Sports World Remembers Oscar Taveras
- Updated: October 27, 2014
The news was shocking for the world of baseball and sports fans everywhere. Oscar Taveras of the St. Louis Cardinals was involved in a fatal car crash Sunday. He was regarded by many as one of the top prospects in the majors.
Although it was tragic to hear, no one felt it quite as much as St. Louis manager, Mike Matheny.
“I was asked last night to give some words regarding the tragic death of Oscar Taveras, but I just simply couldn’t,” Matheny said in a statement released Monday. “First of all, it felt like a bad dream that could not be real, and when reality kicked in, my words didn’t even seem to make sense.
“To say this is a horrible loss of a life ended too soon would be an understatement. To talk about the potential of his abilities seemed to be untimely. All I wanted to do was get the guys together and be with our baseball family. I know the hurt that comes along with buying into the brotherhood of a baseball team. That hurt is just as powerful as the joys that come with this life.”
“Not to say it is even close to the depth of pain his true family is going through, but the pain itself is just as real,” Matheny’s statement read. “The ache is deep because the relationships were deep, and forged through time and trials.
“To the many fans who have already reached out with condolences, and to the many more who are in mourning, thank you for taking these players in, like they are one of your own. This level of care is what sets our fans apart.”
On Monday, Matheny took that sentiment a step further.
“In my opinion, the word ‘love’ is the most misused and misunderstood word in the English language,” he said. “It is not popular for men to use this word, and even less popular for athletes. But, there is not a more accurate word for how a group of men share a deep and genuine concern for each other. We loved Oscar, and he loved us. That is what a team does, that is what a family does. You will be missed, Oscar.”
National police spokesman Jacobo Mateo Moquete said he was told by the mayor of Sosua that Taveras lost control of his vehicle and went off the road. Taveras’ girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, 18, who was in the car with Taveras, also died in the accident.”
According to ESPN.com, Oscar Taveras made his major league debut this year; he hit .239 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 80 games for the NL Central champions.
Taveras was a teenager when he signed with St. Louis as an international free agent in 2008. Before this season, he was ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America, and he had a .321 average over six minor league seasons.
“Oscar had a very promising future, on and off the field, and this news is heartbreaking on many levels,” Tony Clark, the leader of the players’ association, said in a statement. “It’s never easy to lose a member of our fraternity, and to lose one so young is devastating news.”
San Francisco Giants outfielder Juan Perez heard about Oscar Taveras’ death while Game 5 of the World Series was still in progress. He hit a two-run double in the eighth inning of San Francisco’s 5-0 victory and dedicated the hit to his fallen countryman.
“He’s a really close friend of mine,” Perez said. “I know his family pretty good, I know his mom, his dad, his brothers, we were really close. It’s a huge loss for all his family, his teammates and the people that care about him.”
RIP to Oscar Taveras. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends, family, and teammates as they go through this terrible time.
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