Fernando Valenzuela, a Los Angeles icon that became a sensation for the Dodgers and the city’s Hispanic population through ‘Fernandomania,’ has died, the Dodgers announced Tuesday. He was 63.
A cause of death has not yet been announced.
Valenzuela was a Spanish-language radio broadcaster for the Dodgers, but stepped away from his role prior to the start of the 2024 postseason to ‘focus on his health’ and the team said in a statement he aimed to return for the 2025 season.
A left-hander from Navojoa, Mexico, Valenzuela’s career started completely by chance. In 1978, legendary Dodgers scout Mike Brito went to the city of Silao in Guanajuato, Mexico, to see a shortstop named Ali Uscanga. During a game, the unheard of Valenzuela came in for relief after falling behind in a 3-0 count, throwing three straight strikes vs. Uscanga to strike him out. Brito recalled at that moment, he ‘forgot all about the shortstop.’
The Dodgers quickly signed Valenzuela in 1979, and after a short time in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut the following season. But it was at the start of the 1981 season when the left-hander was launched into stardom.
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Valenzuela was named the Opening Day starter for Los Angeles after Jerry Reuss was scratched due to an injury. Facing the Houston Astros, Valenzuela pitched a complete game shutout − allowing five hits while striking out five batters − en route to a 2-0 victory.
‘It seems like yesterday when this little pudgy kid who was 20 years old started opening day for us and lights the whole world on fire,’ catcher Mike Scioscia said about that day. ‘What you couldn’t see was the ice water in his veins. He proved how spectacular and magical everything was.’
The game was the start of a sensational season for Valenzuela. He started the season 8-0 in his first eight appearances, all of them complete games − five of which were shutouts. Valenzuela became an overnight star because of the dominance. Playing in a city with a heavy Hispanic population that has long resided in the area, the community rallied and cheered for Valenzuela and flocked to Dodger Stadium to see him pitch, igniting the craze that was ‘Fernandomania.’
He finished the season 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA and won both the NL Cy Young and NL Rookie of the Year awards − the first player to do so − as the Dodgers won the 1981 World Series, which included a complete game victory in Game 3 in the Fall Classic against the New York Yankees.
Nicknamed ‘El Toro,’ Valenzuela went on to be a household name in Los Angeles while he pitched 10 more seasons for the Dodgers. Beloved by Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, Valenzuela was an All-Star every year from 1981-86. He wasn’t able to replicate his All-Star numbers toward the latter half of his time in Dodger blue, but he added one more signature moment in his final year with the team.
On June 29, 1990, Scioscia and many Dodger players watched Oakland Athletics pitcher Dave Stewart throw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays. Valenzuela was scheduled to pitch that night against the St. Louis Cardinals, and after Stewart completed his performance, Scioscia said Valenzuela gave his teammates a bold prediction.
‘You just saw a no-hitter on TV. Now you will see one in person,’ Valenzuela said.
The prediction turned out to be a spoiler. Valenzuela struck out seven batters en route to his first career no-hitter. After Valenzuela got Pedro Guerrero to ground into a game-ending double play to complete the feat, fellow Dodgers legend Vin Scully made one of his signature calls from his 67-year broadcasting career.
‘If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky!’ Scully proclaimed.
Valenzuela had stints with various teams over the next seven years before finishing his MLB career in 1997. In 17 seasons, he had a 173-153 record with a 3.54 ERA, but in his time with the Dodgers, he had a 141-116 record and a 3.31 ERA, ranking ninth in franchise history in wins.
Despite all his accomplishments and the fans he was responsible for bringing to Dodger Stadium, Valenzuela did not receive the highest achievement the team awards its former players for quite some time.
The franchise’s criteria to get a jersey number retired is the player has to spend the majority of their career with the team and has to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame – with the exception of former player and coach Jim Gilliam in 1978. Valenzuela never made it to the Hall of Fame after spending two years on the ballot in 2003-04. Even though he never made it to Cooperstown, no Dodgers player ever wore Valenzuela’s No. 34 after he finished his playing days for Los Angeles.
Still, Dodgers fans spent decades advocating for Valenzuela to be included in the team’s ring of honor, citing his significance to the city and fanbase, as well as paving the way for Mexican baseball players to reach the majors. Then, more than 30 years after he threw his last pitch for the Dodgers, the team retired his number in August 2023.
Even though current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the honor was ‘long overdue,’ Valenzuela didn’t believe the day would come. When he was told it was going to happen, the first thing he remembered he could say was “really?”
“It really got me by surprise. I never expected it,” Valenzuela said.
But it’s hard to argue against what Valenzuela did for baseball and what he means for many Dodgers fans. For a franchise that has names like ‘Jackie’ and ‘Vin’ synonymous with the team, ‘Fernando’ is also attached to the team. It’s hard to not see a No. 34 jersey being worn in a Dodger Stadium crowd. As Dodgers radio announcer Charley Steiner put it, Valenzuela ‘transcends what he did for the Dodgers.’