The tributes are pouring into social media after the death of Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura.
Ventura died in a car accident on Sunday, January 22, in the Dominican Republic, where he was from. The righthander known for his powerful pitches was only 25-years-old.
Royal Christian Colon wrote a heartwrenching tribute on social media that started, “How can I even begin to explain how much I cared about you? You were like a little brother to me.”
Ventura’s last tweet was about spring training being only a month away. He shared this Instagram post:
The general manager of the Royals, Dayton Moore, gave out this statement after news of Ventura’s death broke:
Our prayers right now are with Yordano’s family as we mourn this young man’s passing. 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.
Ventura was known for his 100 mph fastball and was nicknamed Ace Ventura, reported Yahoo Sports. Retired player Andy Marte was also killed in a separate and unrelated car crash in the Dominican Republic. Some of the tributes mention both players.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPkv5OvATLK/
The Royals said in the statement that Ventura had spent his entire professional baseball career with the Royals organization. He pitched in two World Series games. His career record was 38-31. You can read the full statement from the team here:
Here’s some of the other reaction to Ventura’s untimely death.
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Yordano Ventura Tributes: Players & Fans React to Death