Royals’ P Yordano Ventura has died in car accident in the Dominican Republic. He was 25 years old.
Ventura was a friend of former Cardinals outfielder Oscar Tavares, who was also killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic back in 2014. Days after Tavares’ death, Ventura wore a cap with “RIP O.T #18” written on it for his Game 6 start of the World Series against the Giants. 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.
“Our prayers right now are with Yordano’s family as we mourn this young man’s passing,” said Royals general manager Dayton Moore via 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.”
