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.