The Los Angeles Dodgers have an ever-growing fan base that excitedly shows up to every game and proudly displays their love for the team. Their admiration for the LA team even extends outside the bounds of the stadium. Traveling throughout Los Angeles and especially around Chavez Ravine, the city is flooded with murals displaying a variety of current and past Dodger players. One recurring Dodger player featured in these murals is Mexican-born pitcher Fernando Valenzuela. 

Valenzuela is one of the Dodgers’ most memorable players. He was signed with the team in 1979 and finished 11 years later in 1990. During his career with the team, Valenzuela was the MLB’s first player to win in the same year both Rookie of the Year, given by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, and the Cy Young Award,  for best pitcher. He also won a World Series in his first year and threw a no-hitter, a game thrown without any earned hits from the opposing team, in 1990 during his last year with the team. 

Valenzuela’s contributions to the Dodgers didn’t stop at awards and championships. During his first year with the team in 1981, Valenzuela brought a never-before-seen craze to the organization. The years Valenzuela was a Dodger proved his importance to the team as there was an increase in fans and attendance at both home and away games whenever he pitched. He had sold out stadiums in 11 of his first 12 starts at Dodger Stadium. During his first two years, there were more than 13,000 fans in attendance during games Valenzuela was expected to start on the road. In 1982, the Dodgers broke the record for most fans in attendance, with 3.6 million fans. Numbers they had only closely reached twice before, 3.3 million in 1978 and 3.2 million in 1980. The baseball community named this phenomenon Fernandomania. 

Fernandomania began after his first official start on opening day in 1981, something uncommon for rookie pitchers. He had an amazing five-shutout inning game–a game without a single score in five out of the nine innings–which surprised many in attendance. His stats during his following games remained consistent as he continued to have multiple shutout innings and allowed only four earned runs in 72 innings. In comparison, for a pitcher to be considered “good,” he will let in an average of 1-3 earned runs per every nine innings pitched.

His popularity was not isolated to the United States. He was a hero to fans worldwide, especially in his home country of Mexico. 

Valenzuela’s games began to broadcast on television and radio stations all across Mexico City; increasing the number of stations broadcasting games from 3 to 17. This popularity resulted in a greater listening audience on Spanish-language stations than those of the late legendary commentator Vin Scully. 

Before Valenzuela, the relationship between the team and Mexican-American families in Los Angeles was strained due to the creation of Dodger Stadium. In the 1930s many families in La Loma, Bishop, and Palo Verde were forcefully removed from their homes to create Chavez Ravine. After this, the tension between Mexicans and Dodgers lasted for decades until Valenzuela reunited the two communities again. While he played with the team, the percentage of Mexican Dodgers fans in Los Angeles increased from its once mere 5% to a whopping 50%. 

Although the MLB had seen two Mexican starters before, Valenzuela created a larger appeal to fans because he was born in raised in Mexico. He was born in Sonora, a state many Mexican immigrants had once called home.

His charismatic personality and appearance are what also drew Mexican fans to root for him. As soon as he stepped on the mound to pitch, he pointed his finger to the sky, looking up to God. He stood at 5’11 and had a chunkier build that reminded many Chicanos of their primos and tíos back home. Like many Mexican-Americans, Valenzuela came from a poor family in rural Mexico, and worked hard to support himself and his family. He represented Mexicans every time he stepped onto the mound to pitch and reminded Hispanic fans listening at home that they too could succeed. 

Although in 1990 his contract with the team ended, his popularity and influence on the organization and baseball fans continue to this day. Countless fans proudly display Valenzuela’s jersey on their backs at every home game. 

Valenzuela’s impact on Mexican and Latino baseball fans is also heavily present in the baseball community as the Dodgers continue to hold one of the largest percentages of Hispanic fans in the United States, tied with the Miami Marlins at 29% as of 2020. 

Last year the Dodgers paid their respects to Valenzuela in an event they called “Fernandomania Weekend” from Aug. 11th to 13th. They started the celebration on the morning of Aug. 11th in Los Angeles City Hall where the City Council declared Aug. 11th, “Fernando Valenzuela Day.” They ended the night by retiring his number, 34, one of the highest honors in baseball as it means that number can no longer be worn by any other player in the team. It is given to players who hold a lot of significance and have had a meaningful impact on the team. 

The festivities continued onto Aug. 12th when the team gave out a collector’s edition Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead—a game I was honored to attend with my mother, a fellow fan. The bobblehead sits proudly presented on my desk as I’m writing this.

The weekend ended with the organization giving fans a replica of Valenzuela’s 1981 World Series ring before the last game on Sunday, Aug. 13th.

Unfortunately, on Oct. 22nd the Dodgers announced Valenzuela had passed away at age 63. The news came days before the team faced the Yankees in the World Series, whom they hadn’t faced since Valenzuela’s 1981 World Series. The Dodgers went on to win the championship in New York two weeks later. 

While the news devastated fans and players across the baseball community, many fans paid their respects to the legendary player in a memorial created in front of the Dodgers sign on Vin Scully Ave in Los Angeles. Dodgers players honored the legend by wearing a 34 patch on their uniforms during the World Series. 

Following their win, a parade was held on Nov. 2nd, what would’ve been Fernando’s 64th birthday. While in attendance at this parade, I witnessed how fans showed their love and adoration for Valenzuela wearing his jersey and holding up signs honoring the late pitcher.

One sign caught my attention that read “St. Toro of Los Angeles” and had a picture of a saint photoshopped with Valenzuela’s face and pitching glove. While humorous, the sign encapsulated the significance and legacy of Fernando Valenzuela—a hero to Dodger fans.