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 be on jersey sleeves with the late pitcher's No.
34 in Dodger blue with a white outline, surrounded by a black background and a blue outline. “FERNANDO” is in white capital letters above the number. A moment of silence will be observed before the Series opener on Friday at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers ordered a 52-by-52-feet (15.9-by-15.9 meter) mural of Valenzuela on Wednesday and a day later it had been painted on a wall in left field as fans enter the ballpark.
The mural depicts Valenzuela’s unorthodox windup with his eyes skyward, the celebratory hug with catcher Mike Scioscia after his 1990 no-hitter and him wearing 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 such a presence for such a long period of time on and off the field.” Valenzuela, the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award winner, died at age 63 on Tuesday , one day shy of 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 sea.