Tributes Pour in for Dodgers Icon Fernando Valenzuela, Who Passed Away at 63

Fernando Valenzuela, the legendary pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers who later became the team’s Spanish-language broadcaster, has sadly passed away, as announced by the team on Tuesday evening.

This sports icon graced MLB diamond for 17 spectacular seasons, with a significant portion of his career devoted to the Dodgers, where he was instrumental in their 1981 World Series triumph against the New York Yankees.

The Mexico-born sportsman made history as the first player to clinch both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award in the same season—a remarkable achievement!

As previously reported by TMZ Sports, just earlier this month, the Dodgers shared that Fernando would not return for this season’s Spanish broadcasting duties, citing that he needed to prioritize his health.

The announcement came as a shock just days after he unexpectedly stepped away from the microphone during a game against the San Diego Padres on September 24.

Nonetheless, despite the potential seriousness of his situation, word was circulating that Fernando might return for the next season, bringing relief to Dodgers fans.

Regrettably, Fernando will now have to watch over from above as his cherished Dodgers prepare to battle the Yankees in the World Series starting this Friday.

Valenzuela was honored as a 6-time All-Star and holds the record for the highest number of victories (173) and strikeouts (2,074) among pitchers born in Mexico. He dedicated the last 22 years of his career to being a Spanish language broadcaster for the Dodgers, who retired his jersey number 34 in 2023.

From an early age, he was a prominent figure in the sport. The phenomenon known as “Fernandomania” took the baseball world by storm in 1981 when the 20-year-old rookie starter began the season with an unbeaten record of 8-0 and an astonishing 0.50 ERA.

He reached the age of 63.