Viva La Fernandomania
- Jeremiah Edwards
- May 9, 2017
- 3 min read
Name: Fernando Valenzuela
Card Company: Score
Year: 1991
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Bats/Throws: L
Ht: 5'11
For those of you that don't know, Fernando Valenzuela is a big deal in LA. Few pitchers have made as large of an impact that he made so early in his career. Creating a movement called Fernandomania, that swept not only through LA but through the entire baseball world as well. Everyone had to get a glimpse at the pitching phenom that raised his head to the sky while winding-up before coming back down and delivering a screwball that would leave batters baffled and shaking their heads at the sky.
Nicknamed "El Toro", Fernando was the epitome of a workhorse
pitcher pitching over 200 innings seven times as a member of the Dodgers. He threw a career high 285.0 IP in 1982 but that wasn't even enough to lead the NL as Steve Carlton pitched an insane 295.2 that year. Times were different back then, if you were an ace more times than not the manager had to come out and pry the ball out of your hands. Also pitch counts didn't mean anything, and nobody really cared how many times you'd been through the other teams line-up it was all about trying to go distance every time out. Not convinced yet consider this, Chris Sale led the MLB with 6 complete games last year, in 1986 Fernando Valenzuela led the MLB with 20 complete games.
His time with the Dodgers was special making the NL All-Star Team from 1980-1986, and winning the Cy Young Award in 1981 and was also a member of the Dodgers 1988 World Series team. Although not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame few can rival Fernando's, popularity and legacy in Los Angeles. Although he did play for several other teams after his 11-year tenure with the Dodgers (mostly with minimal success), he will always be a Dodger for life.
Now what is special about this card here is that it commemorates the only time in his career that Fernando Valenzuela threw a No-Hitter. What makes this even more unique is that this was the 2nd no hitter thrown that day. That's right Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's had no-hit the Blue Jays earlier, prompting Valenzuela to tell his teammates "You just saw a no-hitter on TV, now you will see one in person."
Here's the last inning being called by the great Vin Scully.
property of MLB and youtube.
This would-be Valenzuela last year with the Dodgers finishing the year up with a (13-13 Record) (4.59 ERA) (204 IP). In the later stages of his career with the Dodgers and beyond he would struggle with shoulder issues, probably caused by the great amount of innings he pitched. One can only wonder if we would've seen Fernando Valenzuela at his peak longer had he not pitched so many innings so early in his career.
Fernando Valenzuela is now in his 15th season with the Dodgers as their Spanish Broadcaster on SportsNet LA. And with Vin Scully retiring last year he might be the most popular broadcaster as well. Fernando Valenzuela was so much more than a baseball player, he was a hero and a symbol of pride for so many Hispanics in America at the time and still is to this day.
Viva La Fernandomania.
Comments