June 22 marked the fourteenth anniversary of Darryl Kile's untimely death. Occurring in the midst of the season, it was a death that shocked and saddened the baseball word. An athlete in the prime of his life was gone with no apparent cause, no reason. It did not make sense - it still doesn't. And now, though the circumstances were quite different, it is difficult to remember Kile and not be reminded of another tragedy that occurred just over twelve years later.
It has been nearly two years since El Fenómeno Oscar Taveras, along with his girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, were tragically taken from this earth. Time, of course, has helped lessen the sting of the loss, but it never goes away, not truly. There will always be something - an eerily similar vicious left-handed swing, a young super-star blossoming in the way Oscar was not allowed to - not destined to, the anniversary of his debut, the anniversary of his birth - that coldly slaps the memories back. Oscar Taveras was a baseball player, a good one - a potentially great one, he was a father, he was a son, and he was a friend.
And, like Kile, he was taken way too soon.
Carlos Martinez remembers his late friend on his birthday and posted a photo on Instagram to commemorate it.
Oscar would have been twenty-four years old on June 19.
Oscar Taveras: 1992 – 2014 | FanGraphs Baseball
Kile's death still a memory that stops time for Matheny | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com
what else is going on in baseball...
THOR
- Mini Thor took to the mound to show off his Noah Syndergaard impression | MLB.com
- Mets injury update: Noah Syndergaard's elbow is okay | Amazin' Avenue
- Dodgers win on unbelievable walk-off little league home run after outfield gaffe | SBNation.com
- Dodgers' Yasiel Puig 'had to talk to my hamstring' during dash home | Los Angeles | Dodgers Report- ESPN
- Puig, Dodgers' amazing walk-off | MLB.com
- Based on this catch, Adrian Gonzalez is probably great at hot potato | SBNation.com
- Blue Jays' Edwin Encarnacion keeps having fun | MLB.com
- A Jayson Werth foul landed in Vin Scully's booth, so he gifted it to a lucky Dodgers fan | MLB.com
- How the Indians Made It Into First Place | FanGraphs Baseball
- How Good Is Julio Teheran? | FanGraphs Baseball
- Did Zach Putnam "Deserve to Lose" with His Splitter? | FanGraphs Baseball
- Daniel Mengden chose baseball over the family business ... ballet | SBNation.com
- College World Series 2016 scores and bracket: Arizona eliminates UC Santa Barbara | SBNation.com
- Texas Rangers scrambling with Colby Lewis, Derek Holland going on DL | SweetSpot | ESPN
what the cardinals are up to...
- Cardinals complete 3-game sweep of Cubs | MLB.com
- 2016 Ted Savage RBI Golf Classic | Cards in the Community
- Bill DeWitt III Exclusive Museum Event | Saturday, July 9 | 5:30 - 8:30 pm | cardinals.com
- Hochman: Carpenter earns respect with his workman-like approach | Benjamin Hochman | stltoday.com
- Kile's death still a memory that stops time for Matheny | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com
- The Cardinals Make a Successful Raid on Wrigley Field. Now What? | 101Sports.com
KNOW THINE ENEMY...
the nl central
- Two racing pierogies broke out wrestling moves during Pirates mascot race | SBNation.com
- Chicago Cubs: Interesting stats from the past week | Stats & Info | ESPN
- Chicago Cubs facing adversity as long road trip begins | Chicago Cubs Blog | ESPN