One early sign of Jose Fernandez's lasting legacy will be a literal one.
Miami-Dade County commissioners approved Tuesday a proposal to rename the portion of 17th Avenue near Marlins Park "Jose Fernandez Avenue" in honor of the Marlins pitcher who died in a Sept. 25 boat crash that also killed two of his friends.
Bruno Barreiro, the District 5 commissioner who represents Little Havana and sponsored the resolution, said he decided to push for the street naming even after autopsy results released Saturday revealed Fernandez was legally drunk and had cocaine in his system when he died.
The crash _ which also killed 27-year-old Emilio Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero _ is still under investigation, and officials have not determined who was driving Fernandez's boat when it crashed into a jetty off Miami Beach.
"I thought long and hard about the issue, but I felt (Fernandez's) life, all the good things he did throughout his life, overweighed this unfortunate situation at the end," Barreiro said. "He's been a very good, solid citizen throughout his life here. He supported charities. His record stands on its own as a player. I decided to go (with it)."
Twelve of the 13 commissioners attended Tuesday's meeting. Only seven _ the minimum to form a quorum _ were present for the vote. Several appeared to leave their seats on the dais as the topic was raised. All commissioners present voted in favor. There was no debate. Barreiro spoke briefly in favor of the proposal. The whole procedure took about two minutes.
"I tend to separate what he did in his personal life from his professional life," said Barbara Jordan, District 1 commissioner. "What he contributed to the Marlins, I don't want to diminish that."
Barreiro said that even if the investigation finds that Fernandez was driving, "I don't think it changes anything."
Macias and Rivero also had alcohol in their systems but were not considered legally drunk, according to the autopsy results. Rivero also had cocaine in his system.
Ralph Fernandez, a Fernandez family friend and attorney, said he knows of a person who was on the phone with Jose Fernandez at the time of the crash and says the pitcher was attempting to give the boat's pilot instructions.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez could veto the commission's decision within 10 days, though Barreiro said that was unlikely.
"Jose Fernandez Avenue," once official, would be one of the main thoroughfares to Marlins Park, an approximately 2 {-mile stretch from Northwest North River Drive to U.S. 1.
