Tom Lasorda and Fernando Valenzuela, who throws the first ball of the season 2011. Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
The life of Fernando Valenzuela , then a young pitcher from 20 year old, changed radically and unexpectedly on the afternoon of April 9, 1981 at Dodger Stadium. After an injury prevented ace Jerry Reuss from starting, manager Tom Lasorda decided to give the ball to the Mexican rookie to the opening game of that season.
Valenzuela shut out the Houston Astros 2-0 and then he proceeded to win his next seven starts, four of them without allowing a run. Los Angeles, Mexico and baseball had a new idol at the birth of “Fernandomanía” .
This Friday, after learning of the death of Tom Lasorda at the age of 93 years, Valenzuela said that the news was one of those things that “e n times does not believe one” although he knew that Lasorda had had health problems, and assured: “T Baseball is losing a person who always supported our sport.”
“El Toro” remembered that day of 1981 when his manager gave him the ball to start the season.
“Nice memories because that’s where my Major League career began when that opportunity to open the opening game against Houston came,” Valenzuela said. “That’s why I have always said that that game for me, that they gave me the opportunity, was the most important in my career because things were done well, the game was won and I think that opened the doors more for Tommy to continue to trust me. ”
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Fernando’s career was always closely associated with the confidence of his manager. The man from Etchohuaquila, Sonora, won 173 Major League Baseball games, of which 141 were in Dodgers flannel, including 29 his 31 shutouts, and had a magnificent 5-1 playoff record.
Valenzuela and Lasorda in the World Series of 1981 Having been the player who led the Dodgers in everything 1981, when he was awarded Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, Fernando had a start in the World Series against the Yankees in a crucial third game as New York had won the first two.
The rookie left-handed was not fine and gave 7 walks, but Lasorda played it with him in u na of those reckless decisions that characterized his career , and the pitcher responded by completing the game of 147 releases.
“I got into several problems, no I was 100 percent effective in that game, I could tell, but Tommy always believed in me, he left me in the game and he knew I could get out of situations where I I got into trouble, then it was really seen that there was that confidence “, said Valenzuela, from 60 year old.
“He always motivated everyone, was a person who always supported to the player and another thing is that he always wanted to win, he was a winner “, added Valenzuela by phone from his home in Los Angeles. “E Then I think that one’s attitude was to do things well, to want to win, because I never I just liked competing, I liked winning too, so I think we were on the same page there. ”
United forever in Dodger history For many fans who followed Fernando’s career over the years 80 it was frustrating at times to watch Lasorda take him out of games, in part because the team used to score few runs and because it didn’t always have a great body of relief pitchers to save the southpaw in games. . There were tense moments between manager and player.
“I think they are situations that one has to react in a form if things are not going well, if one is not doing things well; even if I want to continue, it’s not really the best for a team, ”explained Valenzuela. “I always wanted to stay in the game … fortunately in most of the games we came out with the victory” .
Fernando Valenzuela and Tom Lasorda, two greats who will always be inseparable in the history of the Dodgers.
1981 # Dodgers , Fernando Valenzuela, Tommy Lasorda, Astros’ cheating and more. WATCH: https://t.co/lyU6Szb9f8 pic.twitter.com/F60 uC 35 NDM
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