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 nan 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 nan Mexican-born Valenzuela, who gave commencement to 'Fernandomania' successful nan early 1980s.

'He inspired countless young shot players — successful America, Mexico, and crossed nan world — to prosecute their ain greatness. As a player, broadcaster, and Angelino, Fernando Valenzuela near an indelible people connected our nation,' added nan 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 nan World Series. In consequence 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 statement nether a motion welcoming fans to Dodger Stadium. Then she pulled retired a foil-wrapped burrito and rested it against nan post.

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

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

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

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

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

The group often performs astatine Dodger games and was gathered for a scheduled tv question and reply up of nan World Series against nan New York Yankees. They stuck astir to salary their philharmonic respects to nan man nicknamed 'El Toro.'

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

On nan near area of nan blue-and-white motion hung a ample sombrero and a colorful serape. Mendez had added achromatic butterfly wings supra nan 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 nan increasing memorial extracurricular nan closed stadium. She carried a souvenir thoroughfare motion that she and her begetter had written connected and planned to leave.

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

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

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

Gomez had a chance to shingle hands pinch Valenzuela a mates times complete nan years.

'He was really cool, a bully guy,' he said. 'When you're famous, that's nan measurement to be, for illustration Fernando's way.'

Fans had been gathering extracurricular nan stadium since nan sad news collapsed precocious Tuesday.

Marcello Ambriz showed disconnected a photograph of him arsenic a 2-year-old pinch nan pitcher.

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

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

'There's a batch of very sad sentiments astir that,' Ambriz said. 'Fernando was capable to someway mend that. Obviously coming there's a batch of group 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 merge that.'

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

'There's nary logic to beryllium sad because he unrecorded ever everlastingly successful our hearts,' Mendez said. 'He accomplished nan American dream, much than nan American dream really.'