Fernando Valenzuela, the impetus behind “Fernandomania” while winning National League Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year honors in 1981 as the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, has died at age 63.
The Dodgers announced the news, saying Valenzuela died Tuesday night at a Los Angeles hospital. They did not provide the cause or other details.
Valenzuela’s death comes as the Dodgers prepare to open the World Series on Friday night at home against the New York Yankees. Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Valenzuela would be honored during the Series at Dodger Stadium.
After pitching in the majors for 17 seasons, Valenzuela served as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the Dodgers, starting in 2003. He had stepped away from his broadcasting duties before the start of these playoffs to “focus on his health,” the team said.
Called up late in the 1980 season as a reliever, Valenzuela, who was born in Navojoa, Mexico, took the baseball world by storm in the strike-shortened 1981 season. After Jerry Reuss was injured on the eve of Opening Day, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda gave the ball to the 20-year-old Valenzuela, who had never started a major league game in his career.
He responded with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros and went on to begin the season with an 8-0 record, including five shutouts, and an 0.50 ERA.
