Players elected to the Hall of Fame fall into different categories: No matter why or how they got in, they are in the Hall of Fame. Valenzuela finally took his first loss of the season -- and of his career -- on May 18, when he allowed four runs in seven innings against the Phillies. It was a cultural phenomenon that galvanized a minority community. Voters were instructed to cast votes for up to 10 candidates; any candidate receiving votes on at least 75% of the ballots would be honored with induction to the Hall. Put Fernando in the hall of fame. He could lasso anything.. Thats just a ridiculous responsibility to assign to him, and its much more complicated than that.. Lasorda stuck with Valenzuela and the managers faith in the pitcher was rewarded when Fernando shut down the Yankees the rest of the way. 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. When rookie Fernando Valenzuela took the mound in L.A. for Opening Day 1981, no one knew it would be the beginning of a cultural phenomenon. He knew what I could do, and I think thats one of the reasons why he let me finish that game in the World Series.. The pitch has always been about risk-reward with higher on the risk, but Fernando knew exactly what he was doing with it. [button color=red size=big alignment=none rel=follow openin=samewindow url=https://dodgersnation.com/yet-another-dodgers-organizational-loss-cp1085/2018/11/14/]Yet Another Dodgers Organizational Loss[/button]. However, his presence did not right the wrongs that took place before he was even born. In fact, at this point, it is premature and meaningless to discuss the induction of a nine-year-old pitcher into the Hall of Fame. We have Jackie Robinson, and we know his status in popular culture. I remember how his rivals laughed at his delivery and his weight. His screwgi wad unique, his defense won him gold gloves his hitting silver bats. But he fondly recalls how Valenzuela's special season impacted baseball in Los Angeles and Mexican Americans. The Dodgers were down 2-0 after the first two games and he pitched a complete game to help the Dodgers win 5-4. In his 1986 All-Star appearance, he tied Carl Hubbell by striking out 5 in a row. I was assigned that number. Dodgers owner Walter OMalley was open about his desire to find a Mexican Sandy Koufax.. From 1980-86, his statistics say yes. Dont be stupid after his injury he was never the same also too many innings pitched but his first 6 years healthy he dominated over hall of famers Carlton Ryan,Seaver anybody and didntt choke in postseason still up to this date no rookie pitcher has started the season 8 and 0 with 5 by shutout and all of them complete games.Even been over the hill still recover some greatness to pitch a no hitter in 1990. Valenzuela was an All-Star in each of his first 6 seasons. But it always was when Valenzuela pitched. The only left-handed pitchers in the Hall of Fame with an ERA as high as Valenzuelas are Herb Pennock (3.60), whose career began in 1912, and Tom Glavine (3.54), who pitched through the steroid era. S. First, the veterans committee will not vote him in, because his screwball embarrassed them for six seasons. The Dodgers rallied to a 5-4 victory behind Valenzuelas complete-game, 147-pitch effort in front of 56,236 fans. Later that summer, Valenzuela attended a state luncheon at the White House with President Ronald Reagan. While the ERA looks impressive, the Mexican Center League was a low-offense environment and three team staffs had lower ERAs. Spencer, who grew up in Southern California, watched Valenzuela transform from a reserved young man to worldwide phenomenon. In my opinion only roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson had a bigger impact not just in baseball , but in all of sports . In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela won Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. In 10 games as a relief pitcher, he allowed zero earned runs. Valenzuela had a solid career, finishing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997. For some, his middling 173-153 won-loss record makes him an unworthy Hall of Fame candidate. Frank Lpez (@BeisbolFrank) November 11, 2018. He had a brief but eye-opening debut as a reliever (no earned runs in 17 2/3 innings) down the stretch in 80, but he was still just a 20-year-old kid. He has not yet appeared in any of the special era ballots, but that is his best hope. In his 1986 All-Star appearance, he tied Carl Hubbell by striking out 5 in a row. The clubs history with Chavez Ravine, the land on which Dodger Stadium is built, is well-documented. The baseball world -- on and off the field -- would never be the same. That support was always there. Fernandomania unified the city, giving it something to cheer for, together. From purely a fan perspective I cannot think of a player since Jackie Robinson that has had a generational draw like Valenzuela. 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. The problem is, many of those folks also vote on candidates for the Hall of Fame, or write articles that influence HOF voting. I always say, maybe if things hadnt gone so well, we dont know if I would have had more chances. It was just that Fernando was so exciting, and lots of people wanted to go to Dodgers games. He changed our lives.. It was the fifth game of Valenzuelas eight-game winning streak. It would be really great if they remembered me as someone who always tried his best to always give them a good show, so that they could have fun with this beautiful game.. . He was 75. Phil Sheridan spent more than 30 years reporting and writing on sports for Philadelphia-area newspapers. 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. 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. You could see how genuine and humble he was through it all and that also resonated with people.. Position: Starting Pitcher. Theres Pee Wee Reese (No. We created this new class of player called Dodger Legends in our new center-field plaza. Forty years ago, Fernando Valenzuela pitched himself out of rural Mexico and into the heart of one of the worlds most famous cities with a magical season in 1981 that started with a perfect 8-0 record and launched a movement. On the anniversary of Fernando Valenzuela's first and only career no-hitter, we make the case that the Dodgers should retire "El Toro's" iconic . In that stretch, he struck out 68 and allowed four earned runs in 72 innings for a mind-boggling 0.50 ERA. I wore it like any other number. One of the biggest problems is that the East Coast heavy media personnel have forgotten about the impact he had and his greatness. He was unbelievable with the lasso, says former Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia, Valenzuelas batterymate. In the clubhouse, Valenzuela showed his youth and flashed glimpses of his playful personality. Back then, the pair emerged as dominant Latino figures in the sport with Jarrn narrating Valenzuelas achievements to Spanish-speaking audiences in the U.S., Latin America and beyond. Of course they dropped the ball when presented with a perfect opportunity to officially remove Fernando Valenzuelas No. My slider wasnt very good. We then had Sandy Koufax, who became an icon for Eastern Europeans trying to assimilate into America right at that time. Yes, I totally agree that Fernando Valenzuela should be in the HALL OF FAME 100 percent. 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. Impianto di terra cantiere alto. Not mine as much as my Dad's. Came from Mexico in the late 70's, and Fernando made him a baseball fan. The screwball is hard to learn, even harder to throw and risky because it puts so much stress on the arm. TV ratings spiked, too. ( marks those newly eligible since 2001 (eight). Fernando was the cover boy on the May 18, 1981, edition of Sports Illustrated, with "UNREAL!" These Mexicans are just like you. Why do they keep ignoring the fact that he was one of th e best? The fundamental problem with many in the media is that they mistake . He made five starts, two of which were games where the Dodgers faced elimination. Don't miss any Dodgers News, Rumors, and Exclusive Offers! If #34 impacted you or your family in regards to your fandom, please respond. Fernando mania was born and brought not just Mexicans but the whole Latino to dodger stadium. The only left-handed pitcher in the Hall of Fame with a WAR lower than Valenzuelas is Rube Marquard (32.5), who began pitching in 1908. I was there when that girl ran on the field and kissed him. Fernando, who was not very fast with his fastball, piled up the strikeouts because of the screwball, and it was a hard screwball. (The award was voted at the December 2002 meeting of the BBWAA, dated 2002, and conferred in the summer 2003 ceremonies.). This story was originally published on April 16, 2021. Historical Events. He could hit, he could bunt, field his position. First of all, Valenzuela was on the HoF ballot for the first time in 2003 and fell off in 2004. Eliminated from annual BBWAA consideration by poor performance or expiration on this ballot. In rural Mexico, they would beat 'lefthanded-ness' out of you. This guy was godsend like orel, and Clayton. 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. The field included four Rookies of the Year (Murray, Valenzuela, Vince Coleman and Todd Worrell), as well as one MVP (Sandberg) and two Cy Young Award winners (Valenzuela and Mark Davis). I threw well -- nine innings, nine zeros. I came to San Diego for college and never left nor did I ever switch my Dodgers' allegiance. I believe that the manager Tom Lasorda overused him with the excuse of Fernandomania frenzy of those days and that he was only thinking of making the Dodgers richer with the millions of fans that he brought to the park every time he pitched. He placed in the top 5 in Cy Young voting 4 times in. By comparison, Koufaxs peak seven-year WAR was 46. 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.
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