Becoming Yordano: A journey to the launch point of the Royals’ rocket arm

Despite climbing 146 steep steps, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura was smiling at the top of a stairway of a private residence in his hometown of Las Terrenas in the Dominican Republic. Ventura says he climbs the steps eight to ten times in one outing to build endurance. David Eulitt The Kansas City Star

Yordano Ventura quit school at 14 and was working construction until his big break: a tryout that led to a spot in the Kansas City Royals’ academy in the Dominican Republic. But even after making the major leagues and pitching in the World Series, Ventura wouldn’t live anywhere else than Las Terrenas, his hometown, where he trained on the beach and swam in the ocean.

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This story was originally published January 23, 2015 at 10:23 PM with the headline "Becoming Yordano: A journey to the launch point of the Royals’ rocket arm."

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