The sports world is mourning the death of the legendary Fernando Valenzuela. As Valenzuela spent his prime pitching years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and more recently served as the team’s Spanish-language color commentator, his death is being felt particularly hard in Los Angeles.
This is also a big sports week in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will host the New York Yankees in Games 1 and 2 of the 2024 World Series on Friday and Saturday. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Minnesota Vikings for Week 8’s Thursday Night Football game. In the third quarter, play-by-play man Al Michaels paid tribute to the late Valenzuela.
He started by talking about what might be Valenzuela’s most memorable performance, which came in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series. The Dodgers trailed the Yankees 2-0 in the series and while Los Angeles took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the Yankees took the lead with two runs in the second and third innings. After taking the lead, New York was poised to blow the game (and likely, the series) open. But Valenzuela allowed no more damage.
“I did that game,” Michaels said. He threw 147 pitches in that game. This is your grandfather’s baseball…Walked seven guys, gave up nine hits and pitched a complete game. Dodgers came from behind to win it.”
That effort helped lead the Dodgers to a comeback in the series. After winning Game 3, Los Angeles won 4-6, despite trailing in every one of them.
In addition to leading the Dodgers to the World Series title that year, Valenzuela also captured both the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards. He remained with the Dodgers through 1990, making six All-Star teams (1980-1986), winning two Silver Slugger Awards (1981, 1983) and a Gold Glove (1986). While Valenzuela’s numbers began to struggle more as the decade wore on, he managed to throw a no-hitter for the Dodgers in 1990 — his final season with the team.
“He meant so much to this town,” Michaels said, echoing the sentiments of former MLB star and current Dodgers announcer, Nomar Garciaparra.
Herbstreit then asked Michaels a poignant question.
“All these years later, what do you think of when you think of Fernando? You called probably so many of his games.”
“I did,” Michaels said. “Just his delivery and he’d look to the sky. You know? The windup and the whole thing. Vin Scully calling all of his games. He’d throw a sombrero in the air. He was very special, very humble. Wound up as the broadcaster on Spanish language radio with the Dodgers for many years. A wonderful, humble man. But boy, he turned this town upside down when he was pitching.”
[Photo Credit: Prime Video]
