Mexico City. The legendary Mexican pitcher Fernando “Toro” Valenzuela, who died on October 22, 2024, was excluded for the third time from the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, for not receiving the necessary votes from the Contemporary Era Committee, which only elected Jeff Kent to be inducted next year.
The native of Etchohuaquila, Sonora, who in the 1980s shone in the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, needed at least 12 of the panel’s 16 votes to enter said venue; however, he received fewer than five, as did Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens (both steroid-tainted stars), and Gary Sheffield. Following this result, Valenzuela will not be able to be considered again by the committee until 2031.
In his first year of eligibility, in 2003, the “Bull” only obtained 6.2 percent of the votes, far from the 75 percent required. The following year, it was also rejected after receiving only 3.8 percent.
Valenzuela is the only pitcher in history who has managed to win the Rookie of the Year award and the Cy Young (recognition for the best pitcher in Major League Baseball) in the same season: 1981, in which he was part of the Dodgers team that won the World Series against the New York Yankees, unleashing “Fernandomania” in both Mexico and the United States.
In that same year he also won a Plate Bat, went to the All-Star Game and led the National League in games started, innings, complete games and strikeouts. Additionally, he finished fifth in the MVP voting.
In his next five seasons with the Dodgers, he was again invited to the All-Star Game, won a Gold Glove, another Silver Slugger, received votes for the Cy Young on three occasions and also for the MVP. Between 1981 and 1986 he accumulated a WAR of 27.1, the best among all pitchers in that period. Likewise, he was the first Mexican pitcher to achieve the feat of throwing a game without hits or runs.
Puerto Rican Carlos Delgado was also left out of the Hall of Fame, since he only received nine votes, followed by Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy with six each.
For his part, Kent, who will be inducted on July 26, appeared on 14 of 16 ballots, two more than the 12 necessary for the minimum 75 percent.
A five-time All-Star second baseman, Kent hit .290 with 377 home runs and 1,518 RBIs over 17 seasons with Toronto (1992), the New York Mets (1992-96), Cleveland (1996), San Francisco (1997-2002), Houston (2003-04) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2005-08).
His 351 home runs as a second baseman are the most for a player at that position.
Kent received 15.2 percent in his first appearance on the BBWAA ballot in 2014 and a high of 46.5 percent in the last of his ten times on the ballot in 2023.
In 2022, the Hall of Fame restructured its veterans committees for the third time in 12 years, establishing panels to consider the contemporary era from 1980 onward, as well as the classical era. The contemporary era of baseball has separate tickets for players and another for managers, executives and umpires.
Each committee meets every three years. Contemporary managers, executives and referees will be considered in December 2026, classic era candidates in December 2027 and contemporary era players again in December 2028.
With information from AFP
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