Baseball legend Fernando Valenzuela has rounded the final base and headed for the big ballpark in the sky at the tender age of 63. The news broke on Tuesday night (October 22) like a curveball in a slow-pitch softball game, courtesy of his long-time pals at the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team he called home longer than his own couch.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela,” the MLB stated, likely while dabbing a tear with a baseball glove.
Now, before you go scrambling for the details, we don’t have a cause of death just yet. Maybe he finally got called up to pitch for the angels, or perhaps he had a tragic encounter with a rogue hot dog at Dodger Stadium. The world may never know.
Fernando threw the ball around professionally for 17 glorious seasons, starting in 1980 and winding down his career in 1997—an era filled with more baseball lore than you can shake a bat at! He kicked off his career with the Dodgers and, for reasons only known to him, decided to take a little field trip with the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and finally, the St. Louis Cardinals. I mean, who needs a permanent address when you’re a baseball superstar?
Ironically, news of Fernando’s passing arrived just hours after the announcement of a shiny new mural to celebrate his illustrious career. Yes, he was going to be immortalized on the side of an apartment building in Boyle Heights, where everyone on the 101 Freeway would get a daily reminder of his greatness. Talk about a last-minute plot twist!
The mural was set to be unveiled on November 1, which would have been Fernando’s 64th birthday. What a way to celebrate—by putting his face on a wall! Talk about “going out in style.”
As we tip our caps to Fernando, let’s send our thoughts and condiments—oops, I meant condolences—to his family and friends during this tough time. RIP, Fernando. You’ll be missed, but your legendary fastball will live on forever!
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela.
“Fernandomania” swept through baseball in 1981 when the 20-year old rookie sensation began the season 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA. The lefthander capped off his incredible year by winning both the… pic.twitter.com/a28H5Cptox
— MLB (@MLB) October 23, 2024