‘Fernandomania’ Lives Again at Dodger Stadium With Retirement of Valenzuela’s Jersey

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Fernandomania” has damaged out once more at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers have been set to retire Fernando Valenzuela’s No. 34 jersey on Friday night time earlier than internet hosting the Colorado Rockies.

“It’s totally emotional,” Valenzuela instructed a crowded room of English and Spanish-language media hours earlier than the ceremony. “I by no means anticipated it.”

Earlier within the day, the 62-year-old was in downtown Los Angeles, the place town council declared it “Fernando Valenzuela Day.”

The actions have been a part of a weekend-long celebration of some of the enduring and fashionable gamers in Dodgers historical past. A postgame drone present honoring Valenzuela was set for after the sport.

On Saturday, the staff is making a gift of his bobblehead, and on Sunday, the giveaway is a reproduction of Valenzuela’s 1981 World Sequence ring.

Valenzuela turned a sensation that yr. Moreover profitable the World Sequence, he received Rookie of the 12 months and the Cy Younger Award, the primary participant to take action in the identical yr.

He was named the Opening Day starter that yr by supervisor Tommy Lasorda after Jerry Reuss acquired damage a day earlier. He responded with a 2-0 victory over Houston, starting the season with an 8-0 report, together with 5 shutouts, and an 0.50 ERA.

“Tommy Lasorda got here as much as me and mentioned, ‘Are you able to pitch tomorrow?’ I mentioned, ‘I’m prepared,'” Valenzuela recalled. “That is what I used to be in search of, the chance to indicate what I can do.”

Valenzuela’s pitching movement — glancing skyward on the apex of every windup — was successful, too. His signature pitch was the screwball, taught to him by teammate Bobby Castillo in 1979.

Throughout his warmups, ABBA’s hit “Fernando” blared from the audio system.

The native of Mexico was credited for drawing giant numbers of Latino followers to Dodger Stadium and so they nicknamed him “El Toro” — the Bull.

Valenzuela’s quantity was to be unveiled on the left subject membership stage, the place he’ll be a part of earlier honorees Pee Wee Reese, Lasorda, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton, Walter Alston, Sandy Koufax, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Don Drysdale and Corridor of Fame broadcasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín.

Jarrín “helped me lots early in my profession speaking to you guys,” Valenzuela mentioned, referring to the interpretation the broadcaster did for English-speaking media.

Moreover Lasorda and Jarrín, Valenzuela additionally credited Mike Brito, the scout who in Mexico discovered the left-handed pitcher. Brito died final yr at 87.

Valenzuela additionally received the 1988 World Sequence with the Dodgers, in addition to Silver Slugger awards in 1981 and ’83. He pitched for the staff from 1980-90. He retired in 1997.

Valenzuela has stayed near the franchise. He’s the colour commentator on the Spanish-language broadcasts for its SportsNet LA cable channel.

He stays among the many franchise leaders in wins (141), strikeouts (1,759), innings pitched (2,348 2/3), begins (320), full video games (107) and shutouts (29).

Valenzuela turned a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2015.

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