LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Friends, relatives and teammates bid a final farewell Wednesday to legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, saying he was an inspiration both on the mound, in the clubhouse and in life.
Valenzuela died Oct. 22 at age 63.
A public funeral Mass was held Wednesday morning at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, with the public admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, and the service was also broadcast on the Cathedral Plaza for those who couldn’t get inside.
A cause of death for Valenzuela has not been disclosed. He was a Spanish-language broadcaster for the team, but he stepped away from the mic in late September for undisclosed health reasons. The team announced in early October that he would sit out the rest of the season.
Former Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia was among those paying tribute to his former teammate, saying Valenzuela always gave his all on the mound.
“Everybody knows he was a one-of-a-kind talent, tremendous pitcher, had the heart of a lion,” Scioscia said. “You couldn’t get him out of the game. And every time he took the mound, he was taking it for his faith, his family, his team and his country. And he held that burden from the first time he pitched in the major leagues until the last time.
“I can’t tell you how blessed we were to experience what he was as a 20-year-old coming up and doing things that we’ve never seen done by such a young pitcher,” he said. “Fernando was always humble in victories and very gracious in his defeats, and I think by him living that, it was a real inspiration to us. And those leadership qualities really took off.”
Born in Navojoa, Mexico, Valenzuela was the youngest of 12 children. The Dodgers purchased Valenzuela’s contract from Leones de Yucatan of the Mexican League on July 6, 1979, and assigned him to their Class-A California League affiliate in Lodi.
Valenzuela was taught to throw his famed screwball by Dodgers pitcher Bobby Castillo following the 1979 season. Armed with the new pitch, Valenzuela led the Texas League in strikeouts in 1980.
Valenzuela made his major league debut at age 19 with the Dodgers on Sept. 15, 1980, throwing 17 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run for the remainder of the season.
When Jerry Reuss pulled a leg muscle 24 hours before his scheduled opening day start in 1981 and Burt Hooton wasn’t ready to fill in, Valenzuela became the Dodgers opening day starter, pitching a five-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over the defending National League West champion Houston Astros.
He then went on an unprecedented career-opening run, with complete games in his first eight career starts — five of them shutouts — and a 0.50 ERA, inspiring what would be dubbed “Fernandomania.”
Valenzuela became the only player to win the Cy Young Award and the Rookie of the Year Award in the same season in 1981.
The Dodgers won the World Series over the New York Yankees in six games in 1981, with Valenzuela winning Game 3 at Dodger Stadium after the team had lost the first two games in New York. Valenzuela was also on the Dodgers team that won the World Series in 1988 over the Oakland A’s.
Valenzuela was a six-time All Star with the Dodgers, won a Gold Glove Award in 1986 and Silver Slugger Awards in 1981 and 1983.
He pitched a no-hitter in 1990, immortalized by Vin Scully’s call, “If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky.”
After being released by the Dodgers in 1991, Valenzuela pitched for the Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. He was 173-153 and had a 3.54 ERA in a 17-season major league career that ended in 1997.
Valenzuela was a Dodgers broadcaster from 2003 until his death.
Fans loved Fernando for his accomplishments, but also for his everyman physique and down-to-earth manner.
His uncommon modesty was on display in a series of interviews with MLB.com in 2021 marking the 40th anniversary of Fernandomania, when he was asked how he wanted to be remembered.
“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 said.
His memory was honored throughout the Dodgers’ World Series run this season, with a flowered cross placed next to his retired number 34 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers’ championship parade and stadium celebration were held Friday on what would have been Valenzuela’s 64th birthday.
A six-story mural of Valenzuela was unveiled Sunday in Boyle Heights.
Valenzuela is survived by his wife Linda and four children, Fernando Jr., Ricardo, Linda and Maria Fernanda, and seven grandchildren.
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