Cardinals will build youth baseball field in Oscar Taveras’ hometown

The St. Louis Cardinals organization suffered an unimaginable loss when prospect and postseason hero Oscar Taveras and his girlfriend were killed in an auto accident on Oct. 26 in the Dominican Republic.

In the weeks and months that have followed, the Cardinals have had to continue dealing with the sad reality of losing a 22-year-old man on a personal level, and also on a professional level, as the team’s offseason plans were clearly altered as a direct result. Life goes on, as they say, and so does the game of baseball. It’s a harsh truth, but we can’t heal and move forward without something to look forward.

With that in mind, the Cardinals intend to move forward in 2015, but they won’t be leaving Oscar Taveras’ memory behind. Instead, they will continue honoring his legacy with two very special gestures.

The first, as it was announced at the Cardinals caravan event on Saturday, will be the construction of a youth baseball field in Taveras’ hometown, which will be funded in part by the team’s charity. Here are more details courtesy of CBS in St. Louis.

Team owner Bill DeWitt Jr. says some of the money raised during this weekend’s Cardinals Care Winter Warm Up will be spent by the team’s charity arm on a youth ball field in Taveras’ hometown of Sosua in the Dominican Republic, “He was a real hero in that area. A lot of young boys dream of making it to the Major Leagues, and we want them to try to fulfill their dreams.”

DeWitt Jr. told the fans gathered at the Winter Warm Up on Saturday that the team felt building Oscar Taveras Field would be a great way to honor his legacy.

That would be an understatement. In his all too short life, Taveras had already made a remarkable connection with young fans in his home country, which was clearly evident in their overpowering and moving response following his death.

To give those same kids a ball field they can readily access, a place where they can hone their skills in hopes of following in his footsteps or just have fun with their friends, is the ultimate way to ensure Taveras’ legacy lives on forever. It’s perfect.

In a more subtle but equally meaningful gesture, we’ve also learned that the Cardinals’ uniforms will feature a patch in Taveras’ memory.

#stlcards players to wear arm patch on sleeve with “OT” this season. No #18 since Carlos Martinez will be wearing it.

— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) January 17, 2015