But Arellano, who for years thought Valenzuela didn't merit Hall of Fame consideration, believes otherwise. Young won 511 games between 1890 and 1911 and was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1937. Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Damon Berryhill, Mike Bielecki, Darnell Coles, Mariano Duncan, lvaro Espinoza, Greg Gagne, Mike Gallego, Rene Gonzales, Kevin Gross, Mark Gubicza, Ron Karkovice, Joe Orsulak, Jody Reed, Bruce Ruffin, Kevin Seitzer, Don Slaught, and John Smiley. Fernando Valenzuela (Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher) Former Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela throws a ceremonial first pitch before the MLB All-Star Game last summer at Dodger Stadium. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The two candidates who received at least 75% of the vote and were elected are indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been selected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics. The Dodgers were down 2-0 after the first two games and he pitched a complete game to help the Dodgers win 5-4. High pitch counts in an era when nobody cared about pitch counts, six straight seasons of 250 or more innings pitched when that type of workload was the norm, and the stress placed on his shoulder by repeatedly throwing his screwball shortened Valenzuelas career and ultimately thwarted his Hall of Fame candidacy. Three years later, Dodger Stadium opened on April 10, 1962, on the land. Then again, the Dodgers are the same organization whose miscalculations resulted in a seven-year television blackout. Hernndez: Fernando Valenzuela's lasting impact on baseball makes him Peak 38% Longevity 62% Rankings by Hall Rating 522nd All Time (Top 2.3%) 178th among Pitchers Franchise Contributions by Hall Rating LAD 64 (19th) Didnt . La Opinin. I have always tried to see first what I have to do in certain situations and with certain things, and then act. My hope is that the media and the people in charge of the Veterans Committee would re-consider what Fernando Valenzuela did; first as a great player and then as an impact on the fans of baseball. On January 8, 2002, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) conducted their yearly ballot for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Only three players led by Gil Hodges (61%) tallied more than fifty percent support. He won 141 games (8th in franchise history). Valenzuela should be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The feeling was that this team was starting to run out of time to accomplish winning a world championship, said first baseman Steve Garvey, who played for the Dodgers from 1969 through 1982. But he fondly recalls how Valenzuela's special season impacted baseball in Los Angeles and Mexican Americans. Many of these residents were Mexican Americans, who became embittered and remained cool to the Dodgers for decades afterward. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda started Valenzuela, awakening him from a slumber to give him the news. Thats just a ridiculous responsibility to assign to him, and its much more complicated than that.. I've spent the past 20 years or so making strong arguments in favor of performance standards for the Hall of Fame and using advanced statistics to try to cut through some of the superficialities, and I think it's clear that when you when you look at Fernando Valenzuela, that he's one of numerous pitchers who fall into that What might have been territory, says Jay Jaffe, senior writer at FanGraphs and author of The Cooperstown Casebook: Who's in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Who Should Be In. He had a strong start to his career that was kind of done in by overwork and a leveling off performance-wise, and in that regard, it's hardly unique because we can talk about dozens of other Cy Young winners who never really got to that peak again.. To his point: The Dodgers have fielded some bad teams over the last 20 seasons and all but one of them finished the season with an annual home attendance of more than 3 million fans. Valenzuela had a solid career, finishing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997. The induction ceremonies were held on July 27 in Cooperstown, with Commissioner Bud Selig presiding. Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson threw a fadeaway in the early 1900s, and Carl Hubbell, who pitched for 16 seasons starting in 1928, threw a similar pitch. S. First, the veterans committee will not vote him in, because his screwball embarrassed them for six seasons. The ballot consisted of 33 players; 496 ballots were cast, with 372 votes required for election. It led to a violent conflict between one family, the Archigas, and L.A. County Sheriffs in 1959. He knew how to play the game. Although it was not an elimination game, it was definitely a must-win situation. THEN AND NOW: Media mixes up Hall of Fame voting - Daily News Results of the 2003 election by the BBWAA were announced on January 7. If #34 impacted you or your family in regards to your fandom, please respond. Valenzuela only lasted two years on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot before being dropped for lack of votes, meaning he seemingly never had a chance to add his No. Opening day of 1981 launched "Fernandomania," a phenomenon in Los Angeles and then the nation named after the Mexican-born pitcher. Valenzuela was the first pitcher to accomplish both feats in the same season. Valenzuela wasnt the first to throw the screwball. There are several [mound conversations] that I dont remember, but to stay in the game and to not be taken out, I was always trying to evade him and give him the runaround or go someplace else to avoid having him approach me and have that conversation.. Everything combined to give us those victories.. He finished top-3 in Cy Young voting two more times before fizzling out in 1990. It was beyond imagining that Fernando could have made it from this town. Years later, Lopez made his own statement with a No. There can be consequences to throwing that pitch over and over.. I threw well -- nine innings, nine zeros. The Dodgers added Spanish-speaking ushers. The potholes were as big as some of the houses. 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. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! You can also follow SVHS athletics on twitter and Instagram @svhsathletics or at screamingeagleathletics on Facebook. Valenzuela, who had thrown batting practice at Dodger Stadium the day before, learned of his assignment less than 24 hours before first pitch. That helps me get through all those innings. TV ratings spiked, too. Maybe the Dodgers will come to their senses by then. There are certain guys who, for me, impacted the game way beyond any kind of statistical analysis or the standard criteria that most voters use. No game was more memorable than Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees at Dodger Stadium. His numbers were impressive to me, but he just didnt do it long enough and that was his only drawback as far as I was concerned.. He earned Mexicos Premio Nacional del Deporte, the countrys highest sports honor, last November. Dodgers News: Julio Urias Talks About His Fandom of Fernando Valenzuela, Dodgers News: Julio Urias Feeds Off the Energy of the Crowd at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers News: Fernando Valenzuela Earns a Very Special Award at Dodger Stadium, The easy calls with great players like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays, The players that accumulate stats over long careers, but may never be considered the best of their generation, much like Don Sutton or Bert Blyleven, Players popular with fans and media, like a Phil Rizzuto. In front of 56,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, Chuck Finley and Randy Johnson combined to no-hit a team of Japanese All-Stars in a 5-0 win. [40] . All fathers wanted their sons to be the next Fernando Valenzuela, and all of us kids would imitate his delivery, looking up to the sky, hands up in the air high and everything. Dodgers Dugout: Seven elected to our Hall of Fame Before refuting the premise by citing his career numbers or the brevity of his peak, consider this: Bud Selig, former Major League Baseball commissioner, is a Hall of Famer. Before refuting the premise by citing his career numbers or the brevity of his peak, consider this: Bud Selig,. He could do everything on a baseball field but run. Manny Mota joins Dodger 'legends' - Daily News Valenzuela, the National League's starting pitcher in the All-Star Game as a rookie, finished the strike-shortened 1981 season with a 13-7 won-loss record and a 2.48 ERA, one of the best in the big leagues. Among 85 eligible voters, 81 cast ballots so 61 votes were the minimum to elect a candidate. We created this new class of player called Dodger Legends in our new center-field plaza. In his 1986 All-Star appearance, he tied Carl Hubbell by striking out 5 in a row. That performance was followed by another shutout against the Mets in New York and a complete-game win against the Expos at Dodger Stadium. Fernando Valenzuela has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. . So for me a guy like Dave Parker who I only remembered from his last few years on the As. The numbers, however, speak for themselves: He began the 1981 season with eight straight wins, seven complete games and five shutouts. But he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball for a 6-year span and a true Dodger legend. I remember this 19-year-old kid from Mexico with long hair and a little bit chubby taking baseball by storm, says Jarrn, 85, who is in his 63rd season as the Spanish-language voice of the Dodgers and is the longest-tenured active baseball radio broadcaster in the game. During his six-year peak run from 1981-86, he sported a 2.97 ERA in 1,537 innings with 84 complete games and 26 shutouts. Seriously, if commissioners can receive baseballs highest honor for creating the stage on which todays players perform, a player should be able to too. Hes at peace with his legacy and place in baseball history. He was 75. There have been some rumblings about that, right? As an encore, the 20-year-old from rural Mexico helped pitch the Dodgers to their first World Series title in a generation. Design by Tom Forget. [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]. The ballpark was electrified by his performance, Lopez recalled. This season, Valenzuela is calling games inside the Dodgers' Spanish radio booth alongside Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrn, who hails from Ecuador and once served as the pitchers personal interpreter during 1981s Fernandomania. The children of Valenzuelas fans, and now even their children, have become Dodgers fans. Top 10 MLB Players From Mexico - HowTheyPlay They had no telephone, so we surprised them. The BBWAA was again authorized to elect players active in 1983 or later, but not after 1997; the ballot included candidates from the 2002 ballot who received at least 5% of the vote but were not elected, along with selected players, chosen by a screening committee, whose last appearance was in 1997. ! I always think twice about what I want to do or say, and I think its the only way to achieve certain things in life. It is too bad that his arm injury ruined what was a sure-fire Hall of Fame career in 1986. Fernando Valenzuela's screwballand unique deliveryoften baffled hitters in 1981. Fernando Valenzuela capped his 1981 season by winning the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), In the strike-shortened 1981 season, rookie Fernando Valenzuela won 13 games and pitched eight shutouts. Is Fernando Valenzuela in the Hall of Fame? The same applies. As the legend goes, Lasorda told Valenzuela in his native language that if he didnt give up any more runs, the Dodgers would win the game, and that Fernando, who was rarely heard speaking English at that time, answered, Are you sure?, I really dont remember, but I think that yes, it was something like that, Valenzuela says. The Veterans Committee held elections both for players who were active no later than 1981 and for non-players (managers, umpires and executives), but did not select anyone. This story originally ran in 2021. Loaiza never again repeated his Chicago success before retiring after the 2008 season. He was calm and quiet, but very confident and intelligent. The lone exception is Jim Gilliam (No. Fernandos peak from late 1980-1986 was filled with high performance, and historic impact on the game. This page was last edited on 25 March 2023, at 02:41. His first taste of Fernandomania came on April 27, 1981, when he watched from the left field bleachers as Valenzuela threw a seven-hit shutout and notched three hits in a 5-0 victory against the Giants. It makes total sense to the Dodgers fans.. In my opinion only roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson had a bigger impact not just in baseball , but in all of sports . While he played for six MLB teams, his longest tenure was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela speaks during a news conference in 2018. Watching the Dodgers is what helped my dad assimilate to American culture, while not losing his own. Don't miss any of the Dodgers latest News, Rumors, and Exclusive Offers! 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. If you have any questions please feel free to email Athletic Director Jesse Irvin or call 240-740-6415 anytime. I said it from the beginning, and I believe it. But even Jaffe, a seasoned analyst who relies on hard numbers to make Hall of Fame cases, has a soft spot for Valenzuela. Valenzuela would have to be chosen by the Todays Game Committee, which will hold its next election in 2022. Army family housing appropriation thresholds. He was the best and most of his losses in first 7 years were by one run or dodgers getting shut out and he didntt choke in post season plus de didntt need relief since most of time he was around 9 innings and was used as pinch hitter too.he could play good defense too.sorry but Kershaw not in his class .healthy Fernando would have won 4 world series the last 4 years that Kershaw failed. Valenzuela is not the first Mexican or Mexican-American big leaguer in baseball. No ifs or butts about it!!! And ever since his induction into the Hall of Fame, his 1981 Donruss rookie card has enjoyed a nice bump in value. Later that summer, Valenzuela attended a state luncheon at the White House with President Ronald Reagan. She made that.. They are ethnic heroes. Especially in L.A., this guy still inspires us. And in my opinion, Fernando should have pitched another five years easy if it wasnt because Lasorda didnt care for the welfare if this great Mexican pitcher that came to the Dodgers from a little town in Sonora, Mexico. The pitch has always been about risk-reward with higher on the risk, but Fernando knew exactly what he was doing with it.. 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. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? In his book, Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, Eric Nusbaum details how the club ended up with Dodger Stadium, specifically how three Mexican neighborhoods -- Palo Verde, La Loma and Bishop -- were destroyed to make way for a housing project that was canceled amid the Red Scare hysteria and real estate speculation. In that stretch, he struck out 68 and allowed four earned runs in 72 innings for a mind-boggling 0.50 ERA. He was also very playful when he got comfortable.. Came from Mexico in the late 70's, and Fernando made him a baseball fan. The problem is, many of those folks also vote on candidates for the Hall of Fame, or write articles that influence HOF voting. Sixty baseball writers selected from the nominees 25 players and 15 other contributors to appear on the ballots. Just 6.2% in 2003 and 3.8 in 2004. We strive for accuracy and fairness. The fundamental problem with many in the media is that they mistake . He threw 63.2 innings in the post season with an ERA of 1.98. Players. That wasnt a Dodgers shirt. Ive always been asked what the situation is, with Cooperstown and all that, Valenzuela says. Mike Brita, a Dodgers scout since 1978, found him in Etchohuaquila, Mexico (population 857 in 2020), roughly 1,000 miles northwest of Mexico City. Fans bought T-shirts with Valenzuelas name on the back, made their own or bought bootleg versions available all over the city. He was stellar in the 1981 playoffs including his World Series game 3 start. He had it right away, and I think it was exemplified in that game, Game 3, against the Yankees. 4), Don Sutton (No. The confidence that we had in him, along with what Tommy and the coaching staff had in him was very real and we just knew that, somehow, he was going to get it done.. Valenzuelas feats lured members of all communities in Los Angeles to the ballpark, including a few unlikely fans: those displaced by the construction of Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers were down 0-2 against the Yankees. They would vote by mail using "ballots and supporting material -- prepared by the Hall of Fame". Through it all, Valenzuelas teammates marveled at his poise and his athletic ability. For his career, Valenzuela finished with a record of 173-153, a 41.5 career WAR, a 3.54 ERA, 2,930 innings pitched, 2,074 strikeouts and a 1.32 WHIP. Forty years later, he still has the memento. ( marks those newly eligible since 2001 (eight). The workload eventually caught up to him. Viva Fernandomania! 39), Jackie Robinson (No. Overuse, along with throwing a screwball, were probably the main culprits of his shortened career. Many of the families impacted still refuse to go to Dodger Stadium. The fact that he was Mexican and that he was so good, and so humble while on such an incredible run was inspiring, Lopez says. Writing for the Business of Baseball Committee, SABR, Pappas classified them as one umpire (U), four owners (O), one labor leader (L), three general managers (GM), four managers (M), and two league officials (lg). HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The server is misbehaving. This will be all age related. Dodgers pitcher Bobby Castillo taught Valenzuela the screwball in the winter of 1979 at the urging of legendary scout Mike Brito, who signed both of them. 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). Don Sutton, a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a stalwart of the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation spanning an era from Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, died Tuesday. I tell them, Look, for me, the affection and that the people recognize what I have accomplished is more important than being in a Hall of Fame. In 2007, Gwynn was inducted into the Hall of Fame after receiving 532 of 545 votes -- the 10th-highest total in MLB history. All Rights Reserved. The Los Angeles Times couldnt stop writing about Valenzuela, and The Los Angeles Herald Examiner even had a nickname contest and voted El Toro as the winner. Valenzuela had never started a Major League game when he got the call on Opening Day 1981. 34 since he was released by the club in 1991, although the number is not officially retired. He made five starts, two of which were games where the Dodgers faced elimination. His biggest accomplishment was how he took baseball by storm in a time where the dodger organization was rejected by the Latino community in regards to Chvez ravine. Numbers are there to be worn.". It has sustained itself to the point where I really believe half the crowds at Dodger Stadium now are Latinos.. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2003_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_balloting&oldid=1146471837, Articles needing additional references from January 2021, All articles needing additional references, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hall of Fame member elected on this ballot (named in, Hall of Fame member elected subsequently to 2023 (named in. One thing is certain: Valenzuela broke barriers. 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. 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.. To lure the Dodgers across the country, the city of Los Angeles evicted local residents from the Chavez Ravine area, north of downtown, where the team planned to build a new stadium. In 1981 Fernando Valenzuela became the first pitcher in history to win the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Long ago, he began golfing, giving pro golfers and amateur hackers in Southern California tales of Fernando sightings, from tony country clubs to city courses. Fernando.". We had Mexican big leaguers in the 1930s, but what made Fernando different was the peculiar circumstances by which the Brooklyn Dodgers entered Los Angeles and what he meant to the people there.. Sports Celebrating the legacy of Fernandomania 40 years later April 8, 2021 Before refuting the premise by. His next 18 pitches were strikes, Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia told the Times. The last played in the majors during 1980 or 1981. Fernando Valenzuela played 17 seasons. Valenzuela deserves a place alongside him. He could lasso anything.. Spencer, who grew up in Southern California, watched Valenzuela transform from a reserved young man to worldwide phenomenon. When I came up in 1980, it was at my locker. In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela won Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. The accolades are flattering, but Valenzuela downplays his accomplishments, and hes certainly not going to campaign for recognition. I had a fastball and a curveball that was good but maybe, a screwball, a pitch that moved in the opposite direction of the curveball, could help, Valenzuela says. Valenzuela was an All-Star in each of his first 6 seasons. Don't miss any Dodgers News, Rumors, and Exclusive Offers! #ProspectHugger. My slider wasnt very good. There were these growing pains in Southern California, which was a dominant white culture, because people were saying, 'OK, this is going to be a Mexican culture in the next couple of decades, so what are we going to do with it? They also obscured a more egregious omission. You can make a case that there are a handful of modern pioneers that have helped open the door for baseball in a lot of different ways and should be full members of the Hall of Fame.. This guy was godsend like orel, and Clayton. At one point, the left-hander made 255 consecutive starts before going on the injured list for the first time in 1988 because of shoulder troubles that cost him two months and the opportunity to pitch in another World Series. Theres Pee Wee Reese (No. Valenzuela had a strong 6 years plus had a huge impact, Tim Rogers 2080 ? 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 . Its been a lot of years since someone has worn No. Players you saw at the end of their careers who were surprisingly good - posted in Trivia, Questions, Advice: Im looking for guys who surprised you how good they were once you were old enough to go back and look at their numbers. Dodgers: The Hall of Fame Case for Fernando Valenzuela. ?subscriber: (@TimRogers2080) August 7, 2016. In terms of player comparisons, over the last 25 years guys like Bruce Sutter, Jack Morris, Bill Mazeroski and Jim Rice have all been elected. After being staked to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Valenzuela gave up four runs in the next two frames, including a solo home run by Bob Watson and a two-run shot by Rick Cerone in the top of the third that gave the Yankees a 4-3 lead. The two of them are worthy candidates for the Hall of Fame if you do not use merely the stat lines as your criteria. He placed in the top 5 in Cy Young voting 4 times in 6 years. Numbers are there to be worn. These Mexicans are just like you. 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. The teams decades-long relationship with the Mexican and Mexican-American communities is complex. She just threw her arms in the air and embraced him, Lopez says. Jarrn has often remarked on their loyalty. Fernando Valenzuela Position Pitcher Years 1980-1997 Hall Rating 74 Next Ballot Fernando Valenzuela is next eligible for the Hall of Fame via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in 2023 . 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. I always say, maybe if things hadnt gone so well, we dont know if I would have had more chances. By then, Fernandomania was in full swing. Doug McKain 06/30/2021. Valenzuela was an All-Star in each of his first 6 seasons. In those first eight games, everything went well, good run support, good defense, says Valenzuela, who became the first -- and to date, the only pitcher to claim both the Rookie of the Year Award and the Cy Young in the same season. The Dodgers won each. Dodgers: Fans Want Team to Retire Fernando Valenzuela's Number Later that summer, Valenzuela attended a state luncheon at the White House with President Ronald Reagan. He expanded the games customer base. Fernando Valenzuela Stats, Fantasy & News. 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. I think it is not too much to say that for Mexican-American communities, Valenzuela was a hero like Hank Greenberg was for the Jews. He had a 118 ERA+, a 2.88 FIP with a 33.5 WAR. The ratings for the Dodgers Spanish language broadcasts more than doubled when he pitched. ?subscriber: (@TimRogers2080) November 10, 2018. Sooner or later, it has to be properly recognized. Valenzuela also pitched 251 innings in 1987. Only umpire Doug Harvey tallied more than fifty percent support. How many of them impacted the fans like Fernando did? I was assigned that number, but I really dont know whats going to happen. Outside of Jackie Robinson and maybe Babe Ruth, Valenzuela reshaped baseballs landscape more than any other player in history. Weak case, asburd argument. Dodgers rookie Zach McKinstry, known as Z-Mac to teammates, hits a two-run home run and doubles in a run in a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals. They also know his voice in Southern California because he broadcasts Dodgers games in Spanish. By mid-May, he was 8-0 with an earned run average of 0.50. It was immediate, and it was powerful. 20), manager Walter Alston (No. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) held an election to select from among recent players; Gary Carter and Eddie Murray were elected. Phil Sheridan spent more than 30 years reporting and writing on sports for Philadelphia-area newspapers. Darryl Kile, who died during the 2002 season, is also on the ballot. 19 facts about the career of Tony Gwynn - MLB Valenzuela also had one of the more distinctive windups and deliveries of all time. I think a lot of baseball media not on the west coast forget about Fernando.
