Lasorda stuck with Valenzuela and the managers faith in the pitcher was rewarded when Fernando shut down the Yankees the rest of the way. They also obscured a more egregious omission. The feeling was that this team was starting to run out of time to accomplish winning a world championship, said first baseman Steve Garvey, who played for the Dodgers from 1969 through 1982. I threw well -- nine innings, nine zeros. ), Hal McCoy received the J. G. Taylor Spink Award honoring a baseball writer. Three years later, Dodger Stadium opened on April 10, 1962, on the land. 2002 Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Results - Baseball Almanac Don Newcombe, Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, Kirk Gibson and Maury Wills were previously enshrined as "Legends," whose plaques are displayed at the top of the stadium behind home plate. I remember how his rivals laughed at his delivery and his weight. Impianto di terra cantiere alto. As the legend goes, Lasorda told Valenzuela in his native language that if he didnt give up any more runs, the Dodgers would win the game, and that Fernando, who was rarely heard speaking English at that time, answered, Are you sure?, I really dont remember, but I think that yes, it was something like that, Valenzuela says. A few families held out and refused to leave their homes, even after the city sold the land to O'Malley for the stadium. 24), Sandy Koufax (No. He never complained about aches and pains, a trait that also hurt any potential candidacy. Fernando Valenzuela played 17 seasons. Alexandre bernardo teixeira gomes cleveland. Maybe the Dodgers will come to their senses by then. He expanded the games customer base. They had no telephone, so we surprised them. In that stretch, he struck out 68 and allowed four earned runs in 72 innings for a mind-boggling 0.50 ERA. His favorite venue was Dodger Stadium and the nights Valenzuela pitched were magical. Why on earth include Bud Selig and Bobby Cox? But, hey, the 50-year anniversary of Fernandomania is only a decade away. That helps me get through all those innings. Comedian George Lopez reacts after his ceremonial first pitch during the 2009 NLDS. Im someone who is very reserved, Valenzuela says. I really think theres a home for Fernando in the Hall," says the longtime sportswriter. Decades before he starred on screens and on stages across the globe, comedian George Lopez was a young Dodgers fan. Los Angeles was evolving when Fernandomania erupted in 1981. First of all, Valenzuela was on the HoF ballot for the first time in 2003 and fell off in 2004. ), Babe Adams Joe Adcock Dick Allen Johnny Allen Felipe Alou Bobby vila Sal Bando Dick Bartell Ginger Beaumont Glenn Beckert Wally Berger Bobby Bonds Ken Boyer Harry Brecheen Tommy Bridges Pete Browning Charlie Buffinton Lew Burdette George H. Burns George J. 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Marshall Pepper Martin Carl Mays Tim McCarver Frank McCormick Lindy McDaniel Gil McDougald Sam McDowell Stuffy McInnis Denny McLain Roy McMillan Dave McNally Andy Messersmith Bob Meusel Irish Meusel Bing Miller Stu Miller Minnie Mioso Terry Moore Tony Mullane Thurman Munson Johnny Murphy Buddy Myer Art Nehf Don Newcombe Bobo Newsom Lefty O'Doul Tony Oliva Claude Osteen Milt Pappas Mel Parnell Camilo Pascual Ron Perranoski Jim Perry Johnny Pesky Rico Petrocelli Deacon Phillippe Billy Pierce Vada Pinson Wally Pipp Johnny Podres Boog Powell Jack Quinn Vic Raschi Ed Reulbach Allie Reynolds J. 39), Jackie Robinson (No. Dodgers: Fans Want Team to Retire Fernando Valenzuela's Number Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Dodgers dont need the long ball to finish sweep of Cardinals, Clayton Kershaw adds to his Dodgers legend with another pitching gem, With Miguel Vargas at second base, Dodgers have an expectation he will get better, Celebrating the legacy of Fernandomania 40 years later, Arellano: The Gospel of Fernandomania: Fernando Valenzuela remains a Mexican American icon, Rookie Zach McKinstry continues his torrid start as Dodgers sweep Nationals. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? And with the roots of the movement starting with the . The Dodgers actually found him, which was in itself a miracle. Fernando Valenzuela went on to pitch 11 years for the Dodgers (1980-1990). Historical Events. Rules enacted in August 2001 provided that the Veterans Committee would be expanded from its previous 15 members, elected to limited terms, and it would vote by mail rather than convene. Each of the Dodgers retired numbers was worn by a player who played a majority of his career with the club and was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is part of a group of players once considered outsiders and who changed the games landscape upon their entry. In 1981, an 11-year-old Jaffe used to cut Valenzuelas box scores out of his local Salt Lake City newspaper and paste them into a scrapbook. While the ERA looks impressive, the Mexican Center League was a low-offense environment and three team staffs had lower ERAs. We created this new class of player called Dodger Legends in our new center-field plaza. We have had so many great players that if we tried to retire everyone's number who would qualify, then we would be in triple digits on our uniforms now, Kasten says. R. Richard Eddie Rommel Charley Root Al Rosen Schoolboy Rowe Pete Runnels Jimmy Ryan Johnny Sain Manny Sanguilln Ron Santo Hank Sauer Wally Schang Hal Schumacher George Scott Rip Sewell Bob Shawkey Urban Shocker Roy Sievers Curt Simmons Vern Stephens Riggs Stephenson Mel Stottlemyre Harry Stovey Jesse Tannehill Tony Taylor Johnny Temple Fred Tenney Bobby Thomson Mike Tiernan Joe Torre Cecil Travis Hal Trosky Virgil Trucks George Van Haltren Johnny Vander Meer Bobby Veach Mickey Vernon Dixie Walker Bucky Walters Lon Warneke Will White Cy Williams Ken R. Williams Maury Wills Wilbur Wood Glenn Wright Jimmy Wynn Rudy York, Gene Autry Buzzie Bavasi Samuel Breadon Charles Bronfman Gussie Busch George W. Bush Roger Craig Harry Dalton Bill Dinneen Charles Dressen Barney Dreyfuss Chub Feeney John Fetzer Charles O. Finley John Galbreath Larry Goetz Calvin Griffith Fred Haney Doug Harvey Garry Herrmann Whitey Herzog John Heydler Ralph Houk Bob Howsam Fred Hutchinson Ewing Kauffman Bowie Kuhn Frank Lane Billy Martin Gene Mauch Marvin Miller Danny Murtaugh Hank O'Day Walter O'Malley Steve O'Neill Paul Owens Steve Palermo Gabe Paul Joan Payson Babe Pinelli Bob Quinn Alfred Reach Beans Reardon Paul Richards Cy Rigler Bill Rigney Ben Shibe Charles Somers Billy Southworth George Stallings Bill Summers Cedric Tallis Chuck Tanner Birdie Tebbetts Patsy Tebeau Chris von der Ahe Lee Weyer Bill White Dick Williams Phil Wrigley. Its not a pitch that organizations really teach anymore, says Dodgers broadcaster Orel Hershiser, Valenzuelas teammate from 1983 through 1990. Kellogg's Corn Flakes put him on a box of cereal. 34 to the list of 11 current . To his point: The Dodgers have fielded some bad teams over the last 20 seasons and all but one of them finished the season with an annual home attendance of more than 3 million fans. The children of Valenzuelas fans, and now even their children, have become Dodgers fans. There were so many interview requests for Fernando that the pitcher was forced to hold news conferences with Jarrn by his side before every home start and in jam-packed clubhouses on the first day in every city the team visited. Not necessarily looking for HOFers. I think a lot of baseball media not on the west coast forget about Fernando. The comedian still chuckles when he recalls an unscheduled mound visit and the cheers it elicited to the sold-out stadium. 34 Dodgers jersey with LOPEZUELA stitched across the back of his shoulders when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch before a Dodgers home game in 2012. "Unheard of," Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jerrin told the Times. His family lived on a dirt road that was filled with potholes, he says. I have always tried to see first what I have to do in certain situations and with certain things, and then act. Which isnt to say Selig isnt deserving. [1], The process would cover players every two years and other contributors (managers, umpires and executives) every four years. The workload eventually caught up to him. In those first eight games, everything went well, good run support, good defense, says Valenzuela, who became the first -- and to date, the only pitcher to claim both the Rookie of the Year Award and the Cy Young in the same season. I will be comparing him to some other Hall of Famers; and as someone who is a big hall person, I feel I can make the case. Dodgers Way Top Ten Dodgers of All-Time: Number Six Among 85 eligible voters, 79 cast ballots so 60 votes were the minimum to elect a candidate. My slider wasnt very good. Fernando Valenzuela's short peak removed him from the MLB Hall of Fame conversation. Fernando Valenzuela - California Museum The first time he surrendered a home run, to Montreals Chris Speier, he was unfazed. For me, it was about what you did for the game and how you impacted the sport. Long before we got here, they established a policy, which I agree with, and that is that we'll just use Hall of Fame people for retired numbers. Dodgers News: Julio Urias Talks About His Fandom of Fernando Valenzuela, Dodgers News: Julio Urias Feeds Off the Energy of the Crowd at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers News: Fernando Valenzuela Earns a Very Special Award at Dodger Stadium, The easy calls with great players like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays, The players that accumulate stats over long careers, but may never be considered the best of their generation, much like Don Sutton or Bert Blyleven, Players popular with fans and media, like a Phil Rizzuto. Only umpire Doug Harvey tallied more than fifty percent support. This will be all age related. He knew how to play the game. The induction ceremonies were held on July 27 in Cooperstown, with Commissioner Bud Selig presiding. Valenzuela had a solid career, finishing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997. NEW YORK -- Eddie Murray, Lee Smith, Ryne Sandberg and Fernando Valenzuela are among 17 players on baseball's Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year. There are several [mound conversations] that I dont remember, but to stay in the game and to not be taken out, I was always trying to evade him and give him the runaround or go someplace else to avoid having him approach me and have that conversation.. Seriously, if commissioners can receive baseballs highest honor for creating the stage on which todays players perform, a player should be able to too. His importance to the Dodgers, in particular, was critical to the point that former owner Walter OMalley imagined him before he existed. After struggling with injuries he came back and threw his only no-hitter in 1990. All Rights Reserved. Later that summer, Valenzuela attended a state luncheon at the White House with President Ronald Reagan. Later that summer, Valenzuela attended a state luncheon at the White House with President Ronald Reagan. Fernando Valenzuela - Wikipedia Lopezs grandparents made him a Dodgers fan in the late 1960s and the family attended games throughout the 1970s, sporting the teams iconic blue and white colors. The fundamental problem with many in the media is that they mistake . The Dodgers won the title in seven games. He was a breath of fresh air as a youngster with a mans knowledge on how to play the game.. Leading up to the celebration Sunday of Valenzuelas landmark rookie season, there were renewed pleas for the franchise to make an exception to its arbitrary policy of retiring only the numbers of Hall of Famers. Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Damon Berryhill, Mike Bielecki, Darnell Coles, Mariano Duncan, lvaro Espinoza, Greg Gagne, Mike Gallego, Rene Gonzales, Kevin Gross, Mark Gubicza, Ron Karkovice, Joe Orsulak, Jody Reed, Bruce Ruffin, Kevin Seitzer, Don Slaught, and John Smiley. In terms of player comparisons, over the last 25 years guys like Bruce Sutter, Jack Morris, Bill Mazeroski and Jim Rice have all been elected. Feel free to click the Baseball Referencelinks on their names to compare for yourself. In addition to inspiring the multiple generations of Latin American players, Valenzuela created multiple generations of Mexican fans. This articleby Jos M. Alamillo tells his amazing story of how Fernando impacted him. He placed in the top 5 in Cy Young voting 4 times in 6 years. Didnt . So, is Fernando Valenzuela a Hall of Fame-worthy player? The Dodgers were down 2-0 after the first two games and he pitched a complete game to help the Dodgers win 5-4. For my generation, Im talking Generation X, the children of Mexican immigrants that grew up in Southern California in the 1980s, hes not a myth, he was a hero. Four decades later, the ordinary-looking man with extraordinary talent remains a cultural hero, a baseball legend and a mythical figure because of his feats on the field, and his humble nature off of it. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Within a few short weeks, Fernandomania was sweeping the nation. Now, more than 40% of the teams fans are Latino. Outside of Jackie Robinson and maybe Babe Ruth, Valenzuela reshaped baseballs landscape more than any other player in history. The ballot consisted of 33 players; 496 ballots were cast, with 372 votes required for election. Valenzuelas next three starts came on the road -- in San Francisco, San Diego and Houston. The ballot consisted of 33 players; 496 ballots were cast, with 372 votes required for election. Several artifacts from his illustrious career are housed in Cooperstown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, but he has not received the call for enshrinement. Don't miss any of the Dodgers latest News, Rumors, and Exclusive Offers! Dodgers Offseason: Could LA Work Out an Extension with Julio Urias? They also know his voice in Southern California because he broadcasts Dodgers games in Spanish. His first taste of Fernandomania came on April 27, 1981, when he watched from the left field bleachers as Valenzuela threw a seven-hit shutout and notched three hits in a 5-0 victory against the Giants. 1), manager Tommy Lasorda (No. #ProspectHugger. Nonetheless, Jarrn said, logically, the talent would have emerged sooner or later.. In 10 games as a relief pitcher, he allowed zero earned runs. But even he acknowledged he was elected in part because of Valenzuela. Fans bought T-shirts with Valenzuelas name on the back, made their own or bought bootleg versions available all over the city. Valenzuela, who had thrown batting practice at Dodger Stadium the day before, learned of his assignment less than 24 hours before first pitch. Don't miss any Dodgers News, Rumors, and Exclusive Offers! In addition, Darryl Kile was exempted from the five-season rule and included on the ballot, due to his unexpected death during the 2002 season. Still, he remains the only MLB player since baseball integrated in 1947 to win his first eight career starts. I think after that, there were more opportunities. Fernando.". Valenzuela only lasted two years on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot before being dropped for lack of votes, meaning he seemingly never had a chance to add his No. From purely a fan perspective I cannot think of a player since Jackie Robinson that has had a generational draw like Valenzuela. You can also follow SVHS athletics on twitter and Instagram @svhsathletics or at screamingeagleathletics on Facebook. 19), the club's first-base coach who died before the start of the 1978 World Series. He finished top-3 in Cy Young voting two more times before fizzling out in 1990. A total of 3272 individual votes were cast, an average of 6.60 per ballot. BREAKING: Hall of Fame pitcher Don - KTLA 5 Morning News - Facebook We then had Sandy Koufax, who became an icon for Eastern Europeans trying to assimilate into America right at that time. To lure the Dodgers across the country, the city of Los Angeles evicted local residents from the Chavez Ravine area, north of downtown, where the team planned to build a new stadium. He could hit, he could bunt, field his position. Fernandomania @ 40 is a multi-episode documentary series that examines star pitcher Fernando Valenzuelas impact on the Dodgers, Major League Baseball and the Latino community in Los Angeles 40 years ago. He was the best and most of his losses in first 7 years were by one run or dodgers getting shut out and he didntt choke in post season plus de didntt need relief since most of time he was around 9 innings and was used as pinch hitter too.he could play good defense too.sorry but Kershaw not in his class .healthy Fernando would have won 4 world series the last 4 years that Kershaw failed. He was stellar in the 1981 playoffs including his World Series game 3 start. Remembering Fernandomania 40 years later | MLB.com . Valenzuela is a member of the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame, Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame and the California Sports Hall of Fame. High pitch counts in an era when nobody cared about pitch counts, six straight seasons of 250 or more innings pitched when that type of workload was the norm, and the stress placed on his shoulder by repeatedly throwing his screwball shortened Valenzuelas career and ultimately thwarted his Hall of Fame candidacy. All three were complete-game wins, including shutouts against the Padres and Astros. ! He still moves the needle. ', So, Fernando in many ways, even though he never had to say it, he was a bridge to let Americans know that, Hey, its going to be OK. I was assigned that number. Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2003 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001. The 13 candidates who received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with an asterisk (*). David Venn is the executive editor of LasMayores.com, MLBs official Spanish-language website. He was calm and quiet, but very confident and intelligent. OMalley once wished out loud for a Mexican Sandy Koufax, a pitcher who could capture fans imaginations the way the Hall of Famer had. Fernando Valenzuela's screwballand unique deliveryoften baffled hitters in 1981. Fernando Valenzuela capped his 1981 season by winning the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), In the strike-shortened 1981 season, rookie Fernando Valenzuela won 13 games and pitched eight shutouts. My dad couldn wait to watch Los Doyers and I could not wait to watch the game with him regardless of who was playing for the Dodgers all because of Fernando Valenzuela. Dodgers: The Hall of Fame Case for Fernando Valenzuela If theres someone [else] that can wear it, thats no problem. Both cycles first concluded with elections in February 2003, electing no one. Todays Fernando is a fun-loving grandfather with a dry sense of humor and perfect comedic timing. Valenzuela was an All-Star in each of his first 6 seasons. Thats just a ridiculous responsibility to assign to him, and its much more complicated than that.. Dodgers Dugout: Seven elected to our Hall of Fame Fernando was in the inaugural class because of the impact he had here and because of the following he continues to have among our fanbase.. When you think of our particular history, which we are so proud of and talk about every day, you can't talk about it without mentioning Fernando's impact, Dodgers president Stan Kasten says. From 1987-97, his statistics would say no: 74-85 with a 4.23 ERA. Valenzuela was an All-Star in each of his first 6 seasons. If things had turned out differently, if I didnt do my job, we dont know if there would have been more opportunities, no? Valenzuela said. Why Fernando Valenzuela should be in Baseball Hall of Fame - Los After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles from Brooklyn following the 1957 season, Los Angeles owner Walter OMalley believed it was vital to build good relationships with the local communities. Thanks in advance. The 2022 Seneca Valley Sports Hall of Fame Inductees: Tony DeRiggi '04. Valenzuela played 17 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons, from 1980 to 1991 and 1993 to 1997. He could do everything on a baseball field but run, former teammate and current Astros manager Dusty Baker says. Dodgers: The Hall of Fame Case for Fernando Valenzuela. ESPN.com: MLB - Kile, Valenzuela, others make Hall of Fame ballot Ive always been asked what the situation is, with Cooperstown and all that, Valenzuela says. He has not yet appeared in any of the special era ballots, but that is his best hope.
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