MLB legend Dave Winfield remembers Fernando Valenzuela ahead of World Series Game 1

Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield was 0-for-3 in five plate appearances against Fernando Valenzuela in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Valenzuela and the Dodgers won the game on their way to a World Series title.

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The star pitcher was on the minds of the Dodgers and several other baseball figures, including Winfield, before Game 1 on Friday night as the two teams started their latest World Series matchup. Valenzuela died earlier in the week, and the Dodgers honored him with a No. 34 patch on their World Series jerseys.

Winfield recalled Valenzuela’s impact on baseball in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“Fernando was a great player,” Winfield said. “He didn’t look like a baseball player, but he certainly was an awesome presence on the field. We faced him in the World Series in 1981. We had never seen him before. He was a rookie, he ends up being Cy Young Award winner, All-Star and all that.

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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman wears a patch on his jersey in memory of former Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela after Game 1 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

“He passed away the other day. People are really feeling bad out here in L.A. about him, because he was an icon. He was a legend. He was a part of the community. He’ll be missed greatly.”

The 63-year-old died at a Los Angeles hospital. He had reportedly been battling an illness.

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Artist Louie Palestino works on a mural depicting former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 in North Hollywood, California.  (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

“He is one of the most influential Dodgers ever and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of franchise heroes,” Dodgers team president and CEO Stan Kasten said. “He galvanized the fan base with the Fernandomania season of 1981 and has remained close to our hearts ever since, not only as a player but also as a broadcaster. He has left us all too soon.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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