Friends and family mourned the 25-year old Kansas Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura who died on Sunday, 22 January 2017 in a car accident on the Piedra Blanca to Rancho Arriba mountain road. Ventura was from Las Terrenas, Samaná province.
The members of the children’s baseball league recalled that Ventura set aside time to meet with them and practice with them when he was in the country as well as giving them baseball uniforms and equipment. The Samaná team director, Silvano Santos, who had trained Ventura from age seven to 14, said Ventura was an inspiration for the children.
The mayor of Las Terrenas has declared two days of mourning for his death that happened near Juan Adrian, some 70 kilometers to the north of Santo Domingo.
So far there is no report as to why the accident happened. Ventura was travelling alone in a SUV that he had imported in October 2016 from Florida. It is believed that he was not wearing a seatbelt.
Diego Pesqueira, Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) spokesman, said that the accident happened at around 4:30am and it is not unusual for the area to be foggy at that time. Ventura’s funeral was scheduled to be held on 23 January 2017.
News reports indicate that 10 baseball players have died in traffic accidents since the 80s.
The fatal accidents involving baseball players include:
Ramón Lora. 30-year old pitcher and designated batter. 11 October 1985 when his car crashed into a tractor on the Navarrete-Santiago road.
William Suero. 30-year old baseball player when his car crashed into a light post on Av. Charles de Gaulle in Santo Domingo.
José Oliva. 26-year old baseball player who died at dawn on 22 December 1995 when his car turned over on a curve. He was not wearing his seatbelt. He had signed with the Seattle Mariners.
Rufino Linares: He died on 16 May 1998 when his car crashed into a coconut tree on Las Americas Expressway. He worked as a coach at the Japanese Hiroshima Toyo Card academy.
Andy Araujo: Pitcher who died on Av. Jacobo Majluta in 2000 when his car was run over by a truck.
Andújar Cedeño: Died on the road near Juan Dolio when his Mercedes Benz was run over by a truck.
José Uribe: 47-year old retired baseball player who died on 8 Deember 2006 in a car accident on the Nizao-San Cristóbal highway.
Oscar Taveras: 22-year old promising player who had just signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and died on 25 October 2014 in a traffic accident with speeding in his Chevrolet Camaro.
Given the number of traffic deaths of Dominican Major League baseball players over the past few years in the country, there are even some commentators suggesting that the Dominican players not be allowed to return to their homeland for the off season.
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View from the Sideline
24 January 2017
