<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Oscar Taveras' agent is telling news reporters in the Dominican that Oscar Taveras was killed in a car wreck. Horrible. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash">#STLCards</a>.</p>— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/526529568782286848">October 27, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> RIP.
He was one of the most highly regarded prospects in baseball. Just got called up this season. Life can be finicky, RIP
Was considered by many as the Cardinals best hitting prospect since Albert Pujols himself. Had all the tools, such a shame. RIP
This is shocking... he actually had some HR's this post-season, and was poised for next year to be his breakout season. Ugh, just awful.
...and not to make light of anything but driving in "cars" on "roads" in Latin America is a total crapshoot. He got a bonus, I would imagine, so his family should be ok for a long time. He was going to be so much fun to watch, I dunno what else to say.
I thought the same, but he was apparently an unspectacular prospect as a youth, only a $145,000 bonus. Some of these Latin players have the hopes of their entire family on their shoulders as well as their own. Really a tragedy.
I didn't know it was that low, but that kind of money still goes a long way down there. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cards went above and beyond for his family, they're just about the classiest sports organization around.
It's a little hard to compare baseball to other sports given the way players progress through the minors. Baseball America compiles a list of the top 100 prospects in the minors every year, he was ranked # 3 in 2013 and 2014, which basically means they thought he could be a perennial all-star.
He was one of the top 2 prospects in baseball. Think... Parker in Milwaukee. The DR is dangerous, a number of players and former players have died there. I believe Andujar Cedeno of the Astros died in a car crash there.
One of the top 5 or so non-pitcher prospects. He had all the tools/skills, coulda been.... My dad talked about the day Roberto Clemente died, said he was the best ballplayer he ever saw.
