The most recent attempt to induct legendary player Fernando Valenzuela into the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) was once again unsuccessful, leading to criticism of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
The late Dodgers star, born in Mexico, received fewer than five votes from the 16-member committee. This committee included seven Hall of Famers, six baseball executives – including Los Angeles Angels owner Artie Moreno and former Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng – and three veteran media members or historians.
Candidates need 12 votes – 75% of the committee – to be inducted.
Baseball experts and enthusiasts reacted to the committee’s decision, some highlighting Valenzuela’s cultural impact and historical achievements, while others argued that “El Toro” simply lacked the statistics to justify his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“Fernando Valenzuela was ignored by the Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Tomás Benítez, a historian of baseball’s legacy in the Latino community. “They were wrong.” Benítez is an advisor to the Latino Baseball History Project, which produced a series of books documenting the community’s long-term involvement in the game.
Valenzuela made history during the 1981 season, winning both the Rookie of the Year award and the Cy Young Award. He led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and was selected to the All-Star Game six times.
When Valenzuela threw a no-hitter on June 28, 1990 against the St. Louis Cardinals he continued to attract large numbers of Mexican Americans to fill the stadium stands.
That was a tremendous achievement, as Dodger Stadium was a source of pain for the community, because Mexican American families in the 1950s were forcibly evicted from their homes to make way for its construction. The displaced families never received the compensation they were promised.
As a member of the family, the community referred to him only by his first name and “Fernando’s” success felt like his own success. Although the history of the stadium is not forgotten to this day, its presence eased the pain a little.
“Fernandomania” turned the stadium into a vibrant hub for Latino fans, attracting new demographics to baseball and creating a lasting cultural phenomenon that united Los Angeles, leading to sold-out games, record attendance and a legacy of community connection and loyalty that continues today, leading the Dodgers to retire their number 34.
“Fernando changed the way the nation and the world enjoy the game,” Benitez said. “He gave his own community and nation a place in the game that cannot be erased, that will never be duplicated.”
Benítez also criticized the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for overlooking Valenzuela. “They don’t understand us and, honestly, they never have,” he said. “My mother always said that we need to know more about them than they need to know about us. I reflect on what she said and it resonates with me.”
On the other hand, Joseph L. Price, director of the Institute of Baseball Studies at Whittier College, said Valenzuela’s career statistics “do not compare favorably with other HOF pitchers, nor with others overlooked by Cooperstown, such as former Dodger Tommy John,” referring to Cooperstown, the town in New York, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
“To qualify for the Hall of Fame, a player must compile a stellar record over an extended career of at least 10 years,” Price continued. “In his first full season in the Major Leagues, Fernando Valenzuela excelled, winning the National League Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award, and for the next five years, he performed as an All-Star.”
Price added that although Valenzuela was a “solid starting pitcher” for the rest of his 17-year career, he never regained the exceptional form he showed in his early years. “Without a doubt, he was and is a fan favorite and ignited Latinos’ passion for the Dodgers,” Price said.
“To use a movie industry analogy, Fernando would certainly win the People’s Choice Award, but he wouldn’t receive an Oscar,” Price concluded.
In 2006, Valenzuela was inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals by the Baseball Reliquary, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the appreciation of American art and culture through the history of baseball. The reliquary is located in the Institute of Baseball Studies at Whittier College and is directed by Price.
Unlike the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Shrine of the Eternals prioritizes philosophical criteria over statistical achievements for election, as noted on its website.
Albert “Lefty” Olguin, a retired athletic director and professor in the California community college system, said Hall of Fame induction should not be based solely on statistics and longevity.
“Fernando Valenzuela had an incredible career that not only made waves in Dodger history, but also significantly impacted an entire culture. The pride we felt in Fernando energized the Hispanic community,” said Olguin, who was an All-City pitcher at San Pedro High and later coached at LA Harbor College and Cal State Dominguez Hills. “He [Valenzuela] “He was an icon and is still recognized as such.”
Olguín added: “He [Valenzuela] “He is Hall of Fame worthy, and anyone who knows baseball understands how big Fernandomania was.” Olguín contributed to the book “Mexican American Baseball in the South Bay.”
For MLB.com reporter Manny Randhawa, Valenzuela belongs in the Hall of Fame because he is a Dodger legend and a cultural icon who impacted the game like few others. “There have been 147 players born in Mexico in the history of the MLB,” he stated in a November 24 article in defense of “El Toro.”
“The greatest among them was the legendary Fernando Valenzuela, who became an instant sensation with the Dodgers in the early 1980s and was the only pitcher in Major League history to win both the Rookie of the Year award and the Cy Young Award in the same year.”
Randhawa also argued that Valenzuela’s statistics are comparable to those of two other Hall of Fame pitchers, Jack Morris of the Detroit Tigers and Catfish Hunter of the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. The journalist also highlighted Valenzuela’s other accomplishments, saying: “Valenzuela even finished fifth in NL MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger award.”
For his part, Ron Gonzales, a retired journalist and contributor to the Latino Baseball History Project, said he understands the argument that Valenzuela’s statistics might not reach the level of the Hall of Fame, but listed reasons why he belongs in it. “Fernando’s contributions transcended baseball because his story was an American fairy tale, from rags to riches, and a unique Mexican American story – the immigrant pursuing and achieving the American dream,” Gonzales said. “His contribution to baseball puts him in a category of his own.”
This was the first time Valenzuela appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot since 2004, when he received 3.8% of the votes from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America and was removed from future ballots because he received support from less than 5% of the electorate. Valenzuela received 6.2% of the vote when he was first placed on the ballot in 2003.
Valenzuela wasn’t the only player denied induction into the Hall of Fame this year. Career home run leader Barry Bonds, seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and Gary Sheffield also received fewer than five votes. Their specific totals were not announced. Bonds and Clemens have long been dogged by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use.
Valenzuela and the other candidates who received fewer than five votes from the Contemporary Era Committee will not be eligible for consideration when the group meets again in 2028. However, “El Toro” could be considered for the Hall of Fame again in 2031 or later.
“El Toro” continues to be an icon for Mexican Americans, Latinos, Angelenos and many baseball fans across the country. “Fernando Valenzuela deserves recognition in the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Benítez posted on Facebook. “He changed the game, he changed the fan base, he changed the world with [su] influence.”
Benítez concluded: “He was more than just a good player. He did more for baseball than any other player in modern history.”
Editor Diana Martínez contributed to this story.
