Dodgers legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela has died at age 63 after becoming hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.
ABC7 Eyewitness NewsPitcher Fernando Valenzuela, a Dodgers icon whose "Fernandomania" fame swept through all of baseball in the 1980s, has died at age 63.
Valenzuela was one of the most dominant players of his era and a wildly popular figure in the 1980s, although he was never elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, he is part of Cooperstown, which features several artifacts including a signed ball from his no-hitter in 1990. In 1978, legendary Dodger scout Mike Brito made a trip to Silao, Mexico and got his first glimpse of Valenzuela on the mound. The 17-year-old impressed the veteran scout, not just with his athletic ability, but his fearlessness on the bump.
In 1979 in Arizona, Dodger Pitcher Bobby Castillo, who was recovering from an injury, taught Valenzuela how to throw a screwball. Valenzuela helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series over the Yankees, but more importantly, he helped build a bridge between the organization and the Mexican community.
Valenzuela pitched 11 years of his 17-year career with the Dodgers, finishing with 173 wins and a 3.54 ERA. He pitched his only no-hitter on June 29, 1990, against the Cardinals.
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