Soon after learning he’d made the NL All-Star team, Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez posted a message on Twitter. Included was a photo that showed Martinez with the late Oscar Taveras, his teammate and best friend. It was a bright day, and their sunglasses were on. The young Cardinals raised an index finger, making the “We’re No. 1” sign.
It was a happy time. They were major-league ballplayers and life was good. The poignant photo, clicked at a special moment in time, is obviously dear to Martinez.
Taveras, driving while intoxicated, died along with his girlfriend Edilia Arveco in a single-car accident in the Dominican Republic last October.