Many national sports figures are eager to pay tribute, and we respect the timing. I will not rule out the possibility of holding a tribute during Prime 12. We have many ideas and we want to work with the Valenzuela family to ensure a proper tribute. Our goal is to honor Fernando with the national sports community,” explained the president of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB), Horacio de la Vega.
De la Vega, who is also the president of the committee of Mexican baseball teams, did not rule out the possibility of dedicating the next season of the LMB, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, to ‘El Toro’ Valenzuela, who is the owner of one. of the summer league teams, the Tigres de Quintana Roo.
‘El Toro’, who died on October 22, is considered one of the three greatest athletes in Mexican history, along with former footballer Hugo Sánchez and former boxer Julio César Chávez.
His death has sparked an outpouring of affection in Mexico and especially in the United States, where he lived and became a legend with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who honored him with special uniforms throughout the World Series they won on Wednesday.
Besides paying tribute to Fernando Valenzuela during the Premier 12, De la Vega hopes that Mexico will achieve positive results during the tournament, which will start next Wednesday in Group A, with the United States, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Netherlands.
The country’s baseball scene is booming after its historic third-place finish in the 2023 Baseball World Cup, which has generated unprecedented interest in the game, reflected in increased attendance at stadiums across the country.
De la Vega aims to capitalize on this momentum with a strong performance in the Premier 12 group stage, which will take place from November 9-14 in the cities of Nayarit and Guadalajara.
If Mexico hopes to reach the finals, it must finish among the top two teams in Group A to advance to the Super Round in Japan on November 21-23. The Premier 12 highlights the top 12 national teams in the world and awards points towards qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic baseball tournament.