Sports

Fans at Dodger Stadium and around L.A. honor Fernando Valenzuela

Published

1 year ago

October 23, 2024

Fans at Dodger Stadium and around L.A. honor Fernando Valenzuela

Lifelong Dodger fans Manny Acosta, 59, and his brother, Jose Acosta, 60, sit on Vin Scully Avenue, just feet away from the shrine at the Dodger Stadium sign dedicated to the life of Fernando Valenzuela.

The siblings are parked in their “Dodger Dodge” — a truck wrapped in Dodger blue with an image of Valenzuela pitching on the side.

Wearing their World Series gear, they parked at noon and sat for hours watching as hundreds of mourners arrived throughout the day to drop off flowers, Mexican flags and other gifts while paying their respects to a Dodger legend.

The Acostas were born in Sonora, Mexico, the same state where Valenzuela was born, coming to Boyle Heights in 1972.

Manny Acosta sits in the “Dodger Dodge,” his truck wrapped in Dodger blue featuring the team’s logo and an image of Fernando Valenzuela pitching.

(Anthony De Leon)

“I’m an immigrant like he was,” Manny Acosta said of Valenzuela. “He came over here and surpassed the American dream. He was such an icon and literally changed the profession of baseball and its connection with Hispanics.”

He heard false rumors Valenzuela died a few weeks ago, making his death on Tuesday less startling. But it still had a huge impact.

“I’m just glad he’s resting,” Acosta said. “It’s too bad he’s gone, but it’s good that he is no longer suffering.”

Acosta felt moved to physically be at Dodger Stadium to mourn, using the experience “as a way to combat the pain, the loss and the fact he is gone.”

He met Valenzuela several times during Dodger fan events, describing him as not only a great player but a great person.

“He didn’t talk much. He wasn’t social,” Acosta said. “But what he did quietly as an individual, a human being, an immigrant and a family man — he succeeded to the fullest.”

When news of Valenzuela’s death broke, Victor Montalvo, 31, was surrounded by friends and fellow Dodger fans at Boomtown Brewing Company, a place he describes as a “massive Dodger house,” where about 80% of the clientele is Latino.

A baseball player from Boyle Heights, Montalvo grew up listening to stories about Valenzuela’s pitching prowess from his father, who often wore a Valenzuela jersey.

“You couldn’t have grown up in L.A. without knowing who he was,” Montalvo said while visiting Grand Central Market Wednesday. “It’s impossible. … You can’t drive down Sunset Boulevard without seeing the large, old mural of him as you head away from Dodger Stadium.”

Montalvo compared Valenzuela’s death to the passing of other iconic L.A. sports figures like Vin Scully and Kobe Bryant. With Valenzuela’s death so close to the World Series, he hopes it inspires a similar spirit to Bryant’s passing in 2020 when the Lakers won a championship in his honor.

“I hope there’s a push like, ‘Let’s do this for one of the greatest that ever did it,’” Montalvo said. “Win it and bring it home. We’ll celebrate him during the parade.”

Alexander Escobar, 27, spent six years driving buses for the Dodger Stadium Express, which led to his first encounter with Valenzuela in 2020. He described Valenzuela as humble, kind and down-to-earth.

“He greeted us like we were family,” Escobar recalled. “They put together an event for us to meet him, and he actually showed up. It was empowering.”

Fans placed flowers, candles, baseball and other gifts at the gates of Dodger Stadium in honor of Fernando Valenzuela.

Escobar found Valenzuela’s journey to becoming a Mexican superstar particularly inspiring, “especially when someone from the Hispanic community made it so far in the baseball world and in life.”

With Valenzuela’s passing occurring just days before the start of the World Series, Escobar said he is glad MLB plans to honor Valenzuela’s legacy.

“It’s a shame he won’t be able to make it to the World Series,” Escobar said. “It’s something he would have been a big part of. … From ‘81 to now, Dodgers-Yankees, it’s something that would have meant a lot for him to be there.”

He added, “Hopefully, in the spirit of Valenzuela, they win.”

Valenzuela’s death felt so unreal to Carlos Flores, 43, that he initially believed it was a hoax when he first heard the news.

“I got a message. … I was like, ‘I can’t believe this. It’s got to be fake,’” Flores said. “It wasn’t even on the internet yet. That’s how quick it was. Then, five minutes later, the story was posted.”

Flores found inspiration in Valenzuela’s journey — coming to the United States from Mexico, struggling with English in his early years and winning rookie of the year and a World Series in his first full season. That made the loss that much more significant for him.

“He’s going to be missed. That’s a legend,” Flores said. “That’s one of the first Mexicans that actually made it in baseball.”

Paul Serrano, 36, first saw the news of Valenzuela’s death on social media during his commute home and questioned whether it was accurate.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Serrano said. “As an Angeleno, it’s very sad, very depressing, and even more reason to win the World Series.”

He added, “The Dodgers are in mourning and are preparing something special. … We have to win for El Toro.”

Serrano’s father, originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, often shared stories of Fernandomania, proudly reliving memories of Valenzuela’s dominance on the mound.

“[My father] would say, ‘It’s an honor to have a Mexican pitcher do what he did,’” Serrano recalled. “Valenzuela was ruthless, and he gave it his all.”

Serrano described Valenzuela as the epitome of hard work, adding, “It doesn’t matter the odds against you, brother, you can still make anything happen. You can do what you want. It doesn’t matter where you’re from.”

Kristen Gaer, 31, a lifelong Dodgers fan, first heard the news of Valenzuela’s passing in her work chat, where fellow Dodgers fans were buzzing about the loss of a legend.

“It’s very, very sad,” Gaer said. “We lost a legend for sure.”

Though too young to have seen him in his prime, Gaer grew up hearing stories about Valenzuela’s impact.

“I hope we win this one for him,” Gaer said of the upcoming World Series. “But at the same time, it’s a bummer because if we do win, he won’t be here to see it.”

Sports

Taylor Swift shows up to support Travis Kelce for possible final home game

Published

27 minutes ago

December 25, 2025

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Taylor Swift shows up to support Travis Kelce for possible final home game

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Taylor Swift showed up to Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night to watch fiancé Travis Kelce in what could be his final home game with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Swift, wearing a red leather jacket, was shown on the Amazon Prime Video broadcast hugging a friend.

The pop star has mostly been out of the NFL spotlight after the Chiefs lost the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles in February and the two announced their engagement.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift kiss after the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills in Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

But it was a special night for Kelce as he mulls his NFL future.

Amazon Prime Video aired an interview between him and Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez before the game began.

“I think I’m still searching for those answers. I think, obviously, the way this one ended with a sour taste in my mouth, I feel motivated, but I got to make the right decision for me,” he told Gonzalez. “I’ve got to hope that, you know, if I do want to come back, the Chiefs are willing to bring me back.

2025 NFL WEEK 17 BUZZ: PACKERS’ JOSH JACOBS CLEARED; RAVENS QB JACKSON DOUBTFUL

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is introduced before a game against the Denver Broncos Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

“So it’s a two-way street on that, but, at the same time, man, I am, at this point in this year, I’m just trying to finish out and give Chiefs Kingdom everything I got and go out there and do it with some of that flair that you said I play with.”

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked what it meant that it could be Kelce’s last game at home.

“I don’t know if it is or not. I haven’t talked to him,” Reid said. “I think his numbers and personality and the person, I think, speak for themselves. Phenomenal person (and) great for the community. He’s everything you want from a player representing an organization.”

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The Chiefs were taking on the Denver Broncos in the Week 17 matchup. Kansas City has already been eliminated from playoff contention.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Lakers’ Austin Reaves will not return vs. Rockets because of calf soreness

Published

1 hour ago

December 25, 2025

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Lakers’ Austin Reaves will not return vs. Rockets because of calf soreness

Lakers guard Austin Reaves will not play in the second half against the Houston Rockets because of left calf soreness, the team announced Thursday.

Reaves missed three games with a left calf strain before coming back to play at Phoenix on Tuesday night. He scored 17 points off the bench in the Lakers’ loss to the Suns.

Against the Rockets at Crypto.com Arena, Reaves started and played 15 minutes in the first half, scoring 12 points on five-for-eight shooting.

With Reaves out, the Lakers struggled in the third quarter, giving up 29 points to trail 92-74 heading into the fourth. The Lakers are trying to avoid losing three consecutive games for the first time this season.

Reaves entered Thursday averaging 27.3 points per game, ranking him 11th in league scoring.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said earlier this week that Reaves wasn’t on a minutes restriction, but the team would monitor his workload “in real time.”

Sports

NFL’s Christmas games lose major star power as key quarterbacks sidelined with injuries

Published

13 hours ago

December 25, 2025

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NFL’s Christmas games lose major star power as key quarterbacks sidelined with injuries

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On paper, Netflix had great divisional matchups on Christmas Day for Week 17 when the season began.

Of course, the NFL season never goes as planned, and the three matchups scheduled for the holiday are not what anyone had planned.

The reason? Star quarterbacks won’t be playing in each game.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott walks off the field after the team’s NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Christmas Day’s first kickoff will be an NFC East battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders, with both teams already eliminated from playoff contention.

And while Dak Prescott and company are looking to finish the season strong, the Commanders shut down Jayden Daniels, their second-year quarterback who led them to the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season just a year ago, after reaggravating his elbow injury.

In fact, the Commanders won’t even see Marcus Mariota, Daniels’ backup who has had to start eight games this season, as he’s dealing with an injury as well. It will be veteran Josh Johnson making the start in Landover, Maryland, on Christmas Day for a 4-11 Commanders squad that hoped to at least make the playoffs after a fantastic finish in 2024.

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“When you do circle those matchups, that’s exactly what you’re thinking: This is going to be cool. How it’s all laid out — division games right here at the end between two games of Philadelphia with a Dallas game in between,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said.

“Playing these division games, they still mean a lot.”

Unfortunately for both squads, it will only be for bragging rights.

Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders looks on from the sidelines after leaving the game during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 7, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)

In the 4:30 p.m. ET slate, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, a storied NFC North rivalry, the home team in Minneapolis will be without its own second-year signal caller — J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy suffered an injury in the win over the New York Giants last week, and it will be Max Brosmer having to start again for Kevin O’Connell’s group.

The Minnesota product’s first career start didn’t work out too well in Seattle, as the Seahawks had their way on defense against Brosmer. Perhaps a home crowd will do him and the Vikings’ offense better, but the Lions at least still have something to play for.

Detroit heads into this game following a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where a game-winning touchdown was called back after Amon-Ra St. Brown was penalized for offensive pass interference, negating Jared Goff flying into the end zone after a pitch-back from the star receiver.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chews his mouth guard during warmups before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

The Lions need to win their remaining two games, while also needing the Green Bay Packers to lose their last two games to secure the final NFC wild card spot.

Finally, and perhaps the biggest disappointment for Netflix, is the Kansas City Chiefs not having Patrick Mahomes on the field this holiday season.

Mahomes suffered a torn ACL, which he quickly had surgery to repair, following a loss that knocked them out of playoff contention two weeks ago. The Chiefs were hoping that his backup, Gardner Minshew, could finish out the season, but he tore his ACL last week in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

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That leaves USF alum Chris Oladokun, who filled in for Minshew last week, starting against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos — a 12-3 squad who already clinched their playoff berth. Denver will still be playing hard, as they’re competing for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, which would ensure home games throughout the playoffs.

These games were supposed to be potential division/playoff clinching matchups, but the NFL and its fanbase will be hoping these games are not as lopsided as some believe they could turn out to be.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.