Re: General Discussion
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 2:40 pm
Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura, 25, killed in car crash
play
1:25 PM ET
ESPN.com news services
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, whose electric arm and confident demeanor helped lead his long-suffering team to the 2015 World Series title, died in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic early Sunday. He was 25.
With the fitting nickname of "Ace," Ventura burst onto the baseball scene with a 100 mph fastball and an explosive attitude to match. He was a fierce competitor always willing to challenge hitters inside, then deal with the ramifications when they decided to charge the mound.
EDITOR'S PICKS
MLB community mourns deaths of Yordano Ventura and Andy Marte
Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen were among a number of MLB players to express their condolences over the deaths of Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and former MLB infielder Andy Marte on Sunday.
From The Mag: How Yordano Ventura went from 'the kid' to 'the man'
Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura started Opening Day and will start Game 1 of the ALDS against the Astros. But between the brawls and a demotion, it hasn't been an easy path.
Ex-major leaguer Marte dies in car crash
Former major league infielder Andy Marte died Sunday morning in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic, Marte's agency announced. He was 33.
Not surprisingly, he quickly became a fan favorite as Kansas City embraced baseball once again.
"Our prayers right now are with Yordano's family as we mourn this young man's passing," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said in a statement. "He was so young and so talented, full of youthful exuberance and always brought a smile to everyone he interacted with. We will get through this as an organization, but right now is a time to mourn and celebrate the life of Yordano."
Highway patrol spokesman Jacobo Mateo said Ventura died on a highway leading to the town of Juan Adrian, about 40 miles northwest of Santo Domingo. Mateo did not say whether Ventura was driving.
Also Sunday, former major league infielder Andy Marte died in a separate car accident in the Dominican Republic. Metropolitan traffic authorities said he died about 95 miles north of Santo Domingo.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Andy Marte and Yordano Ventura," players union executive Tony Clark said. "It's never easy to lose a member of our fraternity, and there are no words to describe the feeling of losing two young men in the prime of their lives. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families, friends, teammates and fans throughout the United States and Latin America."
Marte played his final career MLB game on Aug. 6, 2014, against the Royals. He appeared as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, facing Greg Holland, and struck out to end the game. The winning pitcher for the Royals that day was Ventura, who allowed two runs in six innings as the starter. The two did not face each other in the game.
"Two unfortunate losses, not only for Dominican Republic, but for the whole Latin America people," Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera told ESPNDeportes.com.
"I feel a lot of sadness because they were friends of mine. I'm sending my condolences to their families. The whole baseball world is in mourning," Cabrera added.
Ventura is the second young pitching star to die in the past four months. Marlins ace Jose Fernandez was among three men killed in a boating accident in late September, when the 24-year-old pitcher's boat crashed into a jetty off Miami Beach in the early morning hours.
Ventura went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA in 2014, his first full season in the big leagues, and helped the long-downtrodden Royals reach the World Series for the first time since 1985. He proceeded to dominate San Francisco in both of his starts, though the Royals would ultimately lose in seven games.
Yordano Ventura threw seven shutout innings for the Royals in Game 6 of the 2014 World Series, just two days after his friend and top Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras was killed in car accident. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
In an eerie coincidence, Ventura paid tribute to his friend and countryman, Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras, with a handwritten message on his cap during Game 6. Taveras also was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic, and his funeral occurred just hours before Ventura stepped on the mound. Ventura wore a cap with "RIP O.T #18" written on it for his start in which he threw seven shutout innings in a 10-0 win.
"From the minute that I found out about Oscar, I said this game was going to be dedicated to him," an emotional Ventura said then.
The following year, firmly entrenched in the rotation, Ventura helped lead Kansas City back to the World Series, pitching well in two starts against Toronto in the AL Championship Series. The Royals went on to beat the New York Mets in five games to win their second championship.
Not surprisingly, the Royals moved quickly to sign their burgeoning young ace to a five-year contract through the 2019 season that included two more options that could have kept him in Kansas City.
He wound up pitching his entire career for the Royals, going 38-31 with a 3.89 ERA.
Ventura had a fastball that averaged 96 mph, and he used it often. He was suspended nine games this past season -- later reduced to eight games on appeal -- after he hit Orioles slugger Manny Machado in the back with a 99 mph fastball on June 7. Machado charged the mound and punched Ventura in the head as the benches emptied.
Born June 3, 1991, in Samana, Dominican Republic, Ventura represented a true rags-to-riches story. He quit school at 14 and was laboring on a construction crew to support his family when he heard about a tryout, which led to a spot in the Royals' academy located on his island home.
Still, the odds were long that Ventura would ever make it to the big leagues. Very few players from the Dominican academies reach the pinnacle of the sport.
But over time, Ventura was able to harness one of the most electric fastballs that scouts had seen in years, and his headstrong and confident nature was essential in his rapid rise. He made his big league debut to great fanfare in 2013, allowing just one run against Cleveland in a sign of things to come.
He eventually became a cornerstone of a youth movement that included young stars such as first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas, one that carried the Royals first to respectability, then to the top of the American League -- rare heights the organization had not experienced in decades.
Hosmer and Moustakas were among many in the baseball community to express their sorrow via Twitter on Sunday:
play
1:25 PM ET
ESPN.com news services
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, whose electric arm and confident demeanor helped lead his long-suffering team to the 2015 World Series title, died in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic early Sunday. He was 25.
With the fitting nickname of "Ace," Ventura burst onto the baseball scene with a 100 mph fastball and an explosive attitude to match. He was a fierce competitor always willing to challenge hitters inside, then deal with the ramifications when they decided to charge the mound.
EDITOR'S PICKS
MLB community mourns deaths of Yordano Ventura and Andy Marte
Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen were among a number of MLB players to express their condolences over the deaths of Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and former MLB infielder Andy Marte on Sunday.
From The Mag: How Yordano Ventura went from 'the kid' to 'the man'
Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura started Opening Day and will start Game 1 of the ALDS against the Astros. But between the brawls and a demotion, it hasn't been an easy path.
Ex-major leaguer Marte dies in car crash
Former major league infielder Andy Marte died Sunday morning in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic, Marte's agency announced. He was 33.
Not surprisingly, he quickly became a fan favorite as Kansas City embraced baseball once again.
"Our prayers right now are with Yordano's family as we mourn this young man's passing," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said in a statement. "He was so young and so talented, full of youthful exuberance and always brought a smile to everyone he interacted with. We will get through this as an organization, but right now is a time to mourn and celebrate the life of Yordano."
Highway patrol spokesman Jacobo Mateo said Ventura died on a highway leading to the town of Juan Adrian, about 40 miles northwest of Santo Domingo. Mateo did not say whether Ventura was driving.
Also Sunday, former major league infielder Andy Marte died in a separate car accident in the Dominican Republic. Metropolitan traffic authorities said he died about 95 miles north of Santo Domingo.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Andy Marte and Yordano Ventura," players union executive Tony Clark said. "It's never easy to lose a member of our fraternity, and there are no words to describe the feeling of losing two young men in the prime of their lives. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families, friends, teammates and fans throughout the United States and Latin America."
Marte played his final career MLB game on Aug. 6, 2014, against the Royals. He appeared as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, facing Greg Holland, and struck out to end the game. The winning pitcher for the Royals that day was Ventura, who allowed two runs in six innings as the starter. The two did not face each other in the game.
"Two unfortunate losses, not only for Dominican Republic, but for the whole Latin America people," Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera told ESPNDeportes.com.
"I feel a lot of sadness because they were friends of mine. I'm sending my condolences to their families. The whole baseball world is in mourning," Cabrera added.
Ventura is the second young pitching star to die in the past four months. Marlins ace Jose Fernandez was among three men killed in a boating accident in late September, when the 24-year-old pitcher's boat crashed into a jetty off Miami Beach in the early morning hours.
Ventura went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA in 2014, his first full season in the big leagues, and helped the long-downtrodden Royals reach the World Series for the first time since 1985. He proceeded to dominate San Francisco in both of his starts, though the Royals would ultimately lose in seven games.
Yordano Ventura threw seven shutout innings for the Royals in Game 6 of the 2014 World Series, just two days after his friend and top Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras was killed in car accident. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
In an eerie coincidence, Ventura paid tribute to his friend and countryman, Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras, with a handwritten message on his cap during Game 6. Taveras also was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic, and his funeral occurred just hours before Ventura stepped on the mound. Ventura wore a cap with "RIP O.T #18" written on it for his start in which he threw seven shutout innings in a 10-0 win.
"From the minute that I found out about Oscar, I said this game was going to be dedicated to him," an emotional Ventura said then.
The following year, firmly entrenched in the rotation, Ventura helped lead Kansas City back to the World Series, pitching well in two starts against Toronto in the AL Championship Series. The Royals went on to beat the New York Mets in five games to win their second championship.
Not surprisingly, the Royals moved quickly to sign their burgeoning young ace to a five-year contract through the 2019 season that included two more options that could have kept him in Kansas City.
He wound up pitching his entire career for the Royals, going 38-31 with a 3.89 ERA.
Ventura had a fastball that averaged 96 mph, and he used it often. He was suspended nine games this past season -- later reduced to eight games on appeal -- after he hit Orioles slugger Manny Machado in the back with a 99 mph fastball on June 7. Machado charged the mound and punched Ventura in the head as the benches emptied.
Born June 3, 1991, in Samana, Dominican Republic, Ventura represented a true rags-to-riches story. He quit school at 14 and was laboring on a construction crew to support his family when he heard about a tryout, which led to a spot in the Royals' academy located on his island home.
Still, the odds were long that Ventura would ever make it to the big leagues. Very few players from the Dominican academies reach the pinnacle of the sport.
But over time, Ventura was able to harness one of the most electric fastballs that scouts had seen in years, and his headstrong and confident nature was essential in his rapid rise. He made his big league debut to great fanfare in 2013, allowing just one run against Cleveland in a sign of things to come.
He eventually became a cornerstone of a youth movement that included young stars such as first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas, one that carried the Royals first to respectability, then to the top of the American League -- rare heights the organization had not experienced in decades.
Hosmer and Moustakas were among many in the baseball community to express their sorrow via Twitter on Sunday:
