The Dodgers will retire jersey No. 34 Friday night during a pregame ceremony to honor pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, one of the franchise's most beloved and popular players of all time.
The Dodger Stadium ceremony will be part of a "Fernandomania" weekend of celebrations around the left-handed legend, who was a member of two World Series title teams and winner of the 1981 Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards.
The No. 34 will be the 12th retired Dodgers jersey number.
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“To be a part of the group that includes so many legends is a great honor,” Valenzuela said in a release. “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.”
Earlier Friday, the six-time All-Star during his 11 years with the Dodgers from 1980-90 will be at Los Angeles City Hall where the city will issue a special proclamation and declare Aug. 11, 2023, as "Fernando Valenzuela Day."
The pregame ceremony on Friday night will start with a Ring of Honor event featuring several guests. Then, after the Dodgers take on the Colorado Rockies, there will be a drone show celebrating Valenzuela’s career.
The festivities continue at Saturday's game where the first 40,000 fans will receive a collector’s edition Valenzuela bobblehead. The giveaway item for Sunday's game is a replica Valenzuela 1981 World Series ring.
“I am incredibly happy that number 34 for the Los Angeles Dodgers will be retired forever,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. “The one question that I continuously get asked, more than anything else, is about retiring Fernando Valenzuela’s number. The citywide call by our fans to honor him is truly remarkable. What he accomplished during his playing career, not only on the field but in the community, is extraordinary. He truly lit up the imaginations of baseball fans everywhere. It’s hard to envision a player having a greater impact on a fan base than the one Fernando has had.”
Valenzuela is among the Dodgers' all-time franchise leaders in several categories, ranking fourth in complete games (107), fifth in strikeouts (1,759) and sixth in wins (141). He's the only player in major league history to the win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award in the same season, doing so in the Dodgers' 1981 World Series campaign.
Valenzuela's 17-year big league career ended in 1997 following stints in Anaheim, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis. He retired as the all-time leader in wins (173) and strikeouts (2,074) among Mexican-born major leaguers.
The Navajoa, Mexico, native is a member of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame and the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame. His No. 34 has also been retired by the Mexican Baseball League.
Since 2003, Valenzuela has worked for the Dodgers organization as a Spanish-language broadcaster.
“[Valenzuela] created more baseball fans, and Dodger fans, than any other player,” former Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín said. “Thanks to this kid, people fell in love with baseball. Especially within the Mexican community.”
