Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo remembered the fearless pitcher with the infectious smile. Danny Duffy remembered the young player who would show up to the ballpark with a purple Polo shirt tucked into basketball shorts. Assistant general manager Scott Sharp remembered the unsure minor-leaguer, the kid who would phone him late at night and reveal his insecurities, telling the Royals executive that he simply wanted to go home.
On this day, everybody had a story about Yordano Ventura.
Five days after his death in an early-morning car crash, and three days after his funeral in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, the Royals organization gathered together Friday morning to remember the life of Ventura, the right-handed pitcher who left his mark on a franchise and city.