KANSAS CITY -- Shock. Disbelief and denial. Overwhelming sadness.
One year ago today, Royals players, club officials and fans awoke to the tragic news, likely sifting through an array of emotions as they stared at their cell phones, trying to comprehend the words: Royals star pitcher Yordano Ventura was dead at the age of 25 after an auto accident in the Dominican Republic.
Some Royals players got the news on Twitter. Some got the news through a group text from veteran Alex Gordon, who confirmed Ventura's passing through the club.
"It was just so hard to comprehend," Gordon told MLB.