In honor of the late Fernando Valenzuela, the city of Los Angeles unveiled a six-story mural in Boyle Heights paying tribute to the legendary Dodger's enduring legacy as a champion.
City Councilman Kevin de León, who represents the 14th Council District, encompassing downtown and northeast L.A. neighborhoods, hosted a news conference to highlight the mural.
L.A. artist Robert Vargas joined the councilman and discussed his artwork, which captures the "spirit and pride Valenzuela brought to the Dodgers and to the city," according to de León's office.
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, former Dodger Spanish-language announcer Jaime Jarrín and actor Edward James Olmos also attended.
"I'm here to say that [Valenzuela] deserves all of our love and all of our passion," said Olmos. "He was the single most important factor for the Latinos to say 'I wanna go see Fernando.'"
"This mural is all about representation," said artist Vargas. "As an artist, we have an opportunity and responsibility to bridge these cultures... Bringing people together is what it's all about. I hope I did right by Fernando Valenzuela's family."
The mural can be viewed at First Street at the Hollywood (101) Freeway entrance, which de Leon previously described as a fitting location that "represents the heart of the community Valenzuela inspired throughout his career."
The City Council recently approved a resolution marking Nov. 1 as "Fernando Valenzuela Day," in honor of his birthday. Valenzuela, who died on Oct. 22, would have turned 64.
De León presented the resolution on Oct. 23 with support from several of his colleagues.
On Friday night, Nov. 1, the lights on Los Angeles City Hall were in Dodgers blue and Mexico's colors of green, white and red in his honor.
Valenzuela joined the Dodgers in 1980, and inspired what became known as "Fernandomania" the following year. In his first years, he was awarded the National League Rookie of the Year Award and the Cy Young Award.
He was also named to six All-Star teams, threw a no-hitter in 1990 and won a Gold Glove Award in his career.
"Fernando's contributions to the game of baseball were matched only by his contributions to the city of Los Angeles, where he remains an icon of perseverance, humility, and cultural pride, helping to elevate the visibility of the Latino community and a beacon for future generations of diverse backgrounds," the city resolution said.
