Yordano Ventura facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yordano Ventura |
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Ventura with the Kansas City Royals in 2015
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 3, 1991 Samaná, Dominican Republic |
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| Died: January 22, 2017 (aged 25) Juan Adrián, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| September 17, 2013, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 2016, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 38–31 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.89 | ||
| Strikeouts | 470 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Yordano Ventura Hernández (June 3, 1991 – January 22, 2017) was a professional baseball pitcher from the Dominican Republic. He played for the Kansas City Royals in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Yordano made his MLB debut on September 17, 2013. He was known as a power pitcher because his fastball could reach speeds of 102 miles per hour. He helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series. Sadly, Yordano Ventura died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic on January 22, 2017.
Contents
Early Life
Yordano Ventura was born in Samaná, Dominican Republic, in 1991. When he was 14, he stopped going to school. He worked in construction for a while. Later, he joined a baseball academy run by the Kansas City Royals.
Professional Career
Minor Leagues
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In 2008, Yordano Ventura signed with the Kansas City Royals as an international free agent. He received a $28,000 bonus for signing. For the next 18 months, he trained at the Royals' special academy.
In 2011, Ventura played for the Kane County Cougars. This team is part of the Class A Midwest League. He started 19 games for the Cougars. He had a record of 4 wins and 6 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was 4.27, and he had 88 strikeouts.
Ventura started the 2012 season with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. This team is in the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. He was chosen to play in two special games: the Carolina-California League All-Star Game and the All-Star Futures Game. Later that season, he moved up to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. This team plays in the Class AA Texas League.
The Royals invited Ventura to spring training in 2013. He started the 2013 season with Northwest Arkansas. In June, he was promoted to the Omaha Storm Chasers. This team is in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL). He had a great ERA of 2.34 and 74 strikeouts before this promotion. He was again named to the World Team for the All-Star Futures Game. He was also named the Royals’ co-Minor League Player of the Year for 2013.
Kansas City Royals
2013 Season
The Royals called Ventura up to the major leagues on September 16, 2013. This happened after the Storm Chasers won their championship series. He made his big league debut instead of playing in another minor league championship game. In his first three games with the Royals, Ventura had an ERA of 3.52.
2014 Season
In spring training 2014, Ventura earned a spot in the Royals' main group of starting pitchers. During the 2014 regular season, Ventura had 14 wins and 10 losses. His ERA was 3.20.
He started Game 2 of the 2014 American League Division Series (ALDS) on October 3, 2014. He pitched seven innings and allowed only one run. The Royals won that game. In Game 2 of the World Series against the San Francisco Giants, Ventura gave up two runs. The Royals won that game 7–2.
In Game 6 of the World Series, the Royals were losing the series 3–2. Ventura pitched seven innings without allowing any runs. The Royals won 10–0, which forced a Game 7. Before this important game, Ventura honored his friend and fellow player, Oscar Taveras. Taveras had died in a car crash a few days earlier. Ventura pitched the game with "RIP O.T #18" written on his hat.
2015 Season
Before the 2015 season, Ventura signed a five-year contract worth $23 million with the Royals. He was chosen to be the Royals' Opening Day starting pitcher in 2015. He started against the Chicago White Sox on April 6, 2015. He pitched six innings and left the game with a thumb cramp. The Royals won the game 10–1.
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In April 2015, Ventura was involved in some heated moments during games. In a game against the Los Angeles Angels, he stared at Mike Trout after Trout hit a single. Later, Ventura confronted Trout again, and players from both teams came onto the field. In another game against the Oakland Athletics, Ventura was sent out of the game for hitting Brett Lawrie with a pitch on purpose. A few days later, he exchanged words with Adam Eaton of the White Sox. This led to a fight between the two teams, and several players, including Ventura, were sent out of the game. Ventura was later suspended for seven games.
Ventura was sent to the minor leagues in July because his ERA was 5.19. However, he was called back up the very next day because another pitcher got injured. During the 2015 regular season, Ventura had a record of 13 wins and 8 losses. His ERA was 4.08, and he had 156 strikeouts. He was known for having one of the fastest fastballs in the league, averaging 96.4 miles per hour.
On October 8, Ventura pitched in Game 1 of the 2015 American League Division Series against the Houston Astros. He left the game after two innings, and the Royals lost. In Game 4, he pitched 5 innings, and the Royals won 9–6. Ventura also pitched in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, helping the Royals win. He also pitched in the game where the Royals won the league championship, allowing only one run. The Royals won that game and went to the World Series.
In Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Mets, Ventura gave up five runs, and the Royals lost that game. In the postseason, he did not earn a win, and his ERA was 6.43. However, Ventura and the Royals went on to win the World Series in 5 games!
2016 Season
In a game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 7, 2016, Ventura threw several pitches close to Manny Machado. In Machado's next turn at bat, Ventura hit him with a 99 mph fastball. Machado then ran towards Ventura, which caused a fight between players from both teams. Both players were sent out of the game. Ventura was later suspended for eight games. He finished the 2016 season with 11 wins and 12 losses, and an ERA of 4.45.
Scouting Report
Yordano Ventura threw a very fast fastball, which could reach 102 miles per hour. He also used a curveball and a change-up pitch.
Personal Life
Yordano Ventura married Maria del Pilar Sangiovanni before the 2016 baseball season. When he played for the Kansas City Royals, he often visited children's cancer wards. He would give away baseball items to the children there.
Death
On January 22, 2017, Yordano Ventura died in a car crash in Juan Adrián, Dominican Republic. He was 25 years old. He lost control of his vehicle, which then flipped over on a curved road. Ventura was thrown from the car. He died on the same day as another baseball player, Andy Marte, who also died in a separate car crash in the Dominican Republic.
The Royals honored Ventura by wearing special patches on their uniforms during the 2017 season. The patches read "ACE 30."
See also
In Spanish: Yordano Ventura para niños
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
- List of people from the Dominican Republic
