Earlier this month, Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura died tragically at the age of 25, the result of a car crash in his native Dominican Republic. Ventura was laid to rest on Wednesday.
Now the Royals are beginning to pay tribute to the hard thrower, who was such a vital part of their recent triumphs. Already the team has unveiled the simple and tasteful sleeve patch that they'll wear during the 2017 season.
The Royals on Friday began their annual FanFest in Kansas City, and the dominating absence of Ventura was readily apparent. For instance, this image has been on the Kauffman Stadium video board for days now:
The #Royals now have a tribute inside the stadium. #YordanoVenturapic.twitter.com/iymTDVlyqs
— Andrew Carter (@Andrew__Carter) January 22, 2017
As for FanFest, the highlight was a pitcher's mound built inside the Kansas City Convention Center by the Kauffman groundscrew to honor Ventura. Via the Kansas City Star, here's a look at the process:
And the finished product:
@Royals did an amazing job w/Ventura tribute. Very touching. Fan Fest opens in minutes. #Ace30pic.twitter.com/nEzfvMnVe9
— Josh Helmuth (@Jhelmuth) January 27, 2017
That's a beautiful image and a fitting tribute to No. 30.
There was also a signature wall set up to honor Ventura, and Danny Duffy was among those who left a message for Ventura:
Danny Duffy visits the #Ace30 memorial at #RoyalsFanFest and leaves a message on the signature wall. pic.twitter.com/P5PmHQLpQp
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) January 27, 2017
Needless to say, emotions were still raw. Here's Mike Moustakas at FanFest recalling his favorite memory of Ventura:
Moustakas breaks down talking about his favorite memory of Ventura. #Ace30#RoyalsFanfestpic.twitter.com/rYujCKyleo
— KCTV5 News (@KCTV5) January 27, 2017
It's going to be a long and difficult healing process for the Royals, but getting back to baseball and again being among some of the most abiding fans in baseball will surely help.