SAN FRANCISCO — Carlos Martinez no longer burdens his mind with constant thoughts of Oscar Taveras’ untimely death. Instead, the St. Louis Cardinals right-hander is putting into action the lessons learned from such a painful loss.
Martinez and Taveras formed a tight bond going back to their childhood in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, playing together in the minors and then joining forces on the Cardinals. The up-and-coming stars, both in their early 20s, had outgoing, carefree personalities to match.
When Taveras, the Cardinals’ top prospect, perished along with his girlfriend in a car crash Oct. 26 — it was later learned Taveras was intoxicated and driving at high speeds on wet roads — the baseball world was stunned.