Fernando Valenzuela, Mexican-born pitcher whose hits fueled 'Fernandomania' for Dodgers, dies at 63

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Fernando ValenzuelaThe Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernadomania” in 1981 when he won the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year, has died. He was 63 years old.

The team said he died Tuesday night at a Los Angeles hospital, but did not provide a cause or other details.

His death comes as the Dodgers prepare to open the World Series Friday night at home against the New York Yankees. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Valenzuela will be honored during the series at Dodger Stadium.

Valenzuela is gone His work as a color commentator on the Dodgers' Spanish-language telecast in September without explanation. He was reportedly admitted to the hospital earlier this month. His job kept him a regular at Dodger Stadium, where he held court in the press box dining room before games and was popular with fans who sought him out for photos and autographs.

“God bless Fernando Valenzuela!” Actor and Dodgers fan Danny Trejo Posted in X

Valenzuela was one of the most influential players of his era and a popular figure in the 1980s, although he was never elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, he is part of Cooperstown, which has several artifacts, including a signed ball from his 1990 no-hitter.

“He is one of the most influential Dodgers of all time and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of franchise heroes,” Stan Kasten, team president and CEO, said in a statement. “He strengthened the fan base during the Fernandomania season of 1981 and has remained close to our hearts ever since, not only as a player but also as a broadcaster. He left us all too soon.

Valenzuela's rise as the youngest of 12 children in Mexico and his accomplishments on the mound made him popular and influential in Los Angeles' Latino community and helped attract new fans to Major League Baseball. Their affection for him continued even after his retirement.

“He has consistently supported the growth of the game through the World Baseball Classic and at MLB events in his home country,” Manfred said in a statement. “As a member of the Dodger broadcast team for more than 20 years, Fernando helped reach a new generation of fans and cultivate their love of the game. Fernando will always be a beloved figure in Dodger history and a special source of pride for the millions of Latino fans who He inspired.”

In 1981, Valenzuela became the first day starter for the Dodgers as a rookie after Jerry Reus was injured 24 hours before his scheduled start. He shutout the Houston Astros 2-0 and started an 8-0 season with five shutouts and an ERA of 0.50. He became the first player to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in the same season.

His performance created a frenzy known as “Fernadomania” among Dodgers fans. The ABBA hit “Fernando” will play as he warms up on the mound.

He was 13-7 and had a 2.48 ERA in his first season, which was cut short by a players' strike.

Valenzuela was an All-Star selection every year from 1981-86, when he recorded 97 wins, 84 complete games, 1,258 strikeouts and a 2.97 ERA. He was 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA in eight postseason starts. He has earned two Silver Slugger Awards and one Gold Glove.

Valenzuela's no-hitter on June 29, 1990, a 6-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium, was an emotional career highlight. He struck out seven and walked three.

“If you have a sombrero, throw it in the sky!” Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully exclaimed in his game calls.

Nicknamed “El Toro” by fans, Valenzuela had an unorthodox and memorable pitching motion that included looking skyward at the top of each windup. His repertoire included a screwball — making him one of the few pitchers of his era who regularly threw that pitch. This was taught to him by teammate Bobby Castillo when the Dodgers felt Valenzuela, who was not known as a hard thrower, needed another pitch.

Early in his Dodgers career, Valenzuela spoke little English and had trouble communicating with his catchers. Rookie Mike Scioscia learned Spanish and became Valenzuela's personal catcher before becoming the team's full-time catcher.

Valenzuela was an above-average hitter with 10 career home runs.

Eventually, his pitching was compromised by shoulder problems that kept him out of the 1988 postseason, when the Dodgers won the World Series.

The team released Valenzuela just before the 1991 season. He also pitched for the former California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.

He retired in 1997, going 141-116 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 seasons with the Dodgers. Overall, he was 173-153 with a 3.54 ERA in 17 seasons.

Valenzuela's rise to stardom in the United States from her small town of Echohuaquila in the Mexican state of Sonora was improbable. He was the youngest child in a large family who tagged along when his older brothers played baseball.

He signed his first pro contract at age 16 and soon began to make an impact on older players in the Mexican Central League.

In 1978, legendary Dodgers scout Mike Brito was in Mexico to watch a shortstop while Valenzuela entered the game as a reliever. He immediately caught Brito's attention, and at age 18, Valenzuela signed with the Dodgers in 1979. He was sent to the California League that same year.

In 1980, Valenzuela was called up to the Dodgers in September and soon made his major league debut as a reliever.

He is the only pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. The left-hander was the National League starter in the All-Star Game in 1981, the same year the Dodgers won the World Series.

He is the all-time major league leader in wins (173) and strikeouts (2,074) by a player of Mexican descent.

During his career, he made the cover of Sports Illustrated and visited the White House.

In 2003, Valenzuela returned to the Dodgers as a Spanish-language radio color commentator for NL games. Twelve years later, he switched to a color commentator job on the team's Spanish-language TV feed.

He was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Five years later, the Mexican League retired Valenzuela's number 34 jersey. The Dodgers followed suit by putting his number out of circulation in 2023 after he last pitched for the team in 1991. The team has a rule that a player must be in the Baseball Hall of Fame before the Dodgers retire his number, but they made an exception for Valenzuela.

The Dodgers named Valenzuela as part of the “Legends of Dodger Baseball” in 2019 and inducted him into the team's Ring of Honor in 2023.

He became a US citizen in 2015.

Valenzuela served on Mexico's coaching staff during the 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics. He was a part-owner of the Mexican League team Tigres de Quintana Roo, serving as team president and general manager with son Fernando Jr. and son Ricky. Fernando Jr. played as a first baseman in the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox organizations.

In addition to his sons, he is survived by his wife, Linda, a schoolteacher from Mexico whom he married in 1981, and daughters Linda and Maria and seven grandchildren.

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