Fernando Valenzuela was a Mexican-born Major League Baseball pitcher best known for his time with the L.A. Dodgers, during which he won a Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in the same year, sparking “Fernandomania.”
- Died: October 22, 2024 (Who else died on October 22?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles at the age of 63.
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Fernando Valenzuela’s legacy
Born in Etchohuaquila, Mexico, Valenzuela drew attention in the Mexican League as a young pitcher before his 1980 debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That debut proved to be among the most notable in baseball history, sparking what was then called “Fernandomania.” At just 20, he opened his first Major League Baseball season with eight straight wins, five of them complete shutouts. His ferocious screwball led him to Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in the same season, the only player in MLB history to accomplish the feat. His Dodgers also defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series, his first of two World Series rings.
Valenzuela earned the nickname El Toro from fans. For much of the ‘80s, he was dominant, going to six straight All-Star games and in 1986 securing what was then the wealthiest contract for a starting pitcher in baseball history. Injuries took their toll, however, and despite a no-hitter in June of 1990, he began to slow down. He was released by the Dodgers in 1991. Valenzuela finished out his career with a string of teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres.
All told, he finished his career with 173 wins, 2,074 strikeouts, and a 3.54 ERA. He was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
After retiring, Valenzuela returned to the Dodgers as a Spanish-language color commentator. In 2017, he became owner of the Mexican League team, Tigres de Quintana Roo. The Dodgers retired his No. 34 jersey in 2023.
Tributes to Fernando Valenzuela
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
