During Monday morning’s edition of SportsCenter, Dan Le Batard broke down while discussing the tragic death of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez in a boating accident.

Le Batard, whose parents are both Cuban immigrants, became emotional as he discussed how his mother enjoyed watching the Cuban American Fernandez pitch.

“My mother, in her old age, wants to go to the ballpark on days that he pitched,” Le Batard said, before beginning to tear up.

Le Batard attempted to gather himself and continue, but he remained visably emotional discussing the passing of the 24-year-old, who perished along with two others when their boat crashed into a jetty in the waters of Miami Beach.

“And so you just get a lot of people who want to be close to that story,” he said. “Because he was so strong. And he was a symbol.”

At that point, he broke down fully, and the SportsCenter anchors attempted to console him via satellite.

Le Batard is based in Miami and has, in addition to his ESPN duties, written for the Miami Herald since 1990. Watch his full reaction to Fernandez’s tragic death above, via ESPN.

[image via screengrab]

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