A Legacy Like No Other:-
Everyone who remembers that season or knew who Fernando Valena was during his daughter’s years they’re always going to remember him I’m talking about as iconic as Kobe as iconic as magic Fernando is in that Pantheon when Mr walali came to Los Angeles he used to tell us Hae when are you going to find and give us a Mexican Sandy goofa and I used to tell Mr Mar it’s impossible to find another kofx a minor leager most of last year he’s now hailed as the second coming of Sandy kofax at age 20 like Jackie Robinson
Fernando broke a glass ceiling.
Breaking Barriers for Immigrants:-
An immigrant like many of the members of our families he’s not just a a symbol to the Latino Community but he’s a great pitcher Fernando Valenzuela is going to be remembered as one of the most consequential athletes in Southern California Sports history he helped change the way Dodger stadium looks he helped change the way baseball looks Fernando vanuel was the most popular Dodger ever he wasn’t on paper their greatest pitcher but he was in person their greatest Ambassador their greatest connection their greatest link he brought the Mexican-American Community back to shers Ravine all of a sudden Along Comes Fernando right out of the blue just changed everything when Fernando hit it was just like oh my God here he is man here’s a meico .
Transforming Dodger Stadium:-
Everybody loves a hero everybody wants to have a hero Willie May Hank Aaron I mean everybody wants to be the fan of somebody uh and especially if he’s of your your your racial uh background my God you know V it was just an abundance of Pride and a and a sense of feeling like he was part of your family when Fernando was pitching was sell out it became you had to go to the game and and and literally when the police would stop you if Fernando was playing they wouldn’t say what are you doing they go why aren’t you at the park you know because you were doing something wrong if you weren’t at the baseball park.
Historic Achievements:-
A man who Not only was a World Series champion twice not only the sa Young Award winner not just a rookie of the year but for that magical season of 1981 .He was one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time that magical stretch where he was just mowing them down and the fact that he was a pudgy Mexican immigrant and that that also adds to his Mystique he was you know he wasn’t a skinny guy he wasn’t a strong guy there’s something I think about always about sports that has a character who is subversive right he’s going to flip the whole script on what you’ve known or what you believe this sport to be and this one seems more extreme because he’s not tall he’s not blonde he’s not you know he’s not Steve Garvey.
A Symbol of Pride:-
He was chubby and you know in in Spanish we say gorito he was a chubby guy and and the people could relate to him I mean he wasn’t cut up you know and you know weightlifter athletes body he was a gordito just just like everybody else in in East LA he was a symbol of what La could be at a time in the early 80s and La wasn’t sure what it could be Fernando Valenzuela was born in 1960 in the small town of eaka Sonora Mexico he was the youngest of 12 children and inherited a love of baseball from his father avalino a farmer Mike breedo uh had talked about it a lot that someday someday we’re going to have a great player from Mexico his enthusiasm made an impression on all of us in the organization that we must do everything possible to sign Fernando .
Changing Perceptions in Baseball:-
Cannot overemphasize how much of a mythical figure he became especially for Mexican Americans I mean I Me growing up all of our uncles wanted us male cousins to be like f do the whole pitch do that do all of that of course none of us were going to do it cuz no one could do it I know that ladies especially mothers and and and grandmothers started praying and and praying the rosary because Fernando was was preaching that day so uh he became God really in Southern California it was unbelievable when Fernando was with us uh he’s never gotten the credit that he deserves for the impact he made on baseball not just just on the Dodger organization but on Mexican baseball Bas international baseball the community.
Uniting a Diverse Community:-
I’m talking about a fundamental shift in how people viewed the Dodgers in how Southern Californians viewed themselves as especially Latinos we were no longer going to be you know bench players players that are like uh you know token players we were going to be the Stars we going to be the face of Southern California and Fernando really was that first Latino to be able to assume assume that role and that’s all because of his pitching with the Dodgers you can’t overestimate the impact he has the Dodgers would not be the Dodgers.
A Hero for Generations:-
Today without Fernando Venezuela there would not be the diverse community connected City they wouldn’t be our team unless it was first Fernando’s team here’s this guy from Mexico historically the United States has not looked kindly upon immigrants especially in Southern California and everyone loved him everyone was wanting a piece of Fernando wanting to know more about him everyone for once wanted to cheer a Mexican I believe that Fernando will always be a hero to the Mexican American Community people love him it’s an LA Story I honestly believe that it’s part of the history of Los Angeles that’s the impact that he had not just on the Latino Community you know but on Los Angeles when he came in he was like the guy he was La he he was the Dodgers he’ll be sorely missed Dodgers.