In those first eight games, everything went well, good run support, good defense, says Valenzuela, who became the first -- and to date, the only pitcher to claim both the Rookie of the Year Award and the Cy Young in the same season. Valenzuela had a strong 6 years plus had a huge impact, Tim Rogers 2080 ? ! Hernandez grew up in South Pasadena and graduated from UCLA in 2002, after which he worked at the San Jose Mercury News for five years. Seneca Valley HS - Athletics | Seneca Valley HS Everyone was clamoring for Fernando stories and it was just so unbelievable the amount of attention he was getting, says Steve Brener, who was the director of publicity for the Dodgers from 1970-87. #Retire34, Tim Rogers 2080 ? Uh oh. Its almost always easier for a lefty pitcher to throw those kinds of pitches.. He's irreplaceable. BREAKING: Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, a stalwart of the Dodgers' rotation spanning an era from Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, has died. In the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees, the Dodgers lost the first two games. I said it from the beginning, and I believe it. ), Babe Adams Joe Adcock Dick Allen Johnny Allen Felipe Alou Bobby vila Sal Bando Dick Bartell Ginger Beaumont Glenn Beckert Wally Berger Bobby Bonds Ken Boyer Harry Brecheen Tommy Bridges Pete Browning Charlie Buffinton Lew Burdette George H. Burns George J. Burns Guy Bush Dolph Camilli Leo Crdenas Bob Caruthers George Case Norm Cash Phil Cavarretta Spud Chandler Ben Chapman Rocky Colavito Walker Cooper Wilbur Cooper Mort Cooper Doc Cramer Del Crandall Gavy Cravath Lave Cross Mike Cuellar Bill Dahlen Alvin Dark Jake Daubert Tommy Davis Willie Davis Paul Derringer Dom DiMaggio Patsy Donovan Jimmie Dykes Bob Elliott Del Ennis Carl Erskine Roy Face Wes Ferrell Freddie Fitzsimmons Curt Flood Bill Freehan Jim Fregosi Larry French Carl Furillo Mike Garcia Jim Gilliam Jack Glasscock Joe Gordon Charlie Grimm Dick Groat Heinie Groh Stan Hack Harvey Haddix Mel Harder Jeff Heath Tommy Henrich Babe Herman Pinky Higgins John Hiller Gil Hodges Ken Holtzman Willie Horton Elston Howard Frank Howard Dummy Hoy Larry Jackson Julin Javier Jackie Jensen Sam Jethroe Bob Johnson Davey Johnson Joe Judge Willie Kamm Ken Keltner Don Kessinger Johnny Kling Ted Kluszewski Ray Kremer Harvey Kuenn Joe Kuhel Vern Law Sam Leever Mickey Lolich Sherm Lollar Herman Long Ed Lopat Dolf Luque Sal Maglie Jim Maloney Firpo Marberry Marty Marion Roger Maris Mike G. Marshall Pepper Martin Carl Mays Tim McCarver Frank McCormick Lindy McDaniel Gil McDougald Sam McDowell Stuffy McInnis Denny McLain Roy McMillan Dave McNally Andy Messersmith Bob Meusel Irish Meusel Bing Miller Stu Miller Minnie Mioso Terry Moore Tony Mullane Thurman Munson Johnny Murphy Buddy Myer Art Nehf Don Newcombe Bobo Newsom Lefty O'Doul Tony Oliva Claude Osteen Milt Pappas Mel Parnell Camilo Pascual Ron Perranoski Jim Perry Johnny Pesky Rico Petrocelli Deacon Phillippe Billy Pierce Vada Pinson Wally Pipp Johnny Podres Boog Powell Jack Quinn Vic Raschi Ed Reulbach Allie Reynolds J. Im not going to speculate, but it is safe to say that he could have averaged 15 wins per season up until 1996, cementing his bid to the hall of fame. The server is misbehaving. Although it was not an elimination game, it was definitely a must-win situation. What Fernandomania did for the Dodgers was build generation after generation of Mexican-American fans, says John Thorn, the official historian of MLB. Dodgers: The Hall of Fame Case for Fernando Valenzuela Why Fernando Valenzuela should be in Baseball Hall of Fame - Los [40] . The numbers, however, speak for themselves: He began the 1981 season with eight straight wins, seven complete games and five shutouts. Your email address will not be published. But Arellano, who for years thought Valenzuela didn't merit Hall of Fame consideration, believes otherwise. Future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson had already thrown one no-hitter during the 1990 season when he combined with Chuck Finley to throw another one in Japan. Especially in L.A., this guy still inspires us. Fernando mania was born and brought not just Mexicans but the whole Latino to dodger stadium. His second home start on April 27 against the Giants was yet another shutout, his fourth in five starts. Valenzuela had never started a Major League game when he got the call on Opening Day 1981. In 10 games as a relief pitcher, he allowed zero earned runs. In front of 56,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, Chuck Finley and Randy Johnson combined to no-hit a team of Japanese All-Stars in a 5-0 win. the number of wins in the Hall of Fame vote still has a significant impact. Fernando Valenzuela went on to pitch 11 years for the Dodgers (1980-1990). In 1981, an 11-year-old Jaffe used to cut Valenzuelas box scores out of his local Salt Lake City newspaper and paste them into a scrapbook. At one point, the left-hander made 255 consecutive starts before going on the injured list for the first time in 1988 because of shoulder troubles that cost him two months and the opportunity to pitch in another World Series. I have always tried to see first what I have to do in certain situations and with certain things, and then act. 39), Jackie Robinson (No. The two of them are worthy candidates for the Hall of Fame if you do not use merely the stat lines as your criteria. He would have won over 25 wins every year with dodgers last 6 seasons for sure and 5 world series, He also won 21 games in 86 with a fifth place dodger team and was robbed of his second cy young awards given to Mike Scott of the Astros with only 16 wins big time robbery, I agree with the fact that he was overused. Later that summer, Valenzuela attended a state luncheon at the White House with President Ronald Reagan. . Peak 38% Longevity 62% Rankings by Hall Rating 522nd All Time (Top 2.3%) 178th among Pitchers Franchise Contributions by Hall Rating LAD 64 (19th) TV ratings spiked, too. And it turned out that this young rookie became arguably the key piece.. He was only 20 years old in 1981 when he won the NL Cy Young Award, Rookie of the Year, 5th in MVP voting, Silver Slugger and went 13-8 while leading the NL in SHO (8), CG (11), IP (192.1) and K (180). The city was celebrating its 200th anniversary and the Latino population was exploding. My dad couldn wait to watch Los Doyers and I could not wait to watch the game with him regardless of who was playing for the Dodgers all because of Fernando Valenzuela. He never complained about aches and pains, a trait that also hurt any potential candidacy. Valenzuela's rise to major league prominence began in September 1980, when he was called up from the minor leagues by the Dodgers. "Fernando was one person and he obviously was a massive success, and he did bring tons of Mexican-American fans to the park, but it wasn't like every single person from those communities all of a sudden said, Because of Fernando, we're going to change our feelings and go to Dodgers games,'" Nusbaum says. If not for Fernando Valenzuela's incredible rookie performance and "Fernandomania" taking the sport by storm, Raines would've easily won the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year Award. 2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting - Wikipedia They also obscured a more egregious omission. There are countless Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles and across the country with stories like Lopezs. Valenzuela, the National League's starting pitcher in the All-Star Game as a rookie, finished the strike-shortened 1981 season with a 13-7 won-loss record and a 2.48 ERA, one of the best in the big leagues. It was beyond imagining that Fernando could have made it from this town. Fernando Valenzuela was a Pitcher. He was the Mexican who made it and was destroying all of the competition. Still, he remains the only MLB player since baseball integrated in 1947 to win his first eight career starts. He has not yet appeared in any of the special era ballots, but that is his best hope. No game was more memorable than Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Italics mark those subsequently elected. Doug McKain 06/30/2021. Valenzuela had a solid career, finishing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997. In addition to inspiring the multiple generations of Latin American players, Valenzuela created multiple generations of Mexican fans. Valenzuela also pitched 251 innings in 1987. The next season, when he was only 20, Valenzuela energized fans in Los Angeles, Mexico and throughout the big leagues with one of the more remarkable seasons in baseball history. First of all, Valenzuela was on the HoF ballot for the first time in 2003 and fell off in 2004. Its been a lot of years since someone has worn No. No Dodgers player has worn Valenzuelas jersey No. Just 6.2% in 2003 and 3.8 in 2004. He worked 18 years at the Philadelphia Inquirer and four years at ESPN. Art or Photo Credit: Tom Forget / MLB.com, Jesse Sanchez, Nathalie Alonso, David Venn. Kellogg's Corn Flakes put him on a box of cereal. 34 Dodgers jersey with LOPEZUELA stitched across the back of his shoulders when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch before a Dodgers home game in 2012. Hall of Fame Inductee Fernando Valenzuela and his daughter attend the 12th Annual California Hall of Fame Ceremony at The California Museum on December 4, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Valenzuela also was unflappable, a rarity for a player so young. The two candidates who received at least 75% of the vote and were elected are indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been selected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics. The Mexican-American community has always been large in Los Angeles, but it was not attached to the Dodgers when they were imported from Brooklyn. Loaiza never again repeated his Chicago success before retiring after the 2008 season. The comedian still chuckles when he recalls an unscheduled mound visit and the cheers it elicited to the sold-out stadium. I think the players were as caught up as anyone else., Decades later, Valenzuela said his 1981 success was simple. Finley and Johnson take 'Year of the No-Hitter' overseas I had a fastball and a curveball that was good but maybe, a screwball, a pitch that moved in the opposite direction of the curveball, could help, Valenzuela says. And in my opinion, Fernando should have pitched another five years easy if it wasnt because Lasorda didnt care for the welfare if this great Mexican pitcher that came to the Dodgers from a little town in Sonora, Mexico. Fernando Valenzuela had 2,074 strikeouts over his career. In addition to calling games, Jarrn served as Valenzuelas interpreter at news conferences, which gained him exposure in other markets and, by extension, the electorate of the Hall of Fames Ford C. Frick Award. They also know his voice in Southern California because he broadcasts Dodgers games in Spanish. For my generation, Im talking Generation X, the children of Mexican immigrants that grew up in Southern California in the 1980s, hes not a myth, he was a hero. Fernando Valenzuela was one of MLB's most beloved players over his 17-season career. Yes, I totally agree that Fernando Valenzuela should be in the HALL OF FAME 100 percent. When he pitched, attendance rose dramatically at home and away games. It begins in one direction and unexpectedly breaks in the opposite direction. On opening day on April 8, 1981, scheduled starting pitcher Jerry Reuss suffered an injury while warming up. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? The Los Angeles Times couldnt stop writing about Valenzuela, and The Los Angeles Herald Examiner even had a nickname contest and voted El Toro as the winner. While the ERA looks impressive, the Mexican Center League was a low-offense environment and three team staffs had lower ERAs. At that point, Valenzuela was 5-0 with a 0.20 ERA, and everyone wanted to know when Fernando was going to pitch again. The Dodgers won the next three contests to clinch the World Series title in six games. All Rights Reserved. Army family housing appropriation thresholds. Only umpire Doug Harvey tallied more than fifty percent support. But he fondly recalls how Valenzuela's special season impacted baseball in Los Angeles and Mexican Americans. Design by Tom Forget. If you have any questions please feel free to email Athletic Director Jesse Irvin or call 240-740-6415 anytime. He threw 113 complete games, including 31 shutouts. 19), the club's first-base coach who died before the start of the 1978 World Series. His numbers were impressive to me, but he just didnt do it long enough and that was his only drawback as far as I was concerned.. "I've never seen anything like it," broadcaster Jaime Jarrn told Sports Illustrated. In his next seven starts, Valenzuela completed every game, a rarity. Before that, he was the Dodgers beat writer. Fernandomania unified the city, giving it something to cheer for, together. Comedian George Lopez reacts after his ceremonial first pitch during the 2009 NLDS. Don't miss any Dodgers News, Rumors, and Exclusive Offers! This guy was godsend like orel, and Clayton. The screwball that dropped straight down in the strike zone was best against the most disciplined hitters. Valenzuela Gets Young Award - The New York Times Good pitcher and all that Fernando mania stuff but not HOF. However, his presence did not right the wrongs that took place before he was even born. He was also very playful when he got comfortable.. He just never generated enough support, Spencer says. The accolades are flattering, but Valenzuela downplays his accomplishments, and hes certainly not going to campaign for recognition. Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea ( Spanish pronunciation: [fenando alenswela], born November 1, 1960) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. Hall of Stats: Fernando Valenzuela Fernando Valenzuela - Baseball Fever You cannot like what happened at Chavez Ravine and still love the Dodgers, says Arellano, who also taught Chicano Studies at Cal State Fullerton. the May 18, 1981, edition of Sports Illustrated, when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch. He was 75. 34 in 2019. Fernandomania - Society for American Baseball Research But they could not have been sweeter. It was immediate, and it was powerful. Fernando Valenzuela (1981/1981) [8]-NL 4. Forty years later, there are still memories.. What he accomplished from 1980 to 1987 ranks atop any pre steroid performer like Roger Clemens. Came from Mexico in the late 70's, and Fernando made him a baseball fan. I believe that the manager Tom Lasorda overused him with the excuse of Fernandomania frenzy of those days and that he was only thinking of making the Dodgers richer with the millions of fans that he brought to the park every time he pitched. One of the biggest problems is that the East Coast heavy media personnel have forgotten about the impact he had and his greatness. I threw well -- nine innings, nine zeros. Valenzuela should be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The feeling was that this team was starting to run out of time to accomplish winning a world championship, said first baseman Steve Garvey, who played for the Dodgers from 1969 through 1982. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) held an election to select from among recent players; Gary Carter and Eddie Murray were elected. The audience that was won over by Valenzuela remains. Long ago, he began golfing, giving pro golfers and amateur hackers in Southern California tales of Fernando sightings, from tony country clubs to city courses.