The most beloved Dodger be remembered in a funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles
A public funeral Mass will be held Wednesday for legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died Oct. 22 at age 63.
The Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, with an entry procession set to begin at 9:45 a.m.
According to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Mass will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited space inside the cathedral. A public viewing area will be available on the Cathedral Plaza, also with limited capacity. The Mass will also be live-streamed on olacathedral.org/fernando34.
Archdiocese officials urged anyone hoping to attend to take public transportation or ride-hailing services, since there will be no public parking available in the cathedral parking structure.
A cause of death for Valenzuela has not been disclosed. He was a Spanish-language broadcaster for the team, but he stepped away from the mic in late September for undisclosed health reasons. The team announced in early October that he would sit out the rest of the season.
Born in Navojoa, Mexico, Valenzuela was the youngest of 12 children. The Dodgers purchased Valenzuela’s contract from Leones de Yucatan of the Mexican League on July 6, 1979, and assigned him to their Class-A California League affiliate in Lodi.
Valenzuela was taught to throw his famed screwball by Dodgers pitcher Bobby Castillo following the 1979 season. Armed with the new pitch, Valenzuela led the Texas League in strikeouts in 1980.
Valenzuela made his major league debut at age 19 with the Dodgers on Sept. 15, 1980, throwing 17 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run for the remainder of the season.
His memory was honored throughout the Dodgers’ World Series run this season, with a flowered cross placed next to his retired number 34 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers’ championship parade and stadium celebration were held Friday on what would have been Valenzuela’s 64th birthday.
A six-story mural of Valenzuela was unveiled Sunday in Boyle Heights.
Valenzuela is survived by his wife Linda and four children, Fernando Jr., Ricardo, Linda and Maria Fernanda, and seven grandchildren.
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