On the morning of January 22nd, the news broke and devastated Kansas City Royals fans all over the nation. Yordano Ventura, age 25, was in a fatal car accident in the Dominican Republic. Players coming from this part of the world are often asked by management not to drive there because of its high mortality rate due to car accidents. It is believed that the young player was alive after the accident, however, died soon after from being robbed of his possessions including his world series ring. This is, however, false. According to the coroner report, Ventura died on impact when his vehicle rolled in the crash. All of his personal belongings were returned by police officials.
With the nation's eye on us, we mourned. On Sunday, fans gathered at Kauffman stadium to create a memorial for Ventura. Candles, posters, hats, baseballs and more were placed in honor of the young star. Royals players Danny Duffy and Christian Colon visited the memorial and received hugs from many fans offering their condolences for the loss.
(Yordano Ventura Memorial)
On Tuesday, January 24th, friends and family gathered to lay Ventura in his final resting spot. Some members of the royals organization were in attendance to pay their respects to the family and friends: Dan Glass, general manager Dayton Moore, manager Ned Yost and players Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas were all there. Former teammates Edison Volquez and Johnny Cueto were standing at the casket saying one last goodbye to the man that played a huge factor in helping the team win the world series.
Personally, when I heard the news, I was heartbroken. Such a young talent lost in a matter of minutes. Every time I hear Yordano Ventura's name, I think of the times I sat at the K or in front of the television and watched him pitch. The look of focus and thirst to win on his face. He was an amazing talent that had many more years of baseball left in him.
It is often asked why we mourn death, why we feel loss and sorrow when someone is gone. Yordano Ventura was not just any baseball player. He was a kind-hearted individual that went out of his way to better the team and the community. Local news stations have been releasing stories over the last week about the death of the young superstar. They interview many fans from around the area and they all follow the same pattern:
"He was a joy to watch on the field."
"He wasn't afraid to hit a batter if he felt they needed it."
"He played with so much passion for the game."
The Royals hosted their annual fanfest over the weekend to get people and players excited for the upcoming season. This year was different, though. There was a missing member of the team. Over the two-day experience, the Royals remembered and honored the life of Yordano Ventura. The beginning of each day started with a moment of silence, there was also a pitching mound with the number 30 painted on it and a framed jersey sitting on top of it. Next season, the Royals will wear jerseys that have a black patch with Ace 30 written in white.
(Royals' Jersey)
We mourn the loss of Yordano Ventura because he was a member of all our families. He helped us see the promise land of a world series title by pitching an incredible game six. He brought smiles to our faces with everything he said and made us very proud to be Royals fans. This loss is hard for players and family that knew Yordano Ventura, but I would like to offer you this little bit of advice: You are not alone. We are here for you. Kansas City loves all of you and we are hurting along with you. You were not the only ones that lost someone important. We lost someone we loved to cheer for. Rest easy Yordano Ventura and just know that when you left, you took a little piece of our hearts with you.
