Dodgers to honor legacy of Fernando Valenzuela during pregame ceremony ahead of Game 1 of World Series against Yankees
The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor the legacy of legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela during a pregame ceremony ahead of Game 1 of the 2024 World Series on Friday.
This Friday night at Dodger Stadium, as the sun dips below Chavez Ravine, a hush will sweep over a packed house clad in Dodger blue. Underneath the October lights, Los Angeles will honor the legacy of a man who forever changed baseball’s heartbeat in this city: Fernando Valenzuela.
The 2024 World Series couldn’t be a more fitting backdrop—Los Angeles Dodgers versus the New York Yankees, a rematch of that fabled 1981 championship that Valenzuela not only pitched in, but shifted the momentum of the series during a dominant start in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium.
This time, the Dodgers will step onto the field carrying the memory of Valenzuela, the left-handed phenom who captured hearts across borders and transcended generations. Valenzuela, a true giant of the game, passed away on October 22nd at the age of 63, leaving an entire city mourning.
Valenzuela, the son of a farmer from Etchohuaquila, Sonora, Mexico, was just 19 when he burst onto the scene in 1980. With an otherworldly screwball and a poise that belied his years, he quickly made the Los Angeles Dodgers synonymous with excitement, courage, and flair.
A year later, he did the unthinkable, becoming the first player to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in the same season. The Dodgers would ride his arm all the way to a World Series victory over—who else?—the New York Yankees.
That year, “Fernandomania” swept across the country. Fans packed stadiums, hopeful to witness the magic of Valenzuela’s slow, mesmerizing windup and the fierce gaze to the sky that followed. With each pitch, he wasn’t just throwing a ball; he was pitching for Mexico, for his culture, and for every underdog out there.
