By Drew Casey
In just the first three weeks of the Major League Baseball season, Royals ace Yordano Ventura has arguably become the most hated player around the league.
Ventura, a Dominican Republic native and third year big leaguer, has started four games for last year’s American League pennant winner and has compiled a 2-1 record with a 4.09 ERA. On paper it appears that Ventura is having a fine season in Kansas City.
But that is not the case.
He has quickly become referenced as the disgrace of baseball.
In his four starts, Ventura has been in the middle of three bench-clearing incidents, which does not happen by accident.
The narrative dates back to the twenty-three–year-old’s second start of the season against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After allowing a base hit to star outfielder Mike Trout, Ventura had some words for the three-time all star as he trotted down to first base. It seemed a little unusual, but nothing came of it, and Albert Pujols stepped in to hit for the Halos.
Pujols doubled in Trout for the team’s second run of the game, and as Trout touched home, the fireworks began. Ventura shared some more greetings with Trout, who again did not take too kindly to them. The benches cleared as a result of the jawing and the incident blew over relatively peacefully.
Looking back though, it was just the beginning of something much bigger.
Ventura’s next start came six days later against Oakland at Kauffman Stadium, one day after Athletics third baseman Brett Lawrie’s controversial slide into second base injured Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar.
Trailing 5-0 in the fourth inning, Ventura plunked Lawrie with a fastball in the hip and was immediately ejected from the game. Shortly thereafter, the benches and the bullpens emptied, and a relatively calm altercation took place.
The ejection did not seem warranted, given the fact that warnings had not been issued in the game, but nonetheless occurred at the discretion of the umpires. Even though I disagree with the decision and the subsequent fine to Ventura, this event previews what happened next.
Ventura got his next negative call on April 23 in Chicago against the White Sox. Cruising along, having only allowed two runs in the seventh inning, another bizarre event occurred.
With two outs in the seventh, White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton grounded a ball back to Ventura to end the inning. Ventura’s play was of slight difficulty and before throwing over to first to retire Eaton, the former 14-game winner taunted Eaton as he ran down the first base line.
It seemed as if Ventura took exception to the fact that Eaton hit a hard ground ball back to him or thought that he had made one of the best defensive plays of all-time. Regardless of Ventura’s mentality or the actual words that were exchanged between the two, Eaton did not take kindly to them and a brawl between the two sides ensued.
Five players were suspended as a result of the violent melee, including a seven game ban for Ventura, but the incident brought up bigger questions than missing only a few games.
As a Royals player or supporter, how much of a liability on the field and as an image is Yordano Ventura?
As a Royals opponent, how do you now approach an at-bat against Yordano Ventura like any other plate appearance?
Can Yordano Ventura learn how to control his emotions and behave as a professional athlete on the field?
Honestly, I hope the seven-game suspension does the trick for his sake, the Royals’ sake and the league’s sake. If not, then Ventura’s career highlight tape will simply consist of bench-clearing incidents.
Out of all of this, there is only one thing that is certain. The Royals aren’t winning any new fans this season, at least not yet, thanks to Yordano Ventura.
