There are certain days that occur that make us realize sports are not the most important thing in the world. The death of St. Louis Cardinal OF, Oscar Taveras, on Oct. 26 was one of these days.
In the midst of a thrilling World Series, Ken Rosenthal, a commentator, delivered the news during the fourth-inning of Game 4.
Oscar Taveras, 22, died in a car crash along with his girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, 18. Taveras was visiting his hometown, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
The Cardinals Chairman, Bill DeWitt Jr., and General Manager, John Mozeliak released statements following Taveras’ death.
“We are all stunned and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of the youngest members of the Cardinals family. Oscar was an amazing talent with a bright future who was taken from us well before his time. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends tonight,” DeWitt said.
“I simply can’t believe it. I first met Oscar when he was 16 years old and will forever remember him as a wonderful young man who was a gifted athlete with an infectious love for life who lived every day to the fullest,” Mozeliak said.
Taveras was born on June 19, 1992 in the Dominican Republic. He lived in Montreal, Canada from the ages of 12 to 16.
Taveras had baseball in his blood. His father was an outfielder in the Milwaukee Brewers’ minor league system.
The St. Louis Cardinals signed Taveras as an undrafted free agent on Nov. 25, 2008. Prior to the Cardinals’ 2012 season, Taveras was their third-best prospect. The following season, Taveras was named the third-best prospect entering 2013. The Cardinals added Taveras to the 40-man roster on Nov. 20, 2014. He was promoted to the MLB roster May 30, 2014.
The highlight of Taveras’ career came during the 7th inning of Game 2 during 2014 National League Divisional series where he hit a game-tying home run against the San Francisco Giants.
This was not just a top MLB prospect, but we lost both a 22 and 18 year-old’s life. During a time of celebration, tragedy struck baseball.