Marisol Hernandez
Marisol Hernandez, mother of former Kansas City Royals, Yordano Ventura, throws the first ball during the inaugural day. Photo: Screenshoot / Youtube / Kansas City Star Video

The mother of late Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura climbed the mound to make the first ceremonial pitch on the opening day of the season. Marisol Hernandez, wearing the flannel with her son's number - 30 -, made the offer to the recipient, Salvador Perez.

In the face of the painful moment, the sunny inaugural day in Kansas City, held at Kauffman Stadium, had a minute of calm and melancholia, while the presents was recalling the death of Ventura in a road accident in his native Dominican Republic.

According to the MLB portal, Ventura's locker has a sign with the caption "ACE 30," plus a black and white photo of the former pitcher in action. His teammates also placed in their respective areas, framed photos of the Dominican player.

In the field of the stadium also a canvas was placed on the knoll with the same insignia of "ACE 30" that appears in a patch in the uniforms of the players. Finally, a moment of silence was kept as hundreds of balloons were released into the sky and a saxophonist played the song "Amazing Grace."

Ventura was born in Samaná, and died in January 22, 2017 , when he was 25. He lost control of his custom Jeep Wrangler, which flipped over while attempting to turn on a curved road. Ventura was thrown out of his vehicle and was presumed dead by the time the authorities arrived and he was not wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred.

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.