Tribute to ‘Toro’ in World Series

In baseball, 34 has a historical meaning, it is the number that Mexican Fernando wore on his shirt. Tour Valenzuela every time he took the mound and defeated his rivals with the controversial and amazing corkscrew technique. Now, the Los Angeles Dodgers will pay tribute to the Sonoran before the start of the World Series against the New York Yankees, by resuming the value of that emblematic figure that dates back to the Fernandomania.

The Dodgers players will wear a patch with that number 34 on their uniforms during the Fall Classic in honor of Valenzuela, a historic star of the Major League Baseball (MLB) who died on Tuesday at the age of 63.

The circular emblem will be on the sleeves of the shirts with a white outline, surrounded by a black background and a blue outline. The name Fernando It will be stamped in white capital letters over the number of the legendary player.

Valenzuela left the town of Etchohuaquila, Sonora, to become the best Mexican pitcher in the Major Leagues with the Dodgers jersey. At just 20 years old, he surprised by leading the team to win the 1981 World Series by defeating New York.

It was then when the Mexican baseball player, who had arrived a year earlier as a total unknown, became an idol and unleashed the call Fernandomania by winning the National League rookie of the year and Cy Young awards.

In addition, he was selected to the All-Star Game six times and won a second World Series title in 1988, a season in which he only managed to win five games due to injury, but he was already an established element.

Valenzuela’s bond with the Los Angeles franchise endured even after his retirement, when he agreed to experiment in a new position off the field, being a commentator for the team from 2003 until just a few weeks ago, when his health began to deteriorate.

It came to have such value The Bull Valenzuela for the Dodgers, who retired the emblematic number 34 from the current roster in August 2023 in recognition of the Mexican’s exploits.

Now, that number will return to the team’s jerseys and once again it will be to evoke the sporting legacy of Valenzuela, who attracted thousands of fans from the United States, Mexico and other nationalities for his potential as a pitcher.

Nostalgia at the friend’s farewell

Fernando Valenzuela was my friend, I felt like an older brother, he was an incredible player. He was a very important person for me. Now I miss himsaid the American Dave Roberts, manager of the Dodgers, in Spanish that, although it sounded rushed, also conveyed a feeling of nostalgia and admiration for the Mexican.

The halo of Fernandomania It extends to new generations and players with whom even Valenzuela himself could now have had a sporting rivalry.

“He launched when I wasn’t born yet, but he was one of the pitchers with greater history; “He laid the foundation for many Latinos in the organization and in the world of baseball, it is sad that he passed away, but we are happy for his career, we will remember him with great encouragement,” said Venezuelan Gleyber Torres, a member of the Yankees, who will face from this Friday to the Dodgers.

In the Californian streets this euphoria for Valenzuela’s exploits also seems to resurface with new urban works, classic recognition for sports idols.

As a sign of that admiration, local graphic artists Louie Palestino and Efraín Esparza created a mural in North Hollywood with Valenzuela’s face and his cap from the Los Angeles franchise. The work is added to that also carried out by Robert Vargas, an artist of Mexican descent, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, which is located near Dodger Stadium.

The resurgence of the Fernandomania It will reach its climax today at the start of the World Series when the Dodgers, now led by Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, host the Yankees. An episode that inevitably puts the historical name of Fernando Valenzuela on stage.

With Ap and Afp information