St. Louis Cardinals: I’m Sick of Bad News Baseball

I write about the St. Louis Cardinals. Yet in my brief writing career I have had to write too many times of the death of young players.

The St. Louis Cardinals are no stranger to loss. From the loss of Darryl Kile to the death of Oscar Taveras, the St. Louis Cardinals are unfortunately becoming professionals at dealing with loss. Both losses were surprises to the organization and to fans and both left the organization in shock.

During the 2016 season, I was faced with a sad Sunday in which I wrote about another loss in the baseball world: the sudden death of Jose Fernandez. This sudden death was so near the circumstances of Oscar Taveras that the wound was reopened.

For those who might not know, Kile was a great up-and-comer pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals who passed away in June of 2002 while the team was in Chicago. Kile’s death rocked the team who had been riding a nice season and a long history of little emotional challenges. Kile never missed a start and was regarded as a great teammate. Kile was thirty-three years old.

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For those who might not know, Taveras was a great up-and-comer outfield phenom who passed away in October of 2014 in the Dominican Republic following his MLB debut season. Taveras had his entire career ahead of his and was well-regarded as the top prospect within the Cardinals organization. His death rocked the team once more as many of the MLB players had taken him under their wing. Chief among these was Carlos Martinez. Taveras was twenty-two years old.

Kile’s death was attributed to a heart condition. Taveras’ death was attributed to drunk driving. Both deaths rocked a team. One was avoidable.

Fast-forward to the 2016 season. Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident off the coast of Miami in September of 2016. Fernandez was twenty-four years old. Jose’s death was related to alcohol and drugs. Fernandez’s death was avoidable and rocked the Marlins.

Now, again, we fans and MLB are forced to face alcohol-related deaths of MLB players. News slipped on Sunday of the deaths of Andy Marte and Yordano Ventura. Marte was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic at the age of thirty-three (the same age as Kile). Venura was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic (unrelated to Marte’s accident) at the age of twenty-five.

Both accidents have been tied to alcohol. Both accidents were avoidable.

When will we say enough is enough? When will we reach a critical mass of lives lost to senseless drunk driving? I enjoy a drink myself from time to time but I do not get behind the wheel of a car after doing so. We must find a way to stop this senselessness.

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Having said that, I admit that we are discussing a failing human trait. I recognize that changing a human trait takes years and involved individuals making decisions for the betterment of their individual person (or the reverse as is evidenced in these recent issues). Admitting that, however, does not diminish the need for us all to pledge to be better.

What’s even worse is that news is now surfacing that Ventura survived his accident only to be looted and left to die. Shameless, right? I do not say this as admonishment against the people of the Dominican Republic (for surely the same thing happens in the USA) but as an admonishment against humanity. When will we be better?

So, enough of it all. Enough already. I’m tired of bad news baseball. I’m tired of scandalous baseball. I’m ready for nine innings of twenty-seven outs. I’m ready for the crack of the ball against a wooden bat. Please, baseball, hurry back into the consciousness of our lives and cover the stink that is now permeating the atmosphere.

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I’m ready for humanity to know better (which I thought we did) and to behave better (which we surely must). When all behave better, won’t we face improved outcomes?