Pitcher July 20, 2019
On Opening Day 1981, Fernando Valenzuala crafted a complete-game shutout in his first Major League start, initiating "Fernandomania." Valenzuela made history as the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award in the same season. He won 141 games as a Dodger, including a no-hitter.
1981-2021
Los Angeles Dodgers Left-Handed Pitcher, #34 1980-1990
Fernando Valenzuela
Fernandomania
In his first 8 starts:
- 8-0 record
- 0.50 ERA
- 5 shutouts
JAIME JARRINSe va, se va, se va, despidala con un beso!
- .360 batting average
- The only MLB player since 1945 to win his first eight career starts
- His 147-pitch, 5-4 win in Game 3 of the 1981 Fall Classic against the New York Yankees began a four-game win streak for the Dodgers clinching their World Series title.
- First and only player to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year Awards in the same season.
- 11 of Fernando's 12 starts at Dodger Stadium in 1981 were sellouts.
- 1981 Rookie of the Year
- Cy Young Award 1981
El Titan Del Pitcheo
by/por Katharine A. Diaz
For awhile he was the pride of the barrio. the talk of the baseball season.
The Dodger stadium organist was opening with tunes like "Sabor a mi" and "Quieas quizas".
Dan Rather once even closed the CBS Evening News with "hasta lo vista, buenas noches" after airing a news segment on him.
We're of course talking about Dodger super pitcher Fernando Valenzuela who charmed his way into millions of hearts across the country. The baseball strike took him out of the news for a time, and although there was no doubt in our minds that Fernando had only just begun, what a relief it is to know that with the strike over, he will once again star on the mound.
In case you've been out in left field and don't know much this latest hero, let CAMINOS enlighten and inform you.
Fernando was born on November 1 1960 in the small village of Fundicion near Navajoa in the state of Sonora. For all practical purposes was born into baseball. His father and siz of his brothers (Fernando has 11 brothers and sisters) played ball. Being the youngest in the family, Fernando found plenty of time to play. His eldest brother, Rafael knew he was a natural for the game. By 16 he was playing in the Mexican League. Eventually he was picked up by the AAA Puebla Angles and loaned to Yucatan. There he acquired a 10-12 record, a 2.43 ERA, 141 strikeouts, and gave up only 70 bases in 157 innings pitched.
It didn't take long before he was noticed by scouts from US major league teams. Indeed, the Yankees, Pirates, Mariners, Mets, and Cubs were all interested in Fernando. In the end, to the good fortune of the Dodgers, he signed with them. Fernando first trained in Lodi, then went to the Dodger's camp in Vero Beach. It was here that Fernando was...
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea (born November 1, 1960) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. Valenzuela played 17 Major League Baseball seasons, from 1980 to 1991 and 1993 to 1997. While he played for six MLB teams, he is best remembered for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Fernando Valenzuela:
- Valenzuela batted and threw left-handed.
- His career highlights include a win-loss record of 173–153, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.54.
- Valenzuela was notable for his unorthodox windup and for being one of a small number of pitchers who threw a screwball regularly.
- Never a particularly hard thrower, the Dodgers felt he needed another pitch; he was taught the screwball in 1979 by teammate Bobby Castillo.
- 1980 Valenzuela was signed by the Dodgers on July 6, 1979, and he made his debut late in the 1980 season.
- 1981 In what came to be called "Fernandomania," Valenzuela rose from relative obscurity to achieve super-stardom. He won his first eight starts (five of them shutouts). Valenzuela finished with a record of 13–7 and had a 2.48 ERA. He became the first, and to date, the only player to win both Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season.
- 1981-1986 Valenzuela had the best period of his career from 1981 to 1986. He was named a National League All-Star in each season. He won a major league-leading 21 games in 1986.
- Valenzuela was also known as one of the better hitting pitchers of his era. He had ten career home runs and was occasionally used by Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda as a pinch-hitter. [https://www.eatlife.net/dodger-stadium/tommy-lasorda.php]
- 1988 For the remainder of Valenzuela's Dodgers career, his pitching efforts were rendered less effective, largely due to nagging shoulder problems. He was on the Dodgers' 1988 World Series championship team, but he did not play in the postseason because of his ailing shoulder.
- 1990 On June 29, 1990, Valenzuela threw his only MLB no-hitter, pitching at Dodger Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals, a 6–0 victory.
- 1991 Despite having recently shown flashes of his former self, he was unceremoniously released by the Dodgers just prior to the 1991 season. The remainder of his big league career was spent with the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals.
- 1997 Valenzuela retired from baseball after the 1997 season.
- 2003 Valenzuela returned to the Dodgers organization as the Spanish-language radio color commentator for National League West games, joining Jaime Jarrin and Pepe Yniguez in the Spanish-language booth. In 2015, he was switched to the color commentator job on the Spanish-language feed of SportsNet LA.
- 2015 He became a naturalized American citizen.
