Longtime Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela has passed away at the age of 63
Fernando Valenzuela, longtime major league pitcher who sparked “Fernandomania” in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981, has passed away. Valenzuela was 63.
After having a cup of coffee with the Dodgers in 1980, Valenzuela was part of the team’s rotation for the 1981 season and was an immediate breakout star. Pressed into duty as the team’s Opening Day starter due to injuries, Valenzuela threw a complete game shutout against the Houston Astros in what was his first major league start. He threw four more shutouts in his next seven games, threw two complete games, and went nine innings while allowing just one run in his one non-complete game among his first eight appearances.
Valenzuela became an immediate star, with attendance soaring whenever he was pitching, whether at home or on the road, and the phenomenon was dubbed “Fernandomania.” The portly lefty who was dominating hitters with a lethal screwball, and whose unique delivery had him seemingly looking up at the sky as he prepared to deliver the ball to the plate, became the biggest thing in baseball that year.
The only thing that could slow down Fernandomania that summer was the player’s strike, although the two month suspension of games being played probably helped Valenzuela, who was showing the effects of his heavy workload in his appearances leading up to the strike being called. Once games resumed, he was once again terrific, ultimately putting up a 13-7 record in 25 starts, with a league leading 192.1 innings pitched (in just 110 team games!), 11 complete games, 8 shutouts, and 180 strikeouts. Valenzuela won the Cy Young Award, the Rookie of the Year Award, was fifth in the MVP balloting, and got a Silver Slugger that year to boot. Valenzuela capped off the season with five postseason starts, including a Game 3 victory over the New York Yankees in the World Series, and got a ring as a result of the Dodgers triumphing over the Yankees in that Fall Classic.
Valenzuela had a tremendous run for the Dodgers from 1981-87, being named to the All Star team each year, while finishing top five in the Cy Young balloting three more times. His career went off track after that, as he struggled with arm issues that resulted in him making just two major league appearances in 1991 and 1992.
Valenzuela returned to the majors in 1993, and hung around for five more years, spending time with the Orioles, Phillies, Padres and Cardinals. He finished his career with a 173-153 record and a 3.54 ERA, with 37.4 bWAR — 32.0 of which was accumulated through his age 26 season in 1987.
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