Winter Auction 2015 closing February 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2015
The story of St. Louis Cardinals rookie Oscar “El Fenomeno” Taveras is a sad tale of promising potential and tragic demise. Tavares was sitting on the top of the world from the day he blasted a home run for his first big league in his major league debut against the San Francisco Giants in St. Louis in May of 2014, to his game-tying, pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning of game two of the NLDS against the same Giants five months later. With nothing but a bright big league future on the horizon, no one would have predicted that his life would end as the result of a violent automobile accident in his native Dominican republic two weeks after the conclusion of the Cardinals season.
Taveras wore this shiny black, almost-new 12.75-inch Rawlings ProS601 KB glove in his debut game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on May 31, 2014. Although the glove’s exterior retains its store-bought finish its pocket displays evidence of good game use. Glove is constructed of top grade “Pro Preferred” black dyed cowhide bound with black rawhide laces and features modern sixth finger “Trap Eze” web with closed fleece lined back, adjustable wrist strap and padded finger hole. Bright red Rawlings manufacturer’s label is embroidered on the back of the glove with a circle “R” logo on the outside thumb and “The Gold Glove Co. ™ embroidered in gold stitching on the back of the ring finger.
Taveras signed the glove in bright silver sharpie on the back of the second finger with a “1st Major League Glove 5/31/14” inscription. LOA from PSA/DNA. This lot is part of the Oscar Taveras collection and all consignor proceeds in excess of minimum bid will be donated directly to the Taveras family.