Yordano Ventura was 'robbed of World Series ring and cash' as he lay dying after car crash - as it's revealed his family's claim to his $20m fortune hinges on if he was drunk
- Yordano Ventura died in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic on Sunday
- Kansas City Royals pitcher was reportedly robbed as he lay dying by the road
- The 25-year-old's World Series ring and cash were among items stolen from him
- It comes as the fate of Ventura's $20m contract relies on whether he was drunk
- Authorities have not yet determined the cause of crash but suspect speeding
- A memorial service was held for Ventura in his home town on Monday
The fate of Yordano Ventura's $20 million fortune depends on whether he was drunk when he fatally crashed his car in the Dominican Republic - as local media reports claim he was robbed as he lay dying by the road.
The Kansas City Royals pitcher was killed in a horrific car crash on a highway in his native Dominican Republic on Sunday.
Local media say the 25-year-old was found alive beside the car wreckage but people robbed him and then left him to die.
Ventura's World Series ring, other valuable items and cash were reportedly stripped from him.
Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, 25, was killed in a horrific car crash in his native Dominican Republic on Sunday
His family are now urging police to investigate the claims and circumstances around his death.
It follows revelations that the $20 million owed to Ventura from his contract will likely rely on toxicology reports, according to Fox Sports.
If his death is ruled as accidental, his contract stands and any remaining money owed will go to his estate.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore said the toxicology reports will not be ready for about three weeks.
He said Dominican Republic authorities had told him there was no alcohol found at the crash scene.
Authorities have not determined what caused the accident but suspect speeding.
Local media reports say Ventura was found alive beside the car wreckage but people robbed him of his World Series ring and cash before leaving him to die
The coffin contained Ventura's body was surrounded by wreaths and photos of the baseball player in the living room of his home in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic on Monday
Marisol Hernandez, the mother of the late Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura (second from right) holds a white scarf up to her face as weeps during her son's wake
Ventura was driving by himself in a vehicle he had imported from Florida last October after making some modifications to it.
Angela Martinez, mother to Ventura's only daughter, said the player wasn't known for speeding because he was affected by the 2014 death of his friend, former St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Oscar Taveras, who crashed at 22 in his hometown of Puerto Plata.
'I always told him to be careful,' said Martinez, who recalled Ventura as intense and very cheerful.
However, Santos, his former coach, said Ventura owned several motorcycles and liked to race.
'That was his weakness: racing,' he said. 'It was his hobby.'
Fans have created a memorial for Ventura outside Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City following news of his death on Sunday
The $20 million owed to Ventura from his contract likely relies on whether he was drunk when he fatally crashed his car in the Dominican Republic
The mayor of the Dominican town of Las Terrenas declared a two-day mourning period for the 25-year-old following his death on a highway about 40 miles north-west of the capital of Santo Domingo.
The Dominican Republic has the highest traffic-related death rate in the Western Hemisphere with nearly 30 deaths per 100,000 people.
Four current or former major league players have died in traffic accidents there in recent years, including Andy Marte, a 33-year-old infielder who also was killed Sunday.
Authorities said Marte died when the Mercedes Benz he was driving hit a house along a road between San Francisco de Macoris and Pimentel, about 95 miles north of the capital.
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