Their mission should be to correct this omission

In 2023, the Dodgers finally retired the number 34, worn with distinction by Fernando Valenzuela. It had been 42 years since the season of Fernandomania, 26 years since Valenzuela last threw a pitch in the major leagues.

- BILL SHAIKIN COLUMNIST

Better late than never. The Dodgers generally do not retire the numbers of players not selected for the Hall of Fame, but it is never too late to do the right thing.

On Sunday, a committee is set to vote on whether Valenzuela should be admitted to the Hall of Fame. To the committee members: We commend Valenzuela to you with that same adage — it is never too late to do the right thing.

"He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame," said longtime Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, himself a Hall of Famer.

"The Hall of Fame is a special, special place, of course. But, what Fernando did for baseball, very few have done."

Eight players are on the ballot, given a second chance at Cooperstown after the Baseball Writers Assn. of America passed on them all: Valenzuela, Barry Bonds, Roger

[See Shaikin, B9]

Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Gary Sheffield.

The 16-person committee includes seven Hall of Famers, two owners (the Angels' Arte Moreno is one), four former general managers, two writers and one statistician. Each committee member can vote for up to three players; 12 votes are required for election.

By the numbers alone, Valenzuela's candidacy is borderline. Sandy Koufax or Clayton Kershaw, he was not.

Still, of the 90 pitchers in the Hall, according to Baseball Reference, Valenzuela had a better earned-run average (3.54) than 11 of them. One of them, Jack Morris, had a 3.90 ERA. He was elected by a committee just like the one that will consider Valenzuela.