LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor Fernando Valenzuela with a No. 34 patch on team uniforms during the World Series and the 2025 season.
The circular patch will feature on the sleeves of the jersey with the late pitcher’s number 34 in Dodger blue with a white outline, surrounded by a black background and a blue outline. “FERNANDO” is written in white capital letters above the number.
A moment of silence will be observed at Dodger Stadium prior to the Series opener on Friday.
The Dodgers ordered a 50-by-50-foot mural of Valenzuela on Wednesday and a day later it was painted on a wall in left field as fans entered the ballpark.
The mural depicts Valenzuela’s unorthodox excitement with his eyes to the sky, the celebratory hug with catcher Mike Scioscia after his 1990 no-hitter and how he wears a suit in his role as the team’s Spanish-language color commentator.
“We wanted to remember Fernando at his best,” said Stan Kasten, team president and CEO. “These are all memories of him at his best. He was there for so long, both on and off the field.”
Valenzuela, the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award winner, died Tuesday at age 63, a day before the 43rd anniversary of his 147-pitch complete game that led the Dodgers over the Yankees in World Series Game 3 After losing the first two games at Yankee Stadium, the Dodgers won four in a row for their first title since 1965.
A six-time All-Star, Valenzuela was 173-153 in 17 seasons, including 141-116 with the Dodgers from 1980-90. His flamboyant presence caused ‘Fernandomania’ among fans, and he worked as a presenter for the team from 2003 to 2024.
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AP freelance writer Jill Painter Lopez contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
The Associated Press
