Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura died in a car accident on Jan. 22 in his home country of the Dominican Republic. He was only 25 years old. His death came one day before the 17-year anniversary of NFL Hall of Fame Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, Derrick Thomas, who also died in a car accident.

He was a player that personified the American Dream. Ventura quit school at the age of 14 and worked in construction until joining the Royals academy and signed with the Royals in 2008. Ventura was a player that was loved by his teammates and a player that other teams loved to hate. He played with so much passion and sometimes his passion gave him a bad reputation.

That passion has led a roller coaster ride of emotions. My favorite memory of Ventura was game six of the 2014 World Series. The emotions for Ventura came from a good place, he was dedicating the game to fellow countrymen and Saint Louis Cardinals outfielder, Oscar Taveras, who tragically died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic, when he was only 22 years old. Ventura had “RIP O.T. #18” written on the tip of his cap and went on to pitch seven shutout innings and only allowed three hits. Ventura was a fiery pitcher, but on that night he was emotionless and pitched the best game of his life for a friend.

He always had a knack for showing up in a big moment and was always must-see television when he was on the mound. A lot of that must-see television was based on one pitch: the fastball. Royals Twitter before Ventura starts would blow up with the hashtag #LetsThrowFire before a start, and that is exactly what he did. At only 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, there was something really entertaining about watching him throw 100 mph. His windup was so relaxed and loose, and even though it looked like he was barely trying, it would be 100 mph.

Not all was good with Ventura, though. In 2015, teams used his personality against him and it led to several brawls and gave people a bad reputation of him. He was also called down to the minor leagues in 2015, but after an injury to Jason Vargas, he was called back up to the majors and helped lead the Royals to their first World Series in 30 years.

Kansas City is a town that embraces their sports heroes and Ventura is no different. In a small market, the fans become really close to the players because most are “home grown” and have only been in Kansas City during their careers.

He was a hero for his knack for the big games and his attitude. He would always stand up for his teammates, which made him even more popular with the fans. After hearing news of his death, fans went to Kauffman Stadium and made a memorial for him outside the gate of the stadium and all flags at the stadium were lowered to half-staff.

That is what has made this so hard on the fans. Nothing bad is supposed to happen to our players, because they are our heroes and just like that they could be gone forever. His death has made people realize how short life is and why we have to cherish everyday because it could be our last. Thanks for the memories, Yordano. Royals fans will never forget you.