The Dodgers discovered Valenzuela by accident, as they were in Mexico scouting a Shortstop. They were dazzled by the rotund hurler and signed him, buying out his Mexican League contract in 1979. A year later, he was a September callup, and in 17.2 Innings, he never allowed a run. It didn’t take a clairvoyant to see what might happen in 1981.
Valenzuela was the opening day starter, and everyone in Los Angeles took the Mexican star. That season, he won the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, making him the first player ever to accomplish that in the same year. "El Toro" helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series.
The mania surrounding Valenzuela cooled, but he was still an elite pitcher for many years. He was an All-Star each year from 1981 to 1986, and he had three more top-five finishes in Cy Young voting. Valenzuela would have three 200 Strikeout years, and he was also a decent batter, winning two Silver Sluggers.
The All-Star years were over by 1987, and he played until 1997, with stops in California, the Mexican League, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Diego, and St. Louis. He retires with 173 Wins and 2,074 Strikeouts.
Pitchers had better careers, but many of those never captured the imagination of baseball fans like Fernando Valenzuela.
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