We have some very sad news out of Major League Baseball today. As first reported by Jeff Passan of USA Today, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras has passed away following a car crash in the Dominican Republic. Taveras girlfriend was killed in the accident.
Can now confirm: Oscar Taveras, 22, has died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. Just awful.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 27, 2014
Taveras was just 22-years-old and was considered one of the best young prospects in baseball. He made his major league debut this past season with St. Louis and saw action in the NLDS and NLCS. In fact it was just 10 days ago that he was playing for the Cardinals against San Francisco. Overall he played in 80 games.
Brian Mejia, Taveras’ agent, confirmed today’s tragic news, but did not offer up any details as to the circumstances.
General manager John Mozeliak of the Cardinals has expressed his condolences to the family, but the team is waiting for more details before making an official announcement.
At this time, our thoughts at and prayers at LWOS go out to Taveras’ family, friends, teammates, colleagues, fans and all who will miss him going forward. We also offer our thoughts and prayers to the young woman who has passed away and to her family and friends as well. It goes without saying that today is a tragic one across all of baseball.
Edit: MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has released the following statement.
SAN FRANCISCO – Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig issued the following statement this evening regarding the passing of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras, who was 22:
“All of us throughout Major League Baseball are in mourning this evening, shocked by the heartbreaking news of the accident involving Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras and his girlfriend in the Dominican Republic. Oscar, a young member of the Baseball family, was full of promise and at the dawn of a wonderful career in our game, evident in his game-tying home run against the Giants exactly two weeks ago.
“With heavy hearts, tonight we play Game Five of the 2014 World Series in the memory of these two young people. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of both individuals, as well as to Oscar’s teammates and the entire Cardinals organization.”
The St. Louis Cardinals also released the following statement.
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals offer condolences to the family of Oscar Taveras, the 22 year old Cardinals Outfielder, who was killed earlier today in an automobile accident in the Dominican Republic.
“We are all stunned and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of the youngest members of the Cardinals family,” Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “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.”
“I simply can’t believe it,” said John Mozeliak, Sr. VP & GM of the St. Louis Cardinals. “I first met Oscar when he was sixteen 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.”
The team will provide additional information on funeral arrangements at a later time.
