Los Angeles Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela has died. the Dodgers announced Tuesday. He was 63 years old.
Few words inspire such joyous memories as “Fernandomania,” the summer days when Valenzuela first learned about baseball, then took over. He will be remembered for a 1981 season in which he won the Rookie of the Year, the Cy Young Award and a World Series ring along with one of the greatest rookie years in franchise history. professional sport.
Valenzuela’s career it was more than numbers and trophies. He was and remains an icon among Latin American baseball fans and players and a national hero in his native Mexico. “El Toro” possessed a gravitas in his prime that few players matched, especially when he threw shutout after shutout in 1981.
The Dodgers had announced on October 2, Valenzuela stepped away from the broadcast booth to focus on his health, with the goal of returning for 2025.
Stan Kasten, president of the Dodgers released a statement mourning him:
“On behalf of the Dodger organization, we deeply mourn the passing of Fernando. He is one of the most influential Dodgers of all time and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of franchise heroes. He galvanized fans during the 1981 Fernandomania season and has remained in our hearts ever since, not only as a player but also as a broadcaster. He left us too soon. Our deepest condolences go to his wife, Linda, and his family.
With the Dodgers set to begin the World Series on Friday against the New York Yankees, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed in a press release that the league will honor Valenzuela’s memory.
How Fernando Valenzuela became “Fernandomania”
Valenzuela grew up poor and was the youngest of 12 children. He began his career as a teenager in the Mexican leagues, where he was discovered by great Dodgers scout Mike Brito. The Dodgers bought out his contract in 1979 and saw him quickly rise through the minor league ranks with a bizarre throwing motion in which he looked up to the sky.
In 1980, Valenzuela made his debut in the Dodgers bullpen. And in 1981, well, no one was ready for 1981.
Valenzuela began his season with a shutout of the defending NL West champion Houston Astros. Then he pitched a complete game against the San Francisco Giants. Then another shutout. And another. And another. He started his career 8-0 with eight straight complete games, including five shutouts and a 0.50 ERA in 72 innings.
His debut became a fixture at Dodger Stadium, and he became an ace for a team that won the Dodgers’ first World Series title since 1965. Valenzuela remained one of baseball’s best pitchers for all five years following years, then began to decline after 1986.
The 1990 season was his last with the Dodgers and his worst in Los Angeles, but he still had a moment. On June 29, Valenzuela pitched his first and only no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky!” » Vin Scully exclaimed after the final withdrawal.
The Dodgers released Valenzuela before the 1991 season, and he ended up playing for five more teams before his retirement in 1997.
He played into his 40s with stints in the Mexican winter leagues. During the summer, he began working as a Spanish-language commentator for the Dodgers, which he continued to do until his death.
The Dodgers retired Fernando Valenzuela’s number at the perfect time
The Dodgers’ standard policy regarding retired numbers is to honor only players who entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame after playing the majority of their career for the Dodgers. There are two exceptions to this rule: Jim Gilliam and Valenzuela.
For years, Valenzuela appeared to be a weakness in this policy. He was a legend, but he wasn’t big enough to get into Cooperstown on the BBWAA ballot, and the committees weren’t much help either.
The Dodgers finally made an exception for Valenzuela’s No. 34 in 2023, much to the delight of a man who played 11 seasons with the team and worked as a broadcaster for decades more, via Athletics:
“I never thought this would happen,” Valenzuela said. “I never thought I would be in this situation. It’s difficult to express in words.
A year later, it seems like a very good decision.