Former shortstop Tony Fernandez died Sunday morning from kidney disease:

“The Toronto Blue Jays are deeply saddened by the passing of Tony Fernandez, one of our club’s most celebrated and respected players,” the team said in a statement. “Enshrined forever in Blue Jays history on the Level of Excellence, Tony left an equally indelible mark in the hearts of a generation of Blue Jays fans during his 12 unforgettable seasons with the team. His impact on the baseball community in Toronto and across Canada is immeasurable. Our deepest condolences are with the Fernandez family during this time.”

ESPN.com

My thoughts go out to his family, friends, and fans. Dying at age 57 usually means that a large number of contemporaries will be around to be saddened by his passing.

Fernandez was part of the Blue Jays early push to develop talent from the Dominican Republic. Many of the players who came out of the DR at that time were shortstops with high batting averages; they were successful hackers who didn’t walk much but still managed good OBPs. Fernandez was a excellent defender, and his offense at that position helped him to post six seasons with a 3.9 WAR or better.

He helped the Blue Jays directly and indirectly win World Series title. The Blue Jays traded Fernandez and Fred McGriff to the Padres for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter, and those two would figure prominently in the Blue Jays back-to-back World Series titles. Fernandez would return to the Blue Jays in 1993, and went 14 for 43 in the post-season as the Jays won their second title.

Fernandez did good works after his career, his foundation:

… works with underprivileged and troubled children by nurturing and developing them through counseling, education, training, physical and spiritual activities. Tony’s vision is to fulfill his childhood dream to enrich the lives of less fortunate children.

TonyFernandezFoundation.com