Ceremonial first pitch details, National Anthem singer for Dodgers' World Series Game 2

Prior to Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, 1988 champion Orel Hershiser and 1981 Fall Classic MVP Steve Yeager raised the bar for ceremonial first pitches -- by not throwing a pitch at all.

Both Hershiser and Yeager strode to the mound wearing Fernando Valenzuela No. 34 jerseys in honor of their peer who captured the whole world's attention. Appropriately, Valenzuela left the crowd staring in awe at the mound once more on Friday, as Hershiser and Yeager deferred the traditional first pitch in favor of leaving the baseballs on the mound by Valenzuela's painted number.

That's the kind of moment you can't replicate, and the Dodgers smartly won't try prior to Game 2.

Riding the high of Freddie Freeman's Kirk Gibson-imitating walk-off grand slam, the Dodgers will embrace a more recent portion of their history in Game 2's pregame, with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier paired up for the ceremonial first pitch honors.

Dodgers ceremonial first pitch, National Anthem details for World Series Game 2 vs. Yankees

Kemp was honored earlier this summer at Dodger Stadium, signing a one-day contract to retire with the team prior to his bobblehead day. Now, it's the slugger's turn to hand the baton to the 2024 Dodgers, who can take an imposing 2-0 World Series lead fueled by the echoes of history.

Kemp's final season with the Dodgers was a comeback campaign in 2018, when he made the All-Star team by socking 21 homers with an .818 OPS. After the year, he was dealt to Cincinnati in a mega-salary dump, playing just 63 more big-league games before retiring after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Ethier's last year in LA was longer ago than you're probably thinking: 2017, when the two-time All-Star was only able to cameo in 22 regular season games (though he received six plate appearances in that doomed World Series and notched two hits.

Once Ethier and Kemp complete their duties, the National Anthem will be handled by 19-year-old Pearle Peterson, representing the Boys and Girls Club of America. This is her second time performing on this stage in two years, powerfully holding court prior to the Diamondbacks-Rangers last fall.