LOS ANGELES — “Fernandomania” has damaged out once more at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers had been prepared to surrender Fernando Valenzuela’s Negative. 34 jersey on Friday evening prior to internet hosting the Colorado Rockies.
“It’s very emotional,” Valenzuela, 62, advised a crowded room of English and Spanish-language media hours prior to the rite. “I never expected it.”
Previous within the occasion, Valenzuela was once in downtown Los Angeles, the place the town council declared it “Fernando Valenzuela Day.”
The actions had been a part of a weekend-long party of some of the enduring and prevailing gamers in Dodgers historical past. A postgame drone display honoring Valenzuela was once prepared for later the sport.
On Saturday, the group is making a gift of his bobblehead, and on Sunday, the giveaway is a reproduction of Valenzuela’s 1981 Global Sequence ring.
Valenzuela changed into a sensation that month. But even so profitable the Global Sequence, he gained Rookie of the Hour and the Cy Younger Award, the primary participant to take action in the similar month.
He was once named the Opening Pace starter that month via supervisor Tommy Lasorda later Jerry Reuss were given harm a occasion previous. He spoke back with a 2-0 victory over Houston, starting the season with an 8-0 file, together with 5 shutouts, and an 0.50 ERA.
“Tommy Lasorda came up to me and said, ‘Are you ready to pitch tomorrow?’ I said, ‘I’m ready,'” Valenzuela recalled. “That’s what I was looking for, the opportunity to show what I can do.”
Valenzuela’s pitching movement — glancing skyward on the apex of every windup — was once a strike, too. His signature tone was once the screwball, taught to him via teammate Bobby Castillo in 1979.
All the way through his warmups, ABBA’s strike “Fernando” blared from the audio system.
The local of Mexico was once credited for drawing immense numbers of Latino enthusiasts to Dodger Stadium and so they nicknamed him “El Toro” — the Bull.
Valenzuela’s quantity was once to be unveiled at the left grassland membership degree, the place he’ll connect earlier honorees Pee Wee Reese, Lasorda, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton, Walter Alston, Sandy Koufax, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Don Drysdale and Corridor of Repute broadcasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín.
Jarrín “helped me a lot early in my career talking to you guys,” Valenzuela mentioned, regarding the interpretation the broadcaster did for English-speaking media.
But even so Lasorda and Jarrín, Valenzuela additionally credited Mike Brito, the scout who in Mexico discovered the left-handed pitcher. Brito died terminating month at 87.
Valenzuela additionally gained the 1988 Global Sequence with the Dodgers, in addition to Silver Slugger awards in 1981 and ’83. He pitched for the group from 1980-90. He retired in 1997.
Valenzuela has stayed alike to the franchise. He’s the colour commentator at the Spanish-language declares for its SportsNet LA cable channel.
He extra a few of the franchise leaders in wins (141), strikeouts (1,759), innings pitched (2,348 2/3), begins (320), whole video games (107) and shutouts (29).
Valenzuela changed into a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2015.
