World Series opening game at Dodger Stadium to honor Fernando Valenzuela
As the first game of the 2024 World Series kicks off at Dodger Stadium Friday night, the life and legacy of the late Dodgers pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela will be honored and celebrated.
The legendary 63-year-old died just days before, on Tuesday, after being admitted to a hospital earlier in the month.
His legacy and impacts endured long after his time with the team, and the Dodgers retired his jersey No. 34 in 2023 despite a long-standing rule that the team only did so for those who made the Baseball Hall of Fame.
For the duration of the 2024 World Series, a No. 34 patch will be worn on all Dodgers' jerseys.
Friday night, before pregame ceremonies begin, a special tribute video for the Mexico-born Valenzuela will play on the DodgerVision video boards. A mariachi performance featuring Julian Torres y Deyra Barrera will be held in the Left Field Pavilion in his honor.
A moment of silence will be observed before the game.
Murals have gone up across the city of "El Toro," 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 lone World Series appearance 43 years ago, taking to the Dodger Stadium mound in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series to face the Yankees, who were leading two games to none.
The 20-year-old shut out the Yankees for the final 6 1/3 innings in the Dodgers' 5-4 victory, throwing 147 pitches as he faced 40 batters.
The Dodgers would continue 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 11 siblings. The Dodgers signed him out of the Mexican League at age 18 in 1979. The rest is history, as "Fernandomania" was born and his legacy lives on.
