june october dominican canadian professional baseball outfielder played season major_league_baseball mlb known spanish phenomenon dominican_republic cardinals signed age international amateur free agent mlb debut minor league seasons batted slugging percentage played outfield positions spending time center field batting skills consensus minor league prospect comparisons mlb outfielder fellow dominican powerful smooth balanced stroke successfully hit pitches outside strike zone similar guerrero possessed strong accurate throwing arm outfielder recipient awards won batting titles minor leagues including hitting midwest league title year won batting title player year cardinals organization player year major league debut san_francisco_giants went hit regular season games playing right field hit game tying home run game national league championship series giants october died car accident dominican_republic shortly cardinals eliminated playoffs early life originally dominican_republic oscar grew town called began taking interest baseball early life according father age started spanish phenomenon going dad world want star want major phenomenon best recounted father father outfielder milwaukee brewers minor league system lived montreal ages obtained canadian citizenship returned dominican_republic stayed canada entered draft high school professional career minor leagues signed international amateur free agent november assigned rookie league season hit home run runs batted rbi games earned promotion rookie level talent scouts discovered dominican_republic quickly hit rbi games earned promotion class midwest league spent entire season june action injury despite missing month hitting continued improve obtaining multi hit games hit contests hit games earned player week awards week july batting hits bats multi hit games runs scored rbi second award earned week ending august batted multi hit games home runs rbi week achieved hit games hit games coming bench august game went home run missed hitting cycle double season batted base percentage slugging percentage rbi games earned batting title highest average league actually plate appearances short qualifying adjusted batting average adding bats gave title cardinals minor win batting title springfield memphis winning batting title age began garner notice outside cardinals organization named cardinals best prospect prior season ranked baseball cardinals assigned play class spent entire season playing games participating winter league play won month awards april batting rbi june achieved career hit game corpus runs scored earned honors week ending june included hit game batting home runs rbi runs scored won second organizational player month award career june totaling average rbi beginning june amassed game hitting streak selected team started center field batted fourth home run double rbi effort helped earn unanimous valuable player honors game played world squad started right field batted collecting hit bats ended season game base streak spanned august september logged multi hit games including hit games hit games hit game total games played center field right left hit safely games reached base batted rbi runners scoring position outs including rbi hit rbi sixth inning later season totals included rbi league leading batting average second minor league batting title addition led extra base hits doubles total bases intentional walks ranked second hits rbi slugging percentage tied fourth home runs triples playoff games hit doubles rbi springfield won championship conferred club year award named year led cardinals minor hits doubles triples home runs rbi base plus slugging finishing batting average runs named cardinals year played games season won league rookie year award batting home runs rbi clinched league best record skills best tools survey found best hitter average entering season ranked cardinals best prospect best prospect baseball ranked cardinals number prospect number prospect prospects prior world baseball classic agent approached playing canadian national baseball team cardinals promoted game collected rbi batted hits bats month injury game action sliding second base game ankle caught bag resulting high ankle played games season total surgery correct performed ended season august season rendered batting average doubles home runs rbi fourth consecutive season batted especially productive right handed pitching forged batting average rbi generated hit games multi hit games hitting safely overall games provided rbi recorded multiple runners driven best tools survey rated best hitter average cardinals organization cardinals added man roster november beginning season ranked second best prospect mlb organization cardinals invited spring training team officials believed ankle fully healed time spring training fully trust ankle performance injury followed limiting bats cardinals optioned minor league camp march cardinals called mlb roster anticipated promotions mlb reach major leagues point batting memphis totals included seven rbi games bats held consecutive games games collected hits batting games fashioned hit games hit outing plate appearances walked times struck rate making mlb debut stadium afternoon saturday san_francisco_giants bat launched hit home run traveled feet bat occurred fifth inning starting pitcher youngest hit home run major league debut cardinals started rain immediately forcing minute delay home run proved game winning run cardinals won hit mlb single day june came june 22nd birthday cardinals optioned memphis batting despite low rate statistics showed marked ability contact mlb pitching contact rate pitches outside strike zone surpassed mlb average non pitchers miss rate swinging strikes significantly lower mlb average month cardinals recalled june batting memphis allow playing opportunities cardinals traded incumbent right fielder boston_red_sox july non trade deadline career hit game september milwaukee brewers series played games collecting hits bats home run rbi multi hit games year finished season batting average major league games appeared postseason roster cardinals playing exclusively pinch hitter collected hits runs scored seven total bats postseason debut los_angeles_dodgers hit home run tied score game giants game cardinals won series turned final hit career final thanks fan support october skills profile regarded left handed hitting version native dominican_republic prized skills ability possess square bat effectively hit pitches strike zone case guerrero bat speed wide range pitch locations hit successfully termed pitcher pitches helped contribute high batting average aggressive hitter maintained control smooth swing wide batting stance slight leg kick allows maintain incredible balance timing shifted weight left leg connecting ball explosive quick swing combination strong quick hands excellent hand eye coordination allowed assert considerable bat control constant square contact incoming pitch ability drive ball fields power ceiling high projected home runs peak preparation received high marks career minor league batting average home runs rbis games defensive skills hitting abilities ran routes solid instincts earlier professional career gained reputation concentrating heavily hitting expense fielding worked increase abilities outfield strong throwing arm defensive skills projected corner outfielder particularly right field cardinals believed showed range skill effective center fielder began taking learn position death october girlfriend died car accident freeway dominican_republic red chevrolet ran road hit tree suffered multiple injuries pronounced dead receiving care suffered injuries head chest accident occurred start game world series cardinals chairman issued following statement stunned deeply tragic loss youngest members cardinals family oscar amazing talent bright future taken time thoughts prayers family friends tonight cardinals general manager statement saying simply believe met oscar years old forever remember wonderful young man gifted athlete infectious love life lived day cardinals manager stated accurate word love group men share deep genuine concern loved oscar loved team family commissioner baseball stated heavy hearts tonight play game world series memory young people aftermath legacy behalf held game world series including moment silence pitch starting pitcher wrote hat tributes glove hat turned display october cardinals left right field lights stadium released twitter photo scene day estimated gathered funeral including gathered rooftop cemetery church wore printed backs like superman kids town map hope said teammate requested change uniform number number honor friends team granted request left year old son questions arose fatal crash freeway november press releases confirmed blood alcohol content nearly times legal limit dominican_republic second alcohol related fatality cardinals player decade following lamented circumstances player death declared team greater role young players avoid reckless actions january announced plans cardinals baseball field honor modeled facilities team wear black circular patches inscribed initials inside white circle patch wearing uniform number tribute large memorial posted home team bullpen ones pitcher died disease season active awards
Oscar Taveras