Los Angeles Dodgers to Honor Fernando Valenzuela with Special Patch During World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to honor franchise great Fernando Valenzuela.

The team will honor the late Mexican-American professional baseball pitcher with a jersey patch in the World Series and during the 2025 season.

Fernando Valenzuela,The Dodgers unveiled the patch on Thursday — a circular design with a black background, his name in white and a large No. 34 in Dodger Blue.

Valenzuela, who sparked a fan phenomenon known as “Fernandomania” as a rookie and became a Dodgers legend, died Tuesday evening at age 63.

No cause of death was given.

Valenzuela pitched for the Dodgers from 1980 to 1990, then had stints with the Los Angeles Angels (1991), Baltimore Orioles (1993), Philadelphia Phillies (1994), San Diego Padres (1995-97) and St. Louis Cardinals (1997).

Fernando Valenzuela World Series PatchHe finished with a 173-153 record, a 3.54 ERA and 2,074 strikeouts in 2,930 innings over 453 games (424 starts).

He riveted Southern California in 1981, when as a 20-year-old from Mexico he went 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts, throwing 11 complete games — eight of them shutouts — to win both Rookie of the Year and the National League Cy Young Award.

The Dodgers won the World Series against the New York Yankees that season — their opponent in this year’s World Series — and Valenzuela was 3-1 with a 2.21 ERA in five starts in that postseason.

After pitching in the majors for 17 seasons, Valenzuela served as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the Dodgers, starting in 2003. He had stepped away from his broadcasting duties before the start of these playoffs to “focus on his health,” the team said.

Cardinals Pitcher Garcia Making World Series History…

Pitcher Jaime García will become the first Mexican hurler in 30 years to start a World Series game tonight when his St. Louis Cardinals take on the Texas Rangers in Game 2.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela—who touched off the “Fernandomania” craze in Mexico and the U.S. in the early ‘80s with his youthful charm, diabolical screwball pitch and strong connection to the Latino community—was the last Mexican pitcher to start a game on baseball’s biggest stage on October 23, 1981 in Game 3 against the New York Yankees.

“That’s really exciting. Really feel very proud because of that,” the 25-year-old García, who was born in Reynosa, Mexico and raised in South Texas, told reporters during a pregame media session this week. “I’m thrilled to hear that, and I’m going to go out there and represent the team, my family and not only my hometown but the whole country of Mexico.”

“I know they’ve been really good, watching me the whole year in these playoffs, and I’m really proud of that,” he added.

Cardinals’ manager Tony LaRussa has complete faith in his young pitcher, especially after his team beat the Rangers 3-2 in the series opener on Wednesday night.

“In the two years he’s been with us, not only is he a very talented pitcher, but he’s pitched very well,” says LaRussa, who’s team signed García to a four-year, $27.5 million contract, plus club options for 2016 and 2017, earlier this year. “You have to remember that he is young, and there are times when he has an issue that he’s learning how to make the adjustments; two or three years from now, he’s going to get better and better.”

Even though Garcia has a ways to go before drawing comparisons to the legendary Valenzuela—who won 173 games over 15 Major League seasons—he can probably count on the same type of support from south of the border, St. Louis and beyond as he makes history tonight!