Letters to Sport: Fernandomania grips the sky

Fernando Valenzuela was traded to the Angels. I'm sure he'll be a star there. Rest in peace.

Paul Kessler
Los Angeles

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Fernando Valenuela was Mexico's Shohei Ohtani. Viva Fernandomania!

Barry Smith
A thousand oak trees

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When I hosted Dodger Talk on KABC in the 1980s, I tried to objectively assess the club's play, and believe me, not all of the players appreciated my honesty. Fernando Valenzuela understood the situation and even heard my chopped Spanish. His kindness will never be forgotten

Fred Wallin
Westlake Village

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I was there on opening day in 1981 and saw the start of Fernandomania with my buddy Curtis Mingo. It's hard to say which athletes had a long-lasting influence and following in Los Angeles because there were so many greats there.

But for me, it is Magic Johnson and Fernando Valenzuela who have had the greatest and most lasting impact on professional sports in Los Angeles.

Not only did they dominate on the court and on the field, but their charismatic personalities also attracted fans, and both the Lakers and Dodgers continue to reap the benefits for many years to come.

Thanks for the thrill, Fernando. May God's grace and love be upon your eternal soul and with your family during this difficult time.

Charles L. Freeman, Jr.
Baldwin Hills

Pay to Play World Series

I hate to impede Major League Baseball's parade, but cheering for the Dodgers or Yankees is like cheering for Amazon or Microsoft. In the only professional sports league without a salary cap, it's hardly surprising that the two teams with astronomical payrolls are in the World Series. Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani each make more than most players on most MLB teams. Buying a championship makes the winner of that series less impressive.

Mark S. Roth
Playa Vista

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However the World Series goes to the plucky Dodgers, all those annoying couch potato critics who vilified Dave Roberts during an injury-plagued season must issue mea culpas followed by 30 lashes with a wet noodle.

JM Wilson
West Hollywood

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The Dodgers and Yankees were scheduled to meet at home plate before the first pitch of Game 1 and together burn an Astros flag in a trash can while batting at it. Both teams can exorcise the demons of 2017 and then give us the series that was denied to us in 2017.

PJ Gendell
Beverly Hills

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Fernando would be looking at the sky as part of his performance, and I'm sure Fernando, Tommy and Vin will be watching this World Series from the sky too.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

Oh, so close

I know I'm probably the only one in the city of Los Angeles who believes coach Lincoln Riley is doing a good job. Every game USC has lost has been incredibly close. I urge USC to be patient with Riley and give him at least another year to recruit the best offensive and defensive players in the country. The athletes in the transfer portal know that Riley is just a few points away from being undefeated. I feel like Riley is just a year away from the playoffs.

So give it a year.

Mark Walker
Yorba Linda

Harbaugh's physique

Through what lens does Sam Farmer view Jim Harbaugh as “stringy”?

Farmer must be looking through the wrong end of the telescope, because if Harbaugh is lean and muscular and “as fit as any trainer in the business,” then at 5'10″ and weighing 150 pounds, I'm built like ” The Rock.”

David Griffin
Westwood

Numbers game

Fittingly, the Lakers will wear a number 44 patch on their jerseys this season in honor of Jerry West. Coincidentally, many experts predict that the Lakers will win 44 games in the 2024-25 season. As for the Clippers, it doesn't appear they have similar plans to wear a number 32 patch in honor of Bill Walton. However, given the loss of Paul George and the uncertain status of Kawhi Leonard, 32 seems like a reasonable estimate for how many games they will win.

Ken Feldman
Tarzana

High-tech problems

As a first-time season ticket holder, I attended the Clippers vs. Suns home opener. The ability to transfer my ticket to a friend? Didn't work. License plate recognition when parking? Didn't work. The facial recognition used to pay for items in the arena? Didn't work. The Clippers' final possessions down the stretch? Didn't work.

Dave Ring
Manhattan Beach

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.