Chris Johnson nearly fought Jose Fernandez on the field in 2013 as a member of the Braves. After he joined the Marlins, Fernandez became an inspiration.
Johnson opened up to S.L. Price in the Oct. 10, 2016 issue of Sports Illustrated (“Your Story is Our Story”), explaining how the team’s late ace—who died in September at age 24 following a boating accident—altered the infielder's approach to baseball.
Fernandez hit his first career home run against Atlanta in 2013, and spit on the ground near Johnson, who was playing third base, as he rounded for home.