Kamala Harris mourns Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela and praises Mexican hero's 'indelible mark' on US

Vice President Kamala Harris is starring tributes to Fernando Valenzuela aft the legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher died astatine 63 connected Tuesday.

'Fernando Valenzuela was a shot fable who agreed a procreation of Dodgers fans successful corporate joy, excitement, and awe,' she said of the Mexican-born Valenzuela, who gave commencement to 'Fernandomania' successful the aboriginal 1980s.

'He inspired countless young shot players — successful America, Mexico, and crossed the satellite — to prosecute their ain greatness. As a player, broadcaster, and Angelino, Fernando Valenzuela near an indelible people connected our nation,' added the Democratic Presidential nominee.

In closing, Harris sent 'prayers to his wife, Linda, arsenic good arsenic their children and grandchildren' from herself and her husband, Doug Emhoff.

The mourning for Valenzuela has travel astatine a clip erstwhile his beloved Dodgers are returning to the World Series. In effect to his passing, galore observers of Fernandomania person been grieving successful a assortment of ways astatine Dodger Stadium. 

Julia Mendez cautiously positioned 3 candles successful a enactment nether a motion welcoming fans to Dodger Stadium. Then she pulled retired a foil-wrapped burrito and rested it against the post.

'I cognize helium ate a burrito each his life,' said the 70-year-old instrumentality from North Hollywood who had stuffed the flour tortilla with nopales and scrambled eggs successful her kitchen.

The metropolis of Los Angeles was mourning Wednesday for Mexican-born Valenzuela , the Dodgers pitcher who inspired 'Fernandomania' with his unsocial transportation and ascendant pitching performances successful the aboriginal 1980s.

'I came present to the United States successful 1976. He came successful 1979. That's erstwhile each my pridefulness and joyousness began,' said Mendez, from the aforesaid Mexican authorities of Sonora arsenic Valenzuela. 'He enactment our names truthful precocious astir the world, each the assemblage became fans. My emotion for truthful galore years.'

Valenzuela's emergence from humble beginnings arsenic the youngest of 12 children successful Mexico and his feats connected the mound made him hugely fashionable and influential successful Los Angeles' Latino assemblage portion helping pull caller fans to Major League Baseball. Their fondness for him continued aft his retirement.

Across the intersection, the ensemble Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar played their guitars and trumpets.

The radical often performs astatine Dodger games and was gathered for a scheduled tv interrogation up of the World Series against the New York Yankees. They stuck astir to wage their philharmonic respects to the antheral nicknamed 'El Toro.'

Major League Baseball and the Dodgers were moving connected a program to grant Valenzuela earlier Friday's Game 1 of the World Series .

On the near country of the blue-and-white motion hung a ample sombrero and a colorful serape. Mendez had added achromatic butterfly wings supra the 2nd `D' successful Dodger. The motion was a likewise affectional gathering spot successful 2022 erstwhile Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully died astatine 94.

Henry Gomez of Gardena brought his 6-year-old daughter, Tianna, to the increasing memorial extracurricular the closed stadium. She carried a souvenir thoroughfare motion that she and her begetter had written connected and planned to leave.

'He's 1 of the Hispanic idols for us,' the elder Gomez said. 'He opened a batch of doors for a batch of radical down him. We're arrogant from that.'

In the Boyle Heights vicinity not acold from the stadium, Robert Vargas was engaged coating a mural of Valenzuela connected the broadside of a building. The creator of Mexican descent is known for his large-scale works astatine outdoor locations astir the world. His mural of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani connected the broadside of a Little Tokyo edifice has go a tourer attraction.

Back astatine the stadium, 3 men stood successful the shadiness swapping stories astir Valenzuela's exploits connected the mound.

Gomez had a accidental to shingle hands with Valenzuela a mates times implicit the years.

'He was truly cool, a bully guy,' helium said. 'When you're famous, that's the mode to be, similar Fernando's way.'

Fans had been gathering extracurricular the stadium since the bittersweet quality broke precocious Tuesday.

Marcello Ambriz showed disconnected a photograph of him arsenic a 2-year-old with the pitcher.

'Mexicans wouldn't beryllium Dodger fans without Fernando,' helium said.

The onshore connected which Dodger Stadium sits was purchased from Spanish-speaking homeowners successful the aboriginal 1950s by the metropolis of Los Angeles. Initially, they refused to merchantability and the metropolis utilized eminent domain to get the spot from the tight-knit Mexican-American families, galore of whom lived determination aft being discriminated against successful different parts of the city.

'There's a batch of precise bittersweet sentiments astir that,' Ambriz said. 'Fernando was capable to someway mend that. Obviously contiguous there's a batch of radical who are wounded and can't fto that go, and that's understandable, but Fernando's beingness and him being from Mexico was capable to unite that.'

Valenzuela would person turned 64 connected November 1, erstwhile the Dodgers could perchance big Game 6 of the World Series. Next Friday is besides Dia de los Muertos, oregon Day of the Dead, successful Mexican civilization erstwhile deceased loved ones are honored.

'There's nary crushed to beryllium bittersweet due to the fact that helium unrecorded ever everlastingly successful our hearts,' Mendez said. 'He accomplished the American dream, much than the American imagination really.'