When the first game of the 2024 World Series kicks off at Dodger Stadium on Friday evening, the life and legacy of late Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela will be honored and celebrated.
The legendary 63 year old died a few days earlieron Tuesday, after having been admitted to a hospital earlier in the month.
His legacy and impact continued long after his time with the team Dodgers retired his jersey No. 34 in 2023 despite a long-standing rule that the team only did this for those who made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
A number 34 patch will be worn on all Dodgers jerseys through the 2024 World Series.
Friday night, before pregame ceremonies begin, a special tribute video for the Mexican-born Valenzuela will play on the DodgerVision video boards. A mariachi performance with Julian Torres y Deyra Barrera will be held in his honor at the Left Field Pavilion.
A moment of silence will be observed before the match.
“El Toro” murals have been painted throughout the city and Dodger Stadium has its own Valenzuela printed mural adorning the left field stadium wall adjacent to the left field stadium entrance gates.
Valenzuela made his only World Series appearance 43 years ago, taking the mound at Dodger Stadium in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series to face the Yankees, who led two games to none.
The 20-year-old shut down the Yankees for the final 6 1/3 innings in the Dodgers’ 5-4 win, throwing 147 pitches while facing 40 batters.
The Dodgers would go on to win the next three games for their first World Series championship since 1965.
Valenzuela grew up on a small farm on the west coast of Mexico with his mother, father and eleven siblings. The Dodgers drafted him from the Mexican League in 1979 at the age of 18. The rest is history as “Fernandomania” was born and its legacy lives on.
