The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor the late Fernando Valenzuela during the World Series by wearing a patch on their uniforms featuring his number 34 and first name on the left jersey sleeve. Valenzuela, who passed away at 63, had his number retired by the Dodgers in August 2023, breaking from their tradition of only retiring numbers of Hall of Fame inductees.
Valenzuela pitched for the Dodgers for 11 seasons, starting in 1980, and is ninth on the franchise’s all-time win list. He was a key part of the Dodgers’ championship teams in 1981 and 1988 and was the first player to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in the same season. He was an All-Star every year from 1981 through 1986.
Memorials for Valenzuela can be seen at Dodger Stadium, and MLB has also announced plans to honor him during the World Series. After retiring as a player, Valenzuela joined the Dodgers’ Spanish-language broadcast team in 2003 but recently stepped away due to health issues.
The tribute to Valenzuela during the World Series serves as a fitting way to honor his contributions to the Dodgers and the sport of baseball as a whole.
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