Impact of Crash Killed Marlins Pitcher, Not Drowning: Official

As mourning continues for the tragic death of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, investigators are starting to unravel the circumstances behind his passing early Sunday morning. Lorenzo Veloz, a spokesman with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, tells USA Today Sports that the 32-foot boat Fernandez was on appeared to be traveling at "full speed" when it slammed into a jetty off of Miami, that alcohol and drugs aren't believed to be factors in the crash (though toxicology reports are still pending), and that the 24-year-old died from the impact of the crash, not from drowning. Veloz says he had stopped the boat, owned by one of the other two men who died in the accident, before for safety checks, and while Fernandez was a frequent passenger, along with other Marlins players, "Jose was never known to drive it." More from around the web on Fernandez's untimely death:

• Josh Levin pens a poignant tribute for Slate on Fernandez, "the future of baseball" who "changed what it meant to play the game the right way." Mike Downey, meanwhile, calls Fernandez "one of baseball's brightest stars" for CNN.

• USA Today explores how Fernandez's death has devastated Florida's Cuban community.
• Don Mattingly, manager of the Marlins, wept at a press conference Sunday afternoon, per ABC News, comparing Fernandez's joy of playing to that of unjaded Little Leaguers.
• Along those lines, Mashable points out a "victorious photo" from Fernandez's high school days posted on Facebook by the Florida High School Athletic Association—an image that shows Fernandez basking in that pure love of the game.
• ESPN's Dave Szymborski tweeted out "what remains my favorite Jose Fernandez GIF," which has already been retweeted more than 8,000 times. It's pretty amazing—and smile-inducing.

(More Miami Marlins stories.)