Los Angeles Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela has died, the Dodgers announced Tuesday. He was 63 years old.
Few words inspire such memories of joy as “Fernandomania,” the days of summer in which Valenzuela introduced himself to baseball then proceeded to take it over. He will always be remembered for a 1981 season in which he won Rookie of the Year, the Cy Young Award and a World Series ring with one of the greatest rookie years in the history of professional sports.
But Valenzuela’s career was much more than numbers and trophies. He was and remains an icon among Latino baseball fans and players and a national hero in his native Mexico. “El Toro” carried a gravity in his prime that few players ever match, especially when he was throwing shutout after shutout in 1981.
This article will be updated with more information.
