Editor's note: This piece originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News on Nov. 23, 2014. The shocking deaths of Kansas City pitcher Yordano Ventura and former major league third baseman Andy Marte during the weekend serve as a reminder that the danger remains.
Well before the tragic death last month of young and talented St. Louis outfielder Oscar Taveras in an automobile crash, the Rangers were aware of the dangers of driving in the Dominican Republic.
In 2013, two staffers with their entry in the Dominican Summer League were involved in a horrific wreck on a dark and poorly marked road near the Rangers' complex in Boca Chica.