was Fernandez's locker with several game jerseys, pants, gloves and cleats. Just above where the jerseys were hanging was a sticker with the word 'love' taped above a circle with his number 16.
"My thoughts are always with Jose," said Giancarlo Stanton, whose locker is located almost directly across from it. "It's nothing new today from every other day."
The Marlins set up the tribute to Fernandez after the season. Manager Don Mattingly said several players had already seen it during visits to the clubhouse in the offseason.
"We all had to deal with it publicly last year and that was hard," Mattingly said. "As we got to the winter we got a chance to process it better, but it doesn't make it any easier.
"I think Jose is with us all the time. His energy and his personality and his joy for the game stay with us hopefully forever."
Samson said the Marlins have still not chosen a date on which they plan to honor Fernandez at the ballpark.
Samson said Fernandez's death still feels like a fresh wound for the organization.
"We talk about it as being something that happened last year, but it's only been six months," Samson said. "It's fresh and it still hurts, barely scabbed over. We want to wait for a little more healing."
Samson he and owner Jeffrey Loria invited members of Fernandez's family to attend Tuesday's home opener, but they declined.
"It was their call completely," Samson said. "I know Jeffrey invited them to sit with him. The players invited them to be around them. I invited them to be with me. It was a lot of choices and I think they felt from an emotional standpoint that it was better for them to stay away tonight."
