As Royals mourn Yordano Ventura, Angels still remember Nick Adenhart

The Angels will face a team in mourning this weekend. Sadly, they can relate.

The Kansas City Royals held their home opener this week, a traditionally joyous occasion that this year carried a somber tone. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by the mother of Yordano Ventura, the Kansas City pitcher killed in a car accident in January.

Eight years ago, the Angels navigated a season without Nick Adenhart, the pitcher killed in a car accident after his first start of the year. If the Angels’ experience is any indication, the Royals could find themselves grieving for some time.

“It was tough,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s still difficult, when you think about a family that has all their holiday dinners and there’s an empty chair. That’s who’s really affected the most. We lost a friend and we lost a player, and you feel like he’s your son when these guys are on the team. It took some time. It took a lot of time.”

Even in their time of mourning, the 2009 Angels won the American League West by 10 games and advanced to the league championship series.

“That group of guys was a special team in ’09,” Scioscia said. “They embraced Nick’s family. They embraced honoring Nick in a lot of different ways, from bringing his jersey with us on the road to going out when we clinched to where his number was on the wall and taking a team picture. Those were special moments.

“During the season, it wasn’t a topic of conversation. Everyone dealt with pain in their own way. Occasionally, his name would come up. We would ask about the family, and we would talk. It took a long time. They somehow got their focus back on winning and playing baseball, and we were able to get into the ALCS that year, but not without a lot of heartache. It just takes time.”

The last of the 2009 players to remain with the Angels — pitcher Jered Weaver, who named his son after Adenhart — left the team as a free agent last winter. Still, eight years later, the Angels have not forgotten.

“Believe me, we pray for Nick and his family,” Scioscia said. “Every year, we take a collection in spring training and give it to his foundation. We have an award for our best pitcher in his honor. As difficult as it is, these are some ways we try to cope with it and try to move on. It takes time. We have great memories of Nick and the type of kid he was. It’s always going to be with us.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Twitter: @BillShaikin