(“The TEN” is not a top ten but ten items worth being included in “The TEN”)
Fernando Valenzuela edition:
Legendary Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who was the impetus behind “Fernandomania” while winning National League Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year honors in 1981 as the Dodgers won the World Series, passed away Tuesday at the age of 63 at a Los Angeles hospital the team announced Tuesday night. No cause of death was given.
- Valenzuela pitched in the majors for 17 years (11 with the Dodgers) and has been the Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster since 2003.
- Valenzuela, a left-hander, was called up as a reliever in 1980. Then in 1981 when Jerry Reuss was injured on the day before Opening Day, Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda gave the ball to 20-year-old Valenzuela and he responded with a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros.
- Valenzuela started the 1981 season with a record of 8-0 with five shutouts and an ERA of 0.50 and “Fernandomania” was born.
- Valenzuela finished the 1981 season with a 13-7 record, 2.48 ERA, 11 complete games and 8 shutouts. He led the National League with 192⅓ innings pitched and topped the majors with 180 strikeouts, becoming the first player to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award.
- Valenzuela appeared in six straight All-Star games beginning in 1981 He finished second in the Cy Young voting in 1982 and fifth in ’85.
- Valenzuela also was known as a great hitting pitcher and won Silver Slugger Awards in 1981 and 1983.
- Valenzuela pitched for the Dodgers from 1980 to 1990. In his final year as a Dodger he threw a no-hitter on June 29, 1990, which came in a 6-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.
- Valenzuela was released by the Dodgers in March 1991 and went on to pitch for five other teams before retiring in 1997. He finished his career with an overall record of 173-153, a 3.54 ERA and 2,074 strikeouts over 17 seasons.
- On October 23, 1981, 43 years ago today, Valenzuela threw a complete game to beat the New York Yankees 5-4 in Game 3 of the World Series. The Dodgers went on to win the next three games to win the series in six games.
- “If you have a sombrero throw it to the sky!” – Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully after Valenzuela’s no-hitter in 1990.
Sadly, we lose another great one—my condolences to the family and the Dodger faithful.
May he rest in eternal peace.
Fernando should have been inducted into MLB Hall of Fame years ago. BTW, so does
Peter Rose.
Valenzuela was a real phenomenon, an inspiration to many and a Dodger legend. Much sympathy to his family and close friends.