Fernando Valenzuela, former MLB pitching phenom, dies at 63
Fernando Valenzuela, who took the baseball world by storm in 1981, has died at the age of 63.
Valenzuela, who started his career as a rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was battling health conditions when he passed away Tuesday.
He won the National League’s honors as both the Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year in 1981. He also helped the Dodgers win the World Series title over the New York Yankees that season.
Valenzuela died Tuesday after battling health conditions. He was 63.
DODGERS GREAT FERNANDO VALENZUELA HOSPITALIZED WITH HEALTH COMPLICATIONS: REPORTS
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This comes just three days before the Dodgers and Yankees meet in the World Series for the 12th time, and the first since Valenzuela was a hero in the 1981 Fall Classic.
The Dodgers made an official announcement Tuesday night of Valenzuela’s passing but did not state the cause of his death.
The Mexican-born Valenzuela pitched in Major League Baseball for 17 seasons and then became the Dodgers’ Spanish-language broadcaster in 2003. He recently stepped away to "focus on his health," the team said.
He was born in Navojoa, Mexico, and quickly worked his way into the majors, getting called up as a relief pitcher late in the 1980 season as a 20-year-old.
In 1981, just after Dodgers starter Jerry Reuss was injured the day before Opening Day, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda tasked Valenzuela with making the first MLB start of his career.
"Tommy Lasorda came up to me and said, 'Are you ready to pitch tomorrow?' I said, 'I'm ready,'" Valenzuela said during a 2023 broadcast. "That's what I was looking for, the opportunity to show what I can do."
DODGERS GREAT FERNANDO VALENZUELA BECOMES U.S. CITIZEN
Valenzuela opened the season with a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros. He began the season with an 8-0 record — with five shutouts — and a 0.50 earned-run average.
He ended the season with a 13-7 record, 2.48 ERA, 11 complete games and eight shutouts. His 192 innings led the National League and his 180 strikeouts led the majors in the strike-shortened season.
Valenzuela pitched for the Dodgers from 1980-90, and he was unceremoniously released from the team just before the 1991 season. He went on to pitch for the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. He retired with a 173-153 record, 3.54 career ERA and 2,074 strikeouts through his 17 seasons.
DODGERS ANNOUNCE FERNANDO VALENZUELA'S NO 34 TO BE RETIRED THIS SEASON
He has two World Series championships and his No. 34 is retired by the Dodgers — the only number retired by the organization for someone who’s not enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Dodgers will host the Yankees in this season’s World Series. It’s the 12th time the teams have met in the World Series, which is the most match ups in the Fall Classic of all time. It’s the first since Valenzuela’s 1981 rookie year.
Valenzuela will be honored at Dodger Stadium during this year’s World Series, which begins with Game 1 on Friday night in Los Angeles.
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"Fernando was an outstanding ambassador for baseball,"Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Tuesday night. "He consistently supported the growth of the game through the World Baseball Classic and at MLB events across his home country. As a member of the Dodger broadcasting team for more than 20 years, Fernando helped to reach a new generation of fans and cultivate their love of the game.
"Fernando will always remain a beloved figure in Dodger history and a special source of pride for the millions of Latino fans he inspired."
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