Fernando Valenzuela is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons. He was best known for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he won the 1981 World Series and was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
Valenzuela was born in Etchohuaquila, Sonora, Mexico, on June 1, 1960. He began his professional baseball career in Mexico at the age of 17 and signed with the Dodgers in 1979. He made his MLB debut in 1980 and quickly became one of the most popular players in the league.
Valenzuela was a left-handed pitcher with a unique delivery that made him difficult to hit. He had a fastball that reached the mid-90s and a devastating screwball. He was also known for his control, and he led the league in walks allowed just once in his career.
In 1981, Valenzuela had a breakout season, going 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA and 180 strikeouts. He also pitched a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 29. He was selected to the All-Star team that year and finished eighth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
The Dodgers went on to win the World Series in 1981, and Valenzuela was a key part of their success. He started Game 5 of the World Series against the New York Yankees and pitched a complete game, allowing just two runs on five hits. He also had 10 strikeouts in the game.
Valenzuela continued to be a successful pitcher for the Dodgers in the early 1980s. He was selected to the All-Star team four more times and won the Cy Young Award in 1986. However, he began to decline in the late 1980s and was traded to the California Angels in 1990.
Valenzuela pitched for the Angels for two seasons before returning to the Dodgers in 1993. He pitched for the Dodgers for four more seasons before retiring in 1997.
Valenzuela finished his career with a record of 173-153 with a 3.24 ERA and 2,074 strikeouts. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
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