What to Know
- A funeral mass for Fernando Valenzuela was held Wednesday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA.
- The funeral mass was open to the public, but seating was limited.
- The memorial comes just days after what would have been the pitcher's 64th birthday on a day to remember for the Dodgers and their fans.
A beloved Dodgers legend who inspired a nationwide phenomenon and captured the hearts of generations of fans was remembered Wednesday at a memorial service in downtown Los Angeles.
The service for Fernando Valenzuela, who died in October at age 63, was at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Former Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia was among those paying tribute to his former teammate, saying Valenzuela always gave maximum effort.
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"Everybody knows he was a one-of-a-kind talent, tremendous pitcher, had the heart of a lion," Scioscia said. "You couldn't get him out of the game. And every time he took the mound, he was taking it for his faith, his family, his team and his country. And he held that burden from the first time he pitched in the major leagues until the last time.
"I can't tell you how blessed we were to experience what he was as a 20-year-old coming up and doing things that we've never seen done by such a young pitcher. "Fernando was always humble in victories and very gracious in his defeats, and I think by him living that, it was a real inspiration to us. And those leadership qualities really took off."
The memorial was just days after what would have been the pitcher's 64th birthday, which fell on the same day that Dodgers fans and the team celebrated the 2024 World Series title with a parade in downtown Los Angeles and an event at Dodger Stadium.
Fans lined the World Series victory parade route to cheer Freddie Freeman, Shoheo Ohtani, Mookie Betts and other Dodgers, but Valenzuela's presence was there among the estimated 200,000 people in downtown Los Angeles. Fans at the parade held signs and wore No. 34 jerseys in honor of the man who sparked the nationwide "Fernandomania" craze with a rookie season for the ages.
Inside Dodger Stadium, fans gathered for a midday celebration sang "Happy Birthday." That evening, Los Angeles City Hall was lit up in blue to represent the Dodgers and red, white and green to celebrate the Mexico-born Valenzuela on what is now Fernando Valenzuela Day in Los Angeles.
On Vin Scully Drive at the entrance to Dodger Stadium, fans have added flowers, candles, photos and more to a memorial in front of a sign at the entrance to the property ever since news of Valenzuela's death.
Thinking of you today on your birthday, Fernando. 💙 pic.twitter.com/m3b32hqhRS
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 1, 2024
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.
But his influence is not solely measured by statistics. He won his first eight games in the 1981 season, pitching a shutout in five. That success led to the "Fernandomania" craze and continued in the postseason, when Valenzuela and the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in the World Series. Valenzuela was also on the Dodger team that won the World Series in 1988 over the Oakland As.
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.
Photos: A look back at Fernando Valenzuela's Dodger career
Last year, the City of LA issued a proclamation declaring Aug. 11 as "Fernando Valenzuela Day." The six-time All-Star's No. 34 jersey was retired by the team that same year.
After leaving the Dodgers following the 1990 season, the left-hander with the high leg kick pitched for the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.
A cause of death for Valenzuela has not been disclosed.
