In the days before camp, they hung a large black banner over the front exit to the Royals clubhouse. This is the first sign that this spring training will be different.
The memorial cloth stretches close to three feet across and two feet high. On the front, in big white block letters, is the same tribute that you will see covering the shoulders of Royals jerseys this season: “ACE 30.”
Across the room is an empty locker where Yordano Ventura used to dress. In another corner, there are young teammates he used to laugh with. All around are reminders large and small, little memorials to Ventura, the right-handed pitcher who died on Jan.