The Los Angeles Dodgers will celebrate Mexican legend and baseball icon Fernando Valenzuela over the weekend with a three-day “Fernandomania” starting on Friday, August 11. They will also honor Valenzuela by retiring his number 34, an event previously only done for MLB players who were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
On Friday, Valenzuela will also be at City Hall, and Los Angeles City Council is issuing a special proclamation, declaring August 11 as “Fernando Valenzuela Day.”
When the Dodgers host the visiting Colorado Rockies on Friday, Dodger Stadium is also having a Ring of Honor ceremony as well as a drone show that celebrates Valenzuela’s career and impact on the city of Los Angeles, the Dodgers organization, and Latino culture. On Saturday, the first 40,000 fans in attendance will also receive a commemorative Valenzuela bobblehead and on Sunday, a replica 1981 World Series ring.
Valenzuela spoke with humility on having his number retired amongst Dodger Hall of Famers.
“To be a part of the group that includes so many legends is a great honor,” Valenzuela said when the planned retirement of his number was announced in February 2023. “But also for the fans — the support they’ve given me as a player and working for the Dodgers, this is also for them. I’m happy for all the fans and all the people who have followed my career. They’re going to be very excited to know that my No. 34 is being retired.”
Fernando Valenzuela took the baseball world by storm in 1981 with his meteoric rise poetically referred to as “Fernandomania.” He won two World Series with the Dodgers and is still the only player in MLB history to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in the same season. And his influence within the Dodgers fandom and beyond can not be understated.