LA actor recalls Fernando Valenzuela's impact on Dodgers culture after stadium forced mass evictions on locals

Sixty-two-year-old Dodger Stadium will big nan World Series starting connected Friday, but it will beryllium a bittersweet time for fans, hosting nan first Dodger crippled since nan decease of franchise icon Fernando Valenzuela.

Valenzuela died connected Tuesday successful Los Angeles astatine nan property of conscionable 62. As a six-time All Star and World Series champion pinch the Dodgers successful 1981, Valenzuela was besides a taste icon to nan section Los Angeles-based Dodger fans, who embraced nan squad aft it moved from Brooklyn successful 1958. 

Hollywood character Danny Trejo, a lifelong Los Angeles local, remembers nan time nan Dodgers came to his hometown. He was conscionable 14 years aged erstwhile they began their inaugural play successful nan City of Angels. He remembers nan grueling and arguable process that sewage nan franchise its $23 cardinal stadium built successful nan Chavez Ravine.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

A composite image of Dodgers Stadium (proposed), connected March 13, 1958. (Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)

"When nan Dodgers first came to L.A. location was a large contention astir them moving group out," Trejo told Fox News Digital successful an exclusive interview. 

The onshore utilized for Dodger Stadium successful nan 1950s had antecedently been seized from section owners and inhabitants successful nan early 1950s by nan city of Los Angeles, utilizing eminent domain pinch costs from nan national Housing Act of 1949. 

It meant that immoderate of nan section residents who lived location had to judge a payout from nan metropolis to time off their property. Eminent domain gave nan metropolis nan powerfulness to return backstage spot for nationalist use. It is simply a correct that is only reserved by nan government, arsenic it does not see nan powerfulness to return and transportation ownership of backstage spot from 1 spot proprietor to another. 

"They paid everybody, but a batch of group conscionable didn't want to move," Trejo said. "And it was like, a batch of shacks up there. I utilized to tally astir up location erstwhile I was a kid. So erstwhile they started building nan stadium, we started cutting schoolhouse and going up location to watch them build it."

On Friday, May 8, 1959, bulldozers and sheriff's deputies showed up to forcibly evict nan past fewer families successful Chavez Ravine. Residents of nan area called it Black Friday. Some families moreover had their doors kicked down, and their furnishings was forcibly hauled out. 

Chavez Ravine evictions connected May 8, 1959 successful Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)

Many of nan affected group successful that organization were Mexican Americans. 

Trejo said he did not person immoderate friends who lived successful nan area who were forced to relocate. 

Chavez Ravine evictions successful Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)

Trejo recalled a wide migration of incoming workers from different parts of nan country, enticed by nan business of nan Los Angeles Dodgers. 

"A batch of group from for illustration Georgia and Wisconsin… there's a batch of group that migrated," Trejo said. "There'd beryllium astir 30 kids [that moved there] from different schools that had trim schoolhouse and get up location to watch them activity and build nan stadium." 

Photograph of a crowd gathered for nan caller Dodgers Stadium ground-breaking ceremonial successful Chavez Ravine successful Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)

'MACHETE' ACTOR DANNY TREJO IN NASTY JULY 4TH BRAWL AFTER BEING HIT BY WATER BALLOON

Then, complete nan people of nan franchise's first 21 years successful Los Angeles, nan squad went to 7 World Series, winning 3 of them, arsenic Dodger Stadium quickly became 1 of nan hottest tickets successful Los Angeles. 

However, erstwhile Valenzuela arrived successful 1980, he famously grew nan Dodger instrumentality guidelines among nan region's Latin American population, arsenic nan prima pitcher was calved and raised successful Mexico. 

"Fernando was credited pinch bringing a batch of nan Latinos back," Trejo said. "My older relatives would watch shot astatine location until Fernando came in… they instantly started buying tickets and stuff."

Reggie Jackson, right, and Fernando Valenzuela pregame earlier crippled of Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels connected April 6, 1986 successful Anaheim, California. (Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

Valenzuela garnered specified a passionate pursuing from L.A.'s latino population, that Trejo said he would often get comments from constabulary officers connected days erstwhile Valenzuel was pitching.

"If you were successful eastbound L.A. and Fernando was pitching, nan cops would inquire you, ‘Hey, really travel you’re not astatine nan stadium?'" Trejo said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Valenzuela helped lead nan Dodgers to their first World Series title successful 16 years erstwhile they defeated nan New York Yankees successful 1981. He remains nan only pitcher successful MLB history to triumph nan Cy Young and Rookie of nan Year awards successful nan aforesaid season. The left-hander was nan National League’s starting pitcher successful nan All-Star Game successful 1981. 

Los Angeles Dodgers' left-handed pitcher Fernando Valenzuela prepares to transportation nan shot during a shot game. (Getty Images)

Valenzuela enjoyed his breakout twelvemonth successful 1981, erstwhile "Fernandomania" made him a metropolis icon. Trejo recounts images of 8-year-old girls wearing Valenzuela hats and jerseys, and "aubelitas" who would spell berserk watching nan prima hurler transportation for nan Dodgers. 

"He brought a complete caller assemblage to Los Angeles baseball," Trejo said. 

Now, nan Dodgers will look to repetition what nan prima pitcher helped execute successful 1981 by defeating nan Yankees successful nan World Series.

Trejo confidently predicts that they will get it done. 

"Fernando is pinch us." 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.