Fernando Valenzuela

Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea was born on November 1, 1960, in Etchohuaquila, Sonora, Mexico, the youngest of twelve children in an impoverished farming family. Armed with an enigmatic, devastating screwball taught to him by teammate Roberto Castillo and a signature skyward-glancing windup, Valenzuela signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1979.

On Opening Day 1981, when Jerry Reuss was injured, the 20-year-old rookie was called to pitch on short notice. He hurled an astonishing 2-0 shutout, sparking an 8-0 start with seven complete games and five shutouts that ignited 'Fernandomania'—a bilingual cross-cultural mania that packed Dodger Stadium and energized Mexican-American communities across the United States.

Valenzuela made MLB history by winning both the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award in 1981, capping the season by pitching a gritty complete-game victory in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees to propel the Dodgers to the world championship. A 6-time MLB All-Star with 173 career victories, his jersey number 34 was officially retired by the Dodgers in 2023.