2 SHOCKING DEATHS

Photo: Getty Images

Just a quick note and sad news coming out of the baseball world today. 2 players have died in car crashes.  The crashes were different crashes, and just a horrible coincidence. Whatever the case, it's devastating to their families and to the baseball world.  Say a prayer today folks.

Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and Former Indian Andy Marte are dead.

Photo: Getty Images

SI.com has the story about Ventura:

"Ventura was killed in car crash Sunday in the Dominican Republic. He was 25. 

Dominican national police colonel Jacobo Mateo Moquete identified the victim of a fatal crash as Ventura. Ventura’s agency confirmed his death to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.

Ventura’s death comes on the same day former Indians infielder Andy Marte was killed in a car crash in the Dominican. The accidents are unrelated."

About Marte, that comes from MSN.com:

"According to Dominican news website cdn.com, Marte was traveling at "high speed" early Sunday morning when his white Mercedes crashed."

Sad news...

ABREU & DEGROM WIN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARDS!

The votes are in... here's how it went down.

In the National League it was Mets stud, Jacob DeGrom.

No big surprise here, the kid was great for the Mets. He may have been the only real bright spot for them this season.

For the American League, it was Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox.  According to Hardball Talk, the dude won unanimously...

"Jose Abreu, who finished third in the AL in homers and first in slugging percentage last season, was the unanimous choice for the AL Rookie of the Year award, announced Monday.

Abreu topped Angels starter Matt Shoemaker and Yankees setup man Dellin Betances for the award in a strong class of AL rookies. Any one of those three, Collin McHugh, Masahiro Tanaka and Yordano Ventura probably would have won the award in 2013 over 88 games of Wil Myers... Betances got seven second-place votes and was named on 13 ballots."

Again, no big surprise, although you always root for the hometown guy and Betances earned it this season, there was just someone in his way.  To be honest, if Abreu wasn't on the list, Betances would have had a better shot, plain, simple and obvious, I know.

Congrats to the winners.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!