Oscar Taveras, Five Years On

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty ImagesDo you know that it’s been almost five years since Oscar Taveras died? Three days from now, in fact, we will pass the fifth anniversary of the young outfielder making a terrible decision and paying the worst price anyone can. Even worse, he took his girlfriend with him, and we should remember that. Killing yourself by your own stupidity is a tragedy; killing someone else in that fashion is not just tragic, but unfair.

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years, honestly. I wasn’t even watching the World Series that night, and hadn’t checked baseball news at all that day. The Cardinals’ loss to the Giants had left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I had been…