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Sam Mellinger: How, where and why Perez thought to invite Ventura’s mother to KC

The inspiration was Salvador Perez’s, first articulated on the bus ride back from his friend’s open casket funeral. In the darkest moment, the idea for a most beautiful tribute.

Yordano Ventura was near the center of everything the Royals did for three years, from his debut on a Tuesday night in September 2013 until his tragic death early one Sunday morning in January 2017.

In searching for a way to help, Perez kept coming back to Ventura’s mother. When Perez was a boy, around 12, he lost a brother and a sister. It was hard for him, but what he remembers most is how hard it was for his mother.