fernando reportedly looking very thin and frail one of my favorite players ever will never forget the magic he brought to the stadium and city in 1981 inarguably one of the greatest dodgers ever thoughts and prayers L.A. in a Minute@LaInaMinute Terrible news being reported by David Faitelson of TUDN (TelevisaUnivision) that Fernando Valenzuela is in the hospital with health problems after stepping away from his duties with the Dodgers last week @DavidFaitelson_ Wishing for the best for El Toro. 6:03 PM · Sep 30, 2024 · 127.1K Views .
Yeah, didn't look to good last I saw. Wish him all the best. An iconic Dodger and ballplayer overall.
ah man that sucks never forget that gaze to the skies every pitch may you find your peace up there in blue heaven tu eres un amigo siempre
Too young, which is what makes it hard to accept. Great talent, great ambassador for the sport, and he bled Dodger blue to the end. He's probably wowing them up there with that screwball as we speak.
In the same week that I said something positive about Dave Roberts, I will say something kind about Bob 'race-baiting fuckmook' Nightengale: this is a lovely farewell to Fernando. Pasted sloppily (with apologies) from USA Today.... Dodgers icon Fernando Valenzuela is gone. But 'Fernandomania' will live forever USA Today Bob Nightengale LOS ANGELES — Longtime Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela 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. You marveled watching him pitch with his unique style, his eyes rolling to the heavens. You enjoyed his company long after retirement, laughing at his delightful sense of humor, feeling good just watching him walk into the room. It was only this summer that things dramatically changed. You saw him, you talked to him, you spent time with him, and that beautiful, engaging spirit was gone, replaced by a vacant look in his eyes. I last saw him in Phoenix six weeks ago, when the Dodgers came into town to play the Arizona Diamondbacks. You looked at him and were concerned. You talked to him and were alarmed. It might have been the first time Valenzuela didn’t address me by calling me “Matt.’’ He called me “Matt’’ for decades, insisting I resembled former All-Star infielder Matt Williams. He giggled every time he said it. I’m still not sure he ever knew my real name. This time, he didn’t call me by any name. He acknowledged me only when I stopped by his table, but was awfully quiet. No jokes. No laughter. No stories. He just sat quietly and ate his dinner while everyone else talked. You asked about his health to those closest to him, and they would just grimace, saying that although everyone knew he was sick, Valenzuela refused to talk about it. He was diagnosed with cancer, liver cancer to be specific, but suffered in silence, not wanting anyone to feel sorry for him. He died Tuesday at the age of 63. Valenzuela wanted to cherish and preserve that same unadulterated joy he created when he burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1981. He arrived from Etchohuaquila, Mexico, became an overnight star in Los Angeles, and had the Latino community bursting with pride to be Dodgers fans, with the Anglo fans scrambling to learn Spanish — or at least a few popular phrases. Valenzuela, the only pitcher in baseball history to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season in ‘81, was easily the greatest ballplayer to ever come out of Mexico. Now, 43 years later, he still is the greatest. He was such a legend that there was no need for a last name. He simply was called “Fernando.’’ He remained revered in Mexico, considered royalty wherever he traveled. He didn’t need a license plate while driving in Mexico. He didn’t even need a driver’s license. Everyone knew him. Fernando. Why complicate it with more? Now, just three days before the World Series — with the Dodgers playing the New York Yankees starting Friday for the first time in the Fall Classic since Valenzuela’s rookie year — he is gone. But "Fernandomania" will live forever. “He is one of the most influential Dodgers ever and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of franchise heroes," said Stan Kasten, Dodgers CEO and president, in a statement. "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.’’ Valenzuela never did make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. No matter. He is as legendary in Dodgers history as Sandy Koufax. You walk into Dodger Stadium today, and there are more Valenzuela No. 34 jerseys than Koufax jerseys. They would show him on the videoboard working Dodgers games as part of their Spanish-language broadcast team, and raucous cheers would break out, with fans chanting his name over and over. The man made the Dodgers who they are today, and his influence can be seen throughout Dodger Stadium with their diverse crowd, and large Latino population. There was never any braggadocio with Valenzuela. He only talked about himself when asked. He didn’t need anyone to validate his greatness. He was just Fernando, and Fernando never stopped being Fernando. 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 Friday. Memories will be passed on to future generations. Fernando would be embarrassed by all of the attention, just as he never talked about his disease, refusing to be the center of attention. He came to this country known only as Fernando, left this world being Fernando, and the memories of his beautiful innocence will be forever cherished in Los Angeles folklore. Everyone who saw him pitch understands it was a privilege. Well, it was a greater honor to know him. What a legend. What a beautiful human being. https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...-remembrance-los-angeles-dodgers/75803450007/
RIP Fernando . I remember when he was a September call up in 1980. Came in getting everyone out and thinking , “ Who is this kid.” (I was 25 he was 19) Even the new wife and new Dodger fan noticed. He didn’t allow a run in 17 2/3 innings across 10 relief appearances. "If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky!" Vin Scully
One of kind. Looked like a Ford Pinto, but pitched like a Bentley. Can't imagine there will ever be another season like the one Fernando had in '81. Rookie of the Year and MVP. Also won the Silver Slugger that year and later won a Gold Glove. Last we all saw him at the Stadium he didn't look good, so yesterday's news wasn't a shock, but it was still a gut punch. Apparently cancer got another one. RIP.
Tears on this one, for sure. Thanks for the memories, ese. So many wonderful memories. None of us will ever forget you.
Forgot the story of how Dodger ownership (the Peter O'Malley group) released Fernando just before the '91 to avoid paying him a $2 million plus bonus. He was a shadow of his former self, but to say he earned that bonus for services rendered was an understatement. It led to a 10 year estrangement between Fernando and the Dodgers.
Yeah, I guess the Dodgers have a few of tbese type gaffs in their history. Asi es la vida... That's back when 2 million was 2 million...
r/Dodgers • 13 hr. ago kpopsns28 [Jeff Passan] For those too young to understand what Fernando Valenzuela meant to Mexico, to Los Angeles, to baseball, here are numbers from the first eight starts of his career in 1981. He was 20. He threw a devastating screwball. And for a month, he was the biggest sports star in the world.
The O'Malley family had many solid qualities. Fiscal ethics weren't one of them. Walter fucked with Duke, Sandy, Don, and Wills. He'd claim that a .300 hitter made out overv6 times in 5 at-bats. If a pitcher struck out 300 batters, he'd focus on the majority who put bat on ball. Walter was a prick & his son was 50% as much of one. Still better than Fox or McCourt, but that family did some immoral shit to save a percentage of profits.
