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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, JAN. 23, 2017
Associated Press
Fans create a memorial for Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura outside Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday.
Remembering Yordano
AMIE JUST
AMIE JUST
@Amie Just
Yordano Ventura's fastball was one of the most beautiful things in baseball. Few things parallel the elegance and effortlessness with which he made his signature pitch appear. With that throw, he made it easy to fall in love.
That's why his perfectly-fitting nickname was "Ace."
The explosiveness of his fastball paired well with his spunk on the mound.
At the center of many bench-clearing staredowns and mound charges, some called Ventura passionate and fearless, while others said he was hot-headed and confrontational.
But on Sunday, the allure of his fastball and his temperament on the mound weren't at the forefront of everyone's minds. Feelings of anguish and sorrow began to fester as harrowing news trickled in from his home country of the Dominican Republic.
With heavy hearts, the Kansas City Royals and ISE Baseball announced the death of their young pitcher on Sunday. Ventura was killed in a car accident at the age of 25.
It's impossible to come up with the right words after someone dies. There are many things that can be said, but whatever you do come up with, everything feels empty and nothing seems right.
"He always had a zest for life, an innocence about the game, a freshness, a fearlessness," Royals general manager Dayton Moore told the Associated Press as his voice cracked. "He was a very compassionate human being, loved to compete, no doubt challenged us, but that made us better. Nobody could ever doubt how much he cared about his teammates, how much he cared about the fans, and how much he loved to compete and to pitch."
Many of the Royals players took to social media to express their grief.
"How can I even begin to explain how much I cared about you," Royals infielder Christian Colón tweeted. "You were like a little brother to me. You were a tough one to deal with but your love and smile you could always make everything ok."
Colón, along with Royals pitcher Danny Duffy, went to Kauffman Stadium as fans made a makeshift memorial outside Gate C to honor their teammate and friend.
Ten years prior to the
2015 World Series, Ventura was only dreaming about baseball. He dropped out of school at the age of 14 to work in construction in order to financially support his family. He found his way to Kansas City after a tryout with the Royals, and charmed the scouts with his dazzling fastball. The rest is history.
Ventura made his major league debut for the Royals in Sept. 2013, after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the club in 2008. Ventura boasted a 38-31 record and started 93 games for the Royals. He was a vital piece of the organization during its World Series championship in 2015.
Not only did Ventura start in nine postseason games before the age of 25, he served an integral part in making Kansas City believe in baseball again. Even though it came at the hands of throwing a pitch at Brett Lawrie, both a pitch and a punch at Manny Machado and getting into shouting matches with Mike Trout and Adam Eaton.
Those commotions don't matter now and neither do his stats. What matters now is that a young man tragically lost his life far too soon and that his friends, family and fans are mourning.
Turnovers aplenty for both Kansas and Texas
Baxter Schanze/KANSAN Freshman guard Josh Jackson drives hard to the basket as Texas' Jarrett Allen tries to stop him. The Jayhawks defeated the Longhorns 79-67.
Baxter Schanze/KANSAN
► BRIAN MINI
@brianminimum
The last time Kansas forced more than 18 turnovers was against UAB exactly two months ago. Against the Blazers, Kansas forced 20 turnovers and coughed up 16 turnovers of its own.
Although Texas' (7-12,
Big 12 1-6) star freshman
forward Jarrett Allen finished
the game with a team-high six turnovers,
Kansas' own star freshman matched that total.
A near-exact line from that game showed up in a conference match against Texas.
No. 2 Kansas (18-1, Big 12 7-0) forced Texas to turn the ball over 19 times. But The Jayhawks were far from perfect on their own end and gave up 16 turnovers too in the 79-67 win.
When asked after the game if the turnovers came from bad offense or a defensive change by Texas, Kansas freshman forward Josh Jackson said that it was a "combo of both."
"I think that's the best we've started a game in the past few games that we've played in and we have to do that every game moving forward," Mason said.
Kansas led 19-5 after forcing six turnovers within the first five minutes after double-teaming Texas' forwards in the post and cutting off passing lanes in transition.
"They switched defenses a couple times out there so that kind of threw us off a
But the Jayhawks got the ball rolling in the forced turnovers department immediately after tip.
Kansas had its best start of the season according to senior guard Frank Mason III, and the scoreboard reflected it.
little bit," Jackson said.
Jackson contributed 15 points, five rebounds and four steals, but he also was responsible for six of Kansas' 16 turnovers. Jackson's six turnovers were a season-high.
Coach Bill Self wasn't too worried about Jackson's high turnover total.
I think that's the best we've started a game in the past few games"
Frank Mason III Senior guard
"Whether he has six turnovers or two turnovers, I don't think you look at that and say that's the reason why he didn't play well or he did," Self said. "He's just got to pick his spots a little bit more wisely."
Jackson wasn't the only guilty party on the Kansas roster. Junior guard Svi Mykailiuk had three turnovers, while three others (senior center Landen Lucas, sophomore guard Lagerald Vick and sophomore forward Carlton Bragg) had two turnovers apiece.
Texas capitalized on Kansas' mistakes by scoring 19 points off turnovers, compared to Kansas' 16
points. Before this game, Kansas had only been outscored off turnovers twice this season and never by more than a single point.
"I think what we did so poorly was our unforced turnovers," Self said when discussing his team's offense after the game.
Unforced turnovers will be a crucial factor in determining Kansas' success on Tuesday against a West Virginia defense that forces the most turnovers in the country. West Virginia averages nearly 24 forced turnovers per game, a mark that's leaps and bounds above the next-best in the conference in Oklahoma State (17.5).
Junior guard Devonte' Graham, the only player in the starting lineup that didn't record a turnover, recognized that Kansas will have to minimize its mistakes against West Virginia.
"We haven't seen pressure like that all year, you know, we've been working on it a little bit this week," Graham said. "You know they're going to run and jump and pressure us to death so we just got to be ready and focused when we practice tomorrow and Monday."
KU prepares for 'Press Virginia' in Big 12 clash
▶ SKYLAR ROLSTAD @SkyRolSports
The Kansas Jayhawks will be thrown into the fire just four days after frustration stemmed from turnovers in a 79-67 win over the Texas Longhorns.
Kansas will take on West Virginia and its frenetic full-court press on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m., mere days before representing the Big 12 in an anticipated matchup with Kentucky.
The journey to "Press Virginia" will test the Jayhawks' ability to take care of the ball.
"We haven't seen pressure
like that all year, you know, we've been working on it a little bit this week," junior guard Devonte' Graham said. "You know they're gonna run and jump and pressure us to death so we just got to be ready and focused when we practice tomorrow and Monday."
Missy Minter/AXSAN
Junior guard Frank Mason III fights steps through a couple West Virginia defenders on his way to the basket in the second half against West Virginia. The Jahayhaws defeated the Mountaineers 75-65
It's apparent the team has something to work on leading into the matchup, too.
Kansas committed
16 turnovers Saturday
afternoon. An electric start
to the game afforded a win
for the Jayhawks, but Kansas
coach Bill Self wasn't pleased
with the team's trouble
Missu Minear/KANSAN
Missu Minear/KANSAN
Coach Bill Self yells to his team in the first half against Texas on Jan. 21. Kansas won 79-67.
holding onto the ball.
"Turnovers obviously bother any coach any time," Self said. "But the thing about it is against West Virginia you're going to turn it over enough, because they force you to turn it over, you can't just give them the ball whenever they don't force you to."
You can't just give them the ball whenever they don't force you to."
Bill Self Men's basketball coach
"Tonight, I thought Texas played good defense, but our turnovers were bad ones I thought," Self said.
Texas coughed up 19 turnovers; however, Kansas commanded the pace all day as the second-best Longhorns lagged behind.
In fact, Kansas showcased a press of its own Saturday. The Jayhawks frustrated the Longhorns by trapping
"We work on that in practice all the time, just trying to cause a little chaos in the backcourt," Graham said.
ballhandlers and causing confusion in the backcourt with a stifling half-court press.
As Graham admitted, the task facing Kansas on Tuesday will be something the Jayhawks haven't seen since last season against the Mountaineers. It's something few teams could ever be used to, as the defense led by coach Bob Huggins is one of a kind.
"I think the world of [Huggins] as a coach and he's a good guy and certainly you're right, he does it differently than anybody else but I think if you look back at his Cincinnati days, whenever, he did different than everybody else too, and he's certainly put his own style in how they're doing things," Self said.
If there was a good way to
Luckily for Self and his Jayhawks, there's a blueprint for how to beat the Mountaineers at their own game.
Self watched the game, and noted to reporters during a weekly press conference last week how well the Sooners managed turnovers.
"I watched the game last night and I thought OU did a tremendous job of not turning the ball over, but more importantly, you know, you're going to turn it over against West Virginia, we talked about that, but they can't be live-ball turnovers," Self said. "You'd rather throw
turn the ball over, Oklahoma did it during an impressive overtime win over West Virginia in Morgantown on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
"And I thought OU made some really key plays and offensively, they did not lead to [West Virginia's] numbers or their scoring," Self said.
it out of bounds so your defense can get set, rather than them having numbers coming back at you."
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There are few firsts with this experienced Kansas team. For Graham, a win over the Mountaineers in West Virginia would be his first. The Jayhawks haven't won in Morgantown since the 2012-13 season.
"That's on my bucket list," Graham said.