Legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela has died, the workforce introduced Tuesday. He was 63. Valenzuela can be honored when the 2024 World Sequence begins at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
“Fernando Valenzuela was one of the impactful gamers of his era,” commissioner Rob Manfred stated in an announcement. “… We’ll honor Fernando’s reminiscence in the course of the 2024 World Sequence at Dodger Stadium. On behalf of Main League Baseball, I prolong my deepest condolences to Fernando’s household, the Dodgers, his associates throughout the sport, and all of the loyal baseball followers of Mexico.”
With a singular supply and an nearly mysterious aura, Valenzuela was a larger-than-life determine who left an indelible mark on the Latino neighborhood, notably in Southern California. “Fernandomania” captivated the area and Dodgers followers within the early Nineteen Eighties, when the left-hander made his MLB debut as a 19-year-old in 1980.
In 1981, Valenzuela gained the NL Rookie of the Yr and Cy Younger awards as a 20-year-old by going 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA in a league-leading 192 1/3 innings in the course of the strike-shortened season. He gained his first eight begins that season, finishing seven of them, and threw 5 shutouts. Valenzuela made 5 begins within the 1981 postseason and threw an unbelievable 40 2/3 innings with a 2.21 ERA because the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees within the World Sequence.
Valenzuela went to 6 consecutive All-Star Video games from 1981-86 and likewise completed within the prime 5 of the Cy Younger voting in 1982 1985, and 1986. Though 1981 was his best season, Valenzuela was certainly one of baseball’s biggest pitchers within the Nineteen Eighties. He averaged 266 innings per 12 months from 1982-87 with a 3.19 ERA, and was the sport’s preeminent workhorse. Valenzuela led the league with 21 wins in 1986 and in full video games in each 1985 and 1986.
On June 19, 1990, Valenzuela threw a no-hitter towards the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. That day, Oakland Athletics ace Dave Stewart additionally no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s the solely time in baseball historical past two no-hitters had been thrown on the identical day.
After 11 seasons with the Dodgers, Valenzuela completed his profession with stints with the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and Cardinals. He additionally performed within the Mexican League. Valenzuela completed his profession with a 173-153 file and a 3.54 ERA. He’s the all-time chief in wins (173) and innings (2,930) amongst Mexican-born pitchers. Valenzuela is, by any measure, the best Mexican-born participant in MLB historical past.
“It could be actually nice in the event that they remembered me as somebody who all the time tried his finest to all the time give them a superb present, in order that they may have enjoyable with this lovely recreation,” Valenzuela informed MLB.com in 2021.
Born and raised within the small city of Etchohuaquila, Valenzuela started his taking part in profession towards a lot older competitors as a young person with the Yucatan Leones of the Mexican League within the Seventies. The Dodgers ultimately signed him for $120,000, on the time an unlimited sum for a participant within the Mexican League. Valenzuela made his MLB debut on Sept. 15, 1980, and appeared in two video games that season earlier than becoming a member of the rotation full-time in 1981.
In 1983, Valenzuela turned the primary participant to win a $1 million award by arbitration. Three years later, he signed a $5.5 million contract, then the biggest ever for a pitcher. The Dodgers and Valenzuela didn’t all the time have the very best relationship, although he ultimately accepted an envoy function with the workforce, and spent 22 seasons within the membership’s Spanish language broadcast sales space. He stepped away from the sales space to give attention to his well being earlier this 12 months.
“He meant a lot to the Latino fan base,” Dodgers’ Spanish language broadcaster Jaime Jarrin stated about Valenzuela (by way of the Orange County Register). “No different baseball participant did what he did. He made so many baseball followers, greater than anybody else. Individuals who got here right here from Latin America did not care about baseball. However they turned followers of Fernando and due to him baseball followers.”
Though no participant wore Valenzuela’s No. 34 after he left the workforce following the 1990 season, the Dodgers didn’t formally retire the quantity in his honor till 2023. Valenzuela fell off the Corridor of Fame poll in 2004, his second 12 months of eligibility.