Carlos Santana and his spouse Susannah stood exterior of the Cathedral of our Girl of Angels in downtown Los Angeles, gazing on the casket of Fernando Valenzuela, the beloved Mexican-born pitcher for the Dodgers.
Santana and his spouse watched as Valenzuela’s household made their method contained in the cathedral, adopted by the pallbearers who helped transfer the pitcher’s casket adorned with white roses contained in the constructing.
“I’m saddened,” Santana, 72, stated as he made his method in. “I know we’re going to go at one point or another, but I think he left us a little too early.”
“I’m very hurt to see him go,” his spouse stated. “He was a great man, a great baseball player and he meant a lot to Los Angeles and to our people.”
The couple had traveled from Van Nuys to Los Angeles Wednesday morning, becoming a member of dozens of Dodgers followers — younger and previous — to attend a public funeral mass for Valenzuela, who died of an undisclosed sickness on Oct. 22 at age 63.
Dodgers followers have been mourning his dying and celebrating the lifetime of the legendary pitcher who meant a lot to Angelenos, particularly within the Latino group. An off-the-cuff memorial was created exterior of Dodger Stadium after his dying, the place individuals positioned blue-and-white floral preparations and propped up his No. 34 jersey. The Dodgers, who retired his quantity in 2023, honored his reminiscence earlier than Recreation 1 of the World Sequence three days after he died.
On Wednesday morning, followers wearing black, some wearing Dodgers jerseys, strolled quietly into the cathedral because the Mariachi Sol de Mexico sang Tercer Cielo’s “Yo Te Extrañaré” (I Will Miss You).
On the entrance of the cathedral, pallbearers positioned the casket subsequent to a big picture of a smiling Valenzuela. Within the entrance pews, the Valenzuela household — together with sons, daughters and grandchildren — sat collectively. Throughout from them had been a few of Valenzuela’s former teammates and associates.
The general public funeral service started with a studying by Valenzuela’s two granddaughters.
Rev. James Anguiano, moderator of the Curia and Vicar Common of the Archdioceses of Los Angeles, delivered a homily in Spanish and English.
“Today I wanted to wear my number 34 jersey, but I don’t think I could fit under what I’m wearing,” Anguiano stated.
He stated Valenzuela was recognized and honored for the individual that he was on the mound, but in addition for a lot extra.
“We are all very aware of the great baseball player that Fernando was. We are aware of the difference he made in the sport and even though we know the great statistics of him as a pitcher, there was another side to him: he was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a mentor, a leader.” he stated. “These things are the unwritten statistics that made Fernando the person, the human being, the man that he was.”
Valenzuela’s son, Fernando Valenzuela Jr. and his former teammate and pal, Mike Scioscia learn eulogies.
“Es un día difícil para los amigos y teammates de Fernando, pero más para la familia de Fernando,” Scioscia stated in damaged Spanish. “It’s a difficult day for the friends and teammates of Fernando, but more so for Fernando’s family.”
The funeral mass of Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela on the Cathedral of Our Girl of the Angels.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Instances)
He stated Valenzuela was a humble and gracious man who was not solely an incredible pitcher however he had the guts of a lion.
“Every time he took the mound he did so 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,” he stated. “Fernando was humble in victories and very gracious in his defeats.”
He additionally spoke of Valenzuela’s humorousness and shared a reminiscence of when Valenzuela would lasso individuals’s ft within the locker room. However what introduced chuckles from these in attendance was a cellphone name Scioscia bought from his spouse lately. She instructed him the TVs had been transmitting in Spanish.
“Honey, I said, you know who that is? That’s Fernando” Scioscia recalled telling her. “I said a prayer: Fernando, por favor, no-no-no me molestes, yo tengo miedo. Wait until we get up there and we’ll joke around, but don’t mess around with my house. I was scared.”
He stated he took it as an indication that Valenzuela was doing effectively and that he was celebrating the Dodgers’ World Sequence championship.
Fernando Valenzuela Jr. delivers an emotional, heartfelt eulogy of his father Fernando Valenzuela on the Cathedral of Our Girl of the Angels.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Instances)
When Fernando Valenzuela Jr. stood on the picket podium, he spoke solely in Spanish, making an attempt to carry again tears.
“He was one of the most important people in my life,” he stated. “I want to thank everyone on behalf of the Valenzuela family for being here today.”
He thanked the Dodgers for retiring his father’s jersey, for the casual memorial that followers had arrange. He described his father as a respectful and humble man who like to assist individuals and by no means stated no to a fan who needed a photograph with him or to talk to him.
“That was my father,” he stated.
He stated in one of many final conversations along with his father, he requested him to remain put and never depart as a result of he was a giant a part of his life and he nonetheless wanted recommendation from his father.
“He told me: ‘you know plenty,’” he stated. “And that’s something that I’ll carry with me that he was certain and believed that I knew enough to continue to learn from him.
“I want to be a good man, a good father and a good son like he was. I want to be like Fernando Valenzuela.”
