A corner booth near the entryway of a Monrovia restaurant where Los Angeles Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela frequented is now emblazoned with his name, iconic No. 34 and a mural.
Max’s Mexican Cuisine, near Huntington Drive and Mountain Avenue, hosted an evening of memories Tuesday, Nov.12, about not just a legendary baseball figure but a friend.
In an outside patio area members of the community, friends of Valenzuela and local elected officials sat and stood around tables draped blue tablecloths.
Angelica Arteaga, the CEO of Max’s, and whose family founded the restaurant said the idea for the event came about as friends shared memories of Valenzuela shortly after his death.
Valenzuela ate breakfast at Max’s frequently. Sometimes once a week, sometimes three times a week. Valenzuela died at age 63 last month.
“We feel his presence there.” Arteaga said of the booth.
Valenzuela also took part in fundraisers put on by the restaurant, where he met members of the community. Arteaga got to know Valenzuela through the restaurant and described him as genuine, respectful and someone who enjoyed joking around.
“Aside from him being a legend and known everywhere he was just a normal person,” Arteaga said. “He was just so kind and he treated us like friends.”
Trio Corazon, a mariachi group, provided the soundtrack for the evening, which included stories shared by friends of Valenzuela and remarks from local elected officials.
Jaime Jarrin, the longtime Spanish-language voice of the Dodgers and broadcast partner of Valenzuela, said he still expects to go to the ballpark and see Valenzuela there.
“I spent so many days, so many hours with him that I consider him a younger brother to me,” Jarrin said. “I can’t believe that he is gone.”
Jarrin recalled Valenzuela’s arrival to the Dodgers in September 1980. While most people associate Valenzuela’s remarkable 1981 season with “Fernandomania,” Jarrin said the left-hander’s appearances in 1980 showed…
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