MLB: Loss of Oscar Taveras Devastates All Of Baseball

The tragic death of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras is a massive loss for all of MLB, one we’re likely unable to even comprehend.

There aren’t any hot takes to make regarding the death of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras.

To say it’s brutal for his and his girlfriend’s life to have ended so suddenly in a car accident on Sunday is an understatement; Taveras was 22-years old, his girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, was just 18. Even if Tavares hadn’t planned on stepping foot in a MLB park again, for his life to be over so early is beyond cruel. He could have given up baseball completely, and had an entire life ahead of him. If he wanted, he could have hung up his cleats, head off to college or learn a new trade, and likely few would have been the wiser; he wouldn’t have been the first twenty-something to find his calling at that point in his life.

But Taveras did plan to return to the diamond. And baseball fans were treated to a glimpse of his talent this past season, particularly in Game Two of the NLCS against the

San Francisco Giants

, just weeks ago:

There have been some to lament that had Taveras’s Cardinals prevailed in the NLCS, he would have likely been playing in the World Series last Sunday, and not in his home of the Dominican Republic. For me, that rabbit hole of speculation is far too painful to follow down. The loss of such a young life is already hard enough to deal with, the coulda/shouldas would simply serve as a gateway to sorrow and madness.

But there’s no denying that Taveras’s death will be felt beyond the Cardinals organization, or even beyond Taveras’s friends in baseball. While it’s undoubtedly always painful to see a young life taken away too soon (let alone two lives), Taveras was a special talent in baseball. It’s not what will ultimately hurt the most about his death, but unfortunately, it will remain one of the most devastating “what ifs?” in MLB history:

“What will baseball fans miss by losing Oscar Taveras?”

There’s simply no answer to that question. Trying to answer it is likely offensive in merely the attempt, but there’s no denying that Taveras was a special talent, considered by many sources to be one of the top prospects in baseball entering the 2014 season, if not the top prospect. He had a blend of speed, power and an elite hit tool, all of which excited nearly everyone who watched him. Taveras had more than a chance to be a good MLB player; Taveras had the chance to be a once-in-a-generation star. And it’s hard to say that about a player without being hyperbole, but Taveras certainly had the tools to be on Bryce Harper or Mike Trout’s level of elite at such a young age. He just hadn’t gotten the chance yet. And it eats away at this baseball fan’s heart knowing that he never will.

Aug 3, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Oscar Taveras (18) celebrates with left fielder Matt Holliday (7) after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Brewers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Lamenting over the loss of his baseball talent might seem trivial, at best, but it’s fair to say no one expected him to be gone so soon. I didn’t know Taveras as a human being, which probably isn’t surprising; Oscar Taveras, the baseball player, is all I knew of him. So I can’t speak to what type of a person he was, although by all accounts, he was a terrific young man. And personally, I didn’t allow myself to get caught up in the hype of his call-up, even after the Cardinals traded Allen Craig to open up at bats for Taveras, for a reason so disgusting now it’s hard to share: I didn’t want to get utterly sick of Oscar Taveras, and him likely taking MLB by storm, so I sort of paced myself. I remember watching that home run in the NLCS, and thinking to myself, “Meh, that’s just the beginning, he’ll be wrecking this sport for years to come.”

And I was so utterly wrong.

MLB, and baseball fans in general, were completely robbed on Sunday. What was taken from us is meaningless in the scope of the lives of the two human beings who died that day, but for some of us, the baseball player was all we had. And it’s hard not to feel sadness over what was lost on the baseball diamond. We lost what we knew: 22-year old Oscar Taveras, a talented young baseball player with an infectious smile, and seemingly his entire life ahead of him to impact this world.

But we lost far more than what we knew on Sunday when Oscar Taveras died. We don’t know if we lost a once-in-a-lifetime player or not, but in the end, it doesn’t matter, even if not knowing just what we lost hurts most of all. Rest in peace, Oscar.

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