Mexico, sports and Mexican baseball, as well as Major League Baseball, are in mourning with the death of Mexican star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who in the 80s became one of the most influential athletes in the Aztec country for his great feats with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Valenzuela passed away after his health deteriorated in recent days and he had to be hospitalized, even abandoning the Spanish-language broadcasts of the California team’s games in the Big Top.
Born on November 1, 1960, in Etchohuaqui la, a small town in the state of Sonora, Mexico, Valenzuela stood out as a pitcher in the Major Leagues and after a brief stint in the Mexican Baseball League he burst onto the top circuit with great force until he became an idol of this team.
Throughout his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had an ounce of gold on his side since his debut in 1980 and in just one year he managed to garner recognition for his work on mound C such as the Rookie of the Year award and the prestigious National League Cy Young Award for best pitcher, after a great season with numbers of 13-7 and 2.48.
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In addition, he led the way in starts with 26, complete games with 1 1 and 8 shutouts that served to crown the World Series that year by beating his hated rival New York Yankees.
Reactions to this unfortunate news were not long in coming and the Major League Baseball (MLB) office posted on its social media: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the great former Dodgers player Fernando Valenzuela.”
Fernando Valenzuela had great moments that thrilled millions of Mexicans around the world of Major League Baseball, where he pitched for 17 seasons and was named an All-Star 6 times, adding the most wins with 173 and 2,074 strikeouts, a figure incomparable to any other Mexican pitcher on the professional diamond.
His influence in the Mexican community in the United States placed him in an enviable position to the extent that he spent the last 22 years working as a Spanish-language announcer for Dodgers games, who retired his number 34 in 2023.
A legend that will always live on in the history of the Dodgers
Still fresh in our minds are those memories of when the peculiar manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tommy Lasorda, protected and polished that youngster with unruly hair dressed in a Californian jersey to thrill millions of Mexicans with his exploits on the mound.
Valenzuela came to give freshness to a team with great veterans like Steve Garvey, Dusty Baker, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes, Steve Sax, Mike Scioscia, and the great Pedro Guerrero, to burst onto the mound with bravery with his famous screwball.
The statistical legacy of Fernando Valenzuela
In his 17-season MLB career, the famous number 34 compiled a 173-153 record, 3.54 ERA, 2,074 strikeouts, and 2,930 innings pitched. He completed an astonishing 113 games, of which 31 were shutouts. After the Dodgers decided to release him in what was a huge shock to fans, Fernando went on to play for the California Angels (1991), Baltimore Orioles (1993), Philadelphia Phillies (1994), San Diego Padres (1995-97) and St. Louis Cardinals (1997).
Valenzuela was an extraordinary pitcher on special occasions. His playoff numbers were 1-for-5 with a 1.98 ERA. That included his magical 1981 postseason when he was the instrumental arm for the Dodgers. In Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees, he overcame his wildness (7 walks) to throw an epic 147-pitch complete game and start the team’s comeback to win the championship.
The most idolized Mexican baseball player ever, he was also part of the 1988 World Series champion team, although he did not play in those playoffs due to an injury suffered mid-season. In addition to his Cy Young in 1981, he was second in the voting in 1986, third in 1982, and fifth in 1985.
He was selected to the All-Star Game six times and did not allow a run in his five appearances. In the 1986 game, he made history by striking out five batters in a row to equal the legendary record set by Carl Hubbell in 1934.
As a hitter, Valenzuela was one of the best pitchers of his era with a .200 average, 10 home runs, and 84 RBIs. He won the Silver Slugger Award in 1981 and 1983 as the league’s best-hitting pitcher and received a Gold Glove Award (1986) as the best fielder among pitchers.
