Fernando Valenzuela, the legendary Dodgers pitcher who ignited the “Fernandomania” phenomenon that forged a bond between the team and the Latino community in Los Angeles, has died. He was 63.
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We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela.
“Fernandomania” swept through baseball in 1981 when the 20-year old rookie sensation began the season 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA. The lefthander capped off his incredible year by winning both the NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards while helping lead Los Angeles to a World Series title.
Valenzuela pitched 17 Major League seasons, was a 6-time All-Star, and has the most wins (173) and strikeouts (2,074) of any Mexican-born pitcher.
He spent the last 22 years as a Spanish language broadcaster for the Dodgers, who retired his No. 34 in 2023.
He was 63.