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Fernandomania Forever
To the baseball player who connected a Bronx kid to Los Angeles
Julio Ricardo Varela
October 23, 2024
On Tuesday night, days before they will play in another World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers shared the news that the great Fernando Valenzuela had died. He was 63 years old.
The Los Angeles Dodgers mourn the passing of legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers)
3:32 AM • Oct 23, 2024
I was 11 years old in 1981 when “Fernandomania” swept the baseball world and also U.S. culture. I was and still am a huge baseball fan.
This was Fernando’s rookie season: 13-7, 2.48 ERA, 8 shutouts, 180 strikeouts in 192.1 innings. In the 1981 postseason that led to the Dodgers’ first title since 1965, he was 3–1 with a 2.21 ERA in 40.2 innings. The dude was legit. Rookie of the Year. Cy Young winner and, oh yeah, a World Series title.
For those too young to understand what Fernando Valenzuela meant to Mexico, to Los Angeles, to baseball, here are numbers from the first eight starts of his career in 1981. He was 20. He threw a devastating screwball. And for a month, he was the biggest sports star in the world.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan)
3:50 AM • Oct 23, 2024
I was all in. I followed his career and rooted for Fernando when he was up and felt for him when he was down.
As an 11-year-old Puerto Rican kid growing up in The Bronx back then, Valenzuela’s magic was one of the first moments I felt that I was culturally connected to places that seemed so far away to me.
Mexico.
Los Angeles.
Other Latinos who were not Puerto Rican.
Even though I wasn’t a Dodgers fan in 1981 (and never will be, but yay, Mookie Betts), I didn’t like it one bit that the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees (yes, I used tp be a Yankees fan before I was a Boston Red Sox fan, all explained here), I LOVED Fernando. Loved him. Next to Roberto Clemente, I wanted to be him. I loved his style, how he pitched, what he accomplished and most importantly, what he did for so many Mexican kids growing up in the 80s.
As expected, my Twitter feed was all about Fernando on Tuesday night. Here are some of my faves:
This photo will forever be one of my favorite photos of Fernando. From the 1983 Latino series that won the Pulitzer, here he is talking to a kindergarten class in Highland Park latimes.com/california/sto…
— Fidel Martinez (@fidmart85)
4:00 AM • Oct 23, 2024
I took this pic of Fernando Valenzuela, Jaime Jarrin, Pepe Yñiguez, my daughter & I 19 years ago. One day she asked about Valenzuela, my childhood hero. I told her he was in the picture in her room. @kathleenmortiz thought they were family. In many ways, Valenzuela was. RIP 34.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks)
4:10 AM • Oct 23, 2024
To anyone who encountered his magic
— Col. Gustavo Arellano (@GustavoArellano)
4:12 AM • Oct 23, 2024
63 is way too young…. A piece of my childhood is gone. Growing up as a Mexican kid one of the main reasons I’m a Dodgers fan is because of Fernando. Growing up the youngest of 12 kids, he’s the only guy to ever win the Cy Young Award & Rookie Of The Year AND the World Series MVP… x.com/i/web/status/1…
— Mario Lopez (@mariolopezviva)
4:35 AM • Oct 23, 2024
Fernando Valenzuela's no-hitter in 1990 with Vin Scully on the call 🙏💙
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX)
3:59 AM • Oct 23, 2024
In 1984 I took my papi to the All-Star game at Candlestick Park. In the 4th, Fernando Valenzuela struck out Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield & George Brett. Hall of Famers. Papi shouted “Arriba El Toro!” Moment of a lifetime for us. Papi is gone, Candlestick is gone, now #34. 🙏🏼❤️🇲🇽
— Marcos Breton (@MarcosBreton)
4:43 AM • Oct 23, 2024
My favorite photo of Fernando Valenzuela, because it captures the joy and the magic of Fernandomania. The boy shaking his hand is proud to wear his charro outfit, proud to be exactly who he is. Fernandomania was all about the power of representation and the power of authenticity.
— Nathalie Alonso (@NathalieMLB)
4:15 AM • Oct 23, 2024
God bless Fernando Valenzuela! #Dodgers
— Danny Trejo (@officialDannyT)
8:34 PM • Oct 21, 2024
Fernando Valenzuela wasn’t just a Baseball Player, he was a Hero for the Mexican Community, he unified Mexicans Living in the U.S, Mexico and around the World. We as Mexicans had a hero and he was playing Baseball. His impact will last a lifetime. Long live Fernandomaina. RIP.
— East L.A. News (@EASTLA_NEWS)
5:10 AM • Oct 23, 2024
If you haven’t watched the Los Angeles Times documentary about what Fernando meant to Los Angeles, I highly recommend it.
Que viva El Toro.
About the Author
Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and interim publisher of The Latino Newsletter.
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