One of the greatest pitchers inLos Angeles Dodgershistory was honored Friday night at Dodger Stadium before the game.
The Dodgers retiredFernando Valenzuelas No.
34 jersey, the culminating event in the city council declaration of Fernando Valenzuela Day.
Fernando Valenzuela in 2022Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
I never expected it.
A drone show honoring Valenzuela is expected after the game against the Colorado Rockies.
Tommy Lasorda came up to me and said, Are you ready to pitch tomorrow?
I said, Im ready,' Valenzuela recalled.
Thats what I was looking for, the opportunity to show what I can do.
Valenzuelas signature pitch was the screwball, taught to him by teammate Bobby Castillo in 1979.
Beyond the diamond, he had a huge cultural impact.
He pitched for the team from 1980-90.
He retired in 1997.
Valenzuela is the color commentator on the Spanish-language broadcasts for its SportsNet LA cable channel.
His career marks as a Dodger still put him among the team leaders.
During his stint, he had 141 wins, 1,759 strikeouts, 320 starts, and 107 complete games.
He also had 29 shutouts.
Valenzuela became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2015.
