Dodgers to honor Valenzuela with No. 34 uniform patch during World Series and 2025 season
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 seasons, including 141-116 with the Dodgers from 1980-90. His flamboyant presence triggered “Fernandomania” among fans, and he worked for the team as a broadcaster from 2003 through 2024.
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AP freelance writer Jill Painter Lopez contributed to this report.
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