RIP Fernando Valenzuela

[TheSnowdog]

Dodgers legendary pitcher Valenzuela dies at 63

Fernando Valenzuela, the impetus behind "Fernandomania" while starring for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1980s, has died at the age of 63.

www.espn.com

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

God damn...did he even hit 60?

 

[broncosmitty]

RIP


Wish I had memories of FernandoMania. What a special baseball life he lived.

 

[redskinsfan1963]

2 years older than me,rip from what?

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Vaya con Dios, Fernando "El Toro".

Fernando Valenzuela - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

On October 1, 2024, it was reported that Valenzuela had been hospitalized for an undisclosed illness. He died in Los Angeles on October 22 at the age of 63. His death came two days after the Dodgers won the National League pennant, and a tribute to him is planned for the 2024 World Series.

 

[nynasty]

Greatest Mexican born player in MLB history. 63 is way too fucking young.

RIP

 

[fknhippie]

RIP.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Dang, too young.

Oh well, Circle a Life

 

[steveringo]

 

[nynasty]

Still remember his complete game as a 20 year old in the '81 World series. 8 hits, 7 walks 147 pitches. Turned the momentum of the series, unfortunately.

 

[Orangeisback]

His screwball that he pitched really messed up hitters for that first part of his career. At 20, started out 8 and 0. Every game was complete and I think like 5 of those were complete game shutouts. He had the league screwed up with that screwball.

Was there any pitcher before or after that was known or is known for a quality screwball?

 

[trojanfan12]

I'll never forget Fernandomania...what a special time that was.

RIP El Toro

 

[trojanfan12]

His screwball that he pitched really messed up hitters for that first part of his career. At 20, started out 8 and 0. Every game was complete and I think like 5 of those were complete game shutouts. He had the league screwed up with that screwball.

Was there any pitcher before or after that was known or is known for a quality screwball?

I don't know how good his was when he played, but it was Bobby Castillo who taught Fernando the screwball. He was in the minors and didn't really have an off-speed pitch, so Castillo taught him.

 

[redskinsfan1963]

had 4 kids,7 grandkids

 

[socaljim242]

His screwball that he pitched really messed up hitters for that first part of his career. At 20, started out 8 and 0. Every game was complete and I think like 5 of those were complete game shutouts. He had the league screwed up with that screwball.

Was there any pitcher before or after that was known or is known for a quality screwball?

Mike Marshall , a reliever of the Dodgers a few years later was a screwball thrower and became the first reliever to win the Cy Young. He taught his nephew Brent Honeywell how to throw the scewball and he's now on the dodgers.
Here's a cool tib bit for hardcore baseball fans. Honeywell threw four innings for the dodgers in game five of the NLCS. Saving the dodger bullpen from using more arms in a game they were going to lose. He came off the mound and Max Muncy told him, "you just won us game 6". That's how important the use of pitchers is in the post season. If the Mets would have knocked him out after an inning and made the dodgers use a couple more pitchers ,maybe they don't lose game 6 and then it's anything can happen in game 7.

 

[Cedrique]

His screwball that he pitched really messed up hitters for that first part of his career. At 20, started out 8 and 0. Every game was complete and I think like 5 of those were complete game shutouts. He had the league screwed up with that screwball.

Was there any pitcher before or after that was known or is known for a quality screwball?

Not many. I don't know if his was the best but Tug McGraw was the best at marketing his screwball. He had a comic strip and a book.

 

[socaljim242]

I don't know how good his was when he played, but it was Bobby Castillo who taught Fernando the screwball. He was in the minors and didn't really have an off-speed pitch, so Castillo taught him.

Yup. Bobby taught him the pitch in the off season before Fernando signed and Fernando being really young and unknown would go to the weekend beer leagues around east LA and perfect the pitch against guys who drank beer in the dugout.

I grew up in Highland Park and Bobbys cousin Ronnie Rubio was a 6'1 180 pitcher from there, with a 90s fastball. But he was in a gang and in and out of jail. Bobby got him a tryout with the dodgers and on then way his buddies car broke down minutes from dodger stadium and while they were pulled over to the side of the freeway a cop stopped and checked their IDs and his buddy had warrents and the cop arrested him and Ronnie never made the tryout. Bobby could only help him so much.

 

[jvett77]

RIP Fernando. He died Tuesday at 63 after battling liver cancer. I was fortunate to be working in LA in 1981, Valenzuela's rookie year. A 20-year old Mexican kid enters the Dodgers starting rotation and immediately becomes a hit with shutout after shutout. The town went wild and that was Fernandomania. He won game 3 of the WS vs the Yankees, was named Rookie of the Year, and won the Cy Young Award. I managed to attend most of his games.

Fernando's record in 1981: 13-7, 2.48 ERA, 8 SHO, 180K, 61BB, 11HR

 

[Maximus Rex]

I saw him pitch at Three Rivers Stadium his rookie year against the Pirates, by random chance. I was like 10 years old or so at the time, but was able to recognize something special when I saw it. RIP, Fernando.