Los Angeles Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela has died,
the Dodgers announced Tuesday. He was 63 years old.
Few words inspire such memories of joy as "Fernandomania," the days of summer when Valenzuela introduced himself to baseball then proceeded to take it over. He will always be remembered for a 1981 season in which he won Rookie of the Year, the Cy Young Award and a World Series ring with one of the greatest rookie years in the history of professional sports.
Valenzuela's career was much more than numbers and trophies. He was and remains an icon among Latino baseball fans and players, and a national hero in his native Mexico. "El Toro" carried a gravity in his prime that few players ever match, especially when he was throwing shutout after shutout in 1981.
The Dodgers
had previously announced Valenzuela was stepping away from the broadcast booth on Oct. 2 to focus on his health, with an aim to return for 2025. Valenzuela’s impact endured for so long and so powerfully that the Dodgers retired his jersey number in 2023 despite a long-standing rule that the team only did so for those who were in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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