Fernando Valenzuela, in a game with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in an undated image. Bernstein Associates (Getty Images)
There was a time, not too long ago, when baseball could be summed up in one word: Fernandomanía. The eighties had its poster idol, one that was forged in the town of Etchohuaquila, in Sonora. Fernando Valenzuela had such a powerful left foot that it made him stand out among his 11 brothers. The baseball boy wanted to reach the highest forum of the sport, in the United States, a country to which thousands of Mexicans emigrated. He achieved that goal, but that would be an understatement: Valenzuela rewrote history for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Before reaching the age of majority, Valenzuela had already had a good run in Mexican teams, such as the Mayos de Navojoa, the Tuzos de Guanajuato and the Leones de Yucatán. At 18 he went to California to join the Dodgers. He was signed on July 6, 1979 and a year later he joined the main team. El Toro, as he was nicknamed because of his complexion and power, was seen as just another rookie until he had to throw the ball. He wore the number 34 by team decree, not by choice. Forty-three years later, the team has retired his number to honor his legacy this Friday. The Los Angeles City Council raised the festivities by decreeing that August 11 will be known, from now on, as Fernando Valenzuela Day.
Valenzuela stood out in his first year, although it was in the 1981 season when he shook Major League Baseball (MLB) by winning the World Series in 1981. His pitches from the mound also earned him the Rookie of the Year trophy and the award Cy Young, which is awarded to the best pitcher of the year. No Mexican or Latin American had achieved it. He had a peculiar strategy, the screwball (corkscrew), which was worth it to deceive the rival batter with a slight curve that goes into a tailspin. That year earned him to become famous among the Mexican and Latino community in Los Angeles, California and, of course, in Mexico. Fernando Valenzuela, with a cap that covered his long hair, was the perfect hitch for a growing community in the US that spoke Spanish and saw the American dream in the athlete. The number 34 and the last name Valenzuela were immediately synonymous with success.
Valenzuela continued his good seasons with the Dodgers where, in 1988, he won the World Series again. He won 141 games with the Dodgers, although he is reminded of the no-hitter against the Cardinals in 1990. He was named to the All-Star Game six times in the 11 seasons he played in the Los Angeles city. When he left, he did not find a similar love, despite the fact that he played with the California Angels, with the Orioles, Phillies, the Padres and the Cardinals. In 1997 he closed his locker for good and retired from demanding baseball. At the age of 44, he bathed in affection when he played for the Águilas de Mexicali.
Valenzuela, in addition to being a great baseball player, led the cause of the Latino community in the United States. In 2015 he became a US citizen. That same year, President Barack Obama named him the presidential ambassador for citizenship and naturalization. Valenzuela promoted the rights and responsibilities of legal residents. The Dodgers, one of baseball’s legendary teams, have conferred one of the highest honors that can be given to a player: the number has a face and it is the Bull.
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2023-08-12 01:37:56
#Dodgers #immortalize #Fernando #Valenzuela
