Fernando Valenzuela was only 63 when he passed away on October 22, 2024. He had been sick for quite a while, but refused to talk about it, even to his closest friends and associates, wanting to preserve his privacy. It turns out he was diagnosed with cancer, liver cancer to be specific, but suffered in silence, not wanting anyone to feel sorry for him. Many of his friends said that he would be embarrassed by all of the attention, just as he never talked about his disease, refusing to be the center of attention.
When I was 14 Fernando was the pitcher I looked up to the most in 1981. I was pitching at the time and I would look up at the heavens like he did… that didn’t last long because I would pitch the ball over the catcher. Fernando mastered the screwball and it was an odd pitch then to pitch like it is still now.
All the kids liked him because he wasn’t too much older than us. He was 20 when I was 14. It didn’t matter what team they rooted for…he didn’t act stuck up or standoffish… he had many childlike ways and that probably drove Lasorda crazy but he was a big hit to us! When he pitched everyone wanted to see him at home or on the road. Some places like Cincinnati averaged 20 thousand but when Fernando pitched they doubled that at 40,000. It had a name…named after Beatlemania…this was Fernandomania. He brought Mexicans to Dodger Stadium and from then on it hasn’t stopped. Some started with Fernando and passed it down. He didn’t need a license plate while driving in Mexico. He didn’t even need a driver’s license. Everyone knew him.
He played for the Dodgers for 11 seasons and also with the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and the Saint Louis Cardinals. He had a 17-year MLB career and was announcing for the Dodgers on their Spanish radio station when he passed.
Modern pitchers are babied so much with their pitching limits that it’s rare for a pitcher to pitch in the 7th inning. Fernando pitched a complete game the last time the Dodgers played The Yankees in 1981. He pitched in game 3 and it wasn’t his best start but he pitched 9 innings with 147 pitches and without his best stuff won 5-4. He would have pitched in the 7th game if there would have been one because The Dodgers won in 6. He ended up with a 173-153 record with a 3.54 ERA. He did win a Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in 1981. He was in the top 5 in Cy Young voting in 4 seasons and an All-Star in 6 seasons. He also pitched a no-hitter in his last year with the Dodgers in 1990 against The Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
Modern pitchers would be stunned and shocked to see how many innings pitchers of Fernando’s era pitched. In his 11 seasons with the Dodgers, he averaged over 200 innings per season and came close to 300 one season. He had 113 complete games in his career.
It has been 43 years since Valenzuela pitched the Dodgers to the ’81 World Series, and the Dodgers will carry his legacy throughout this series. They will dedicate this World Series to him. They’ll wear honorary patches on their uniforms. They’ll have an emotional moment of silence on Friday. Memories will be passed on to future generations. Say hi to Vin and Tommy…Fernando.
Here are his first 8 games as a starter. He allowed only 4 runs in his first 72 innings.
President of the Dodgers…Stan Kasten: “He is one of the most influential Dodgers ever and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of franchise heroes, he galvanized the fan base with 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 has left us all too soon. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Linda and his family.”
Fernando and Vin throwing out the first pitch of the 2nd game of the 2017 World Series
…
