A Grip on Sports: Being a sports fan always means a little mania, but Fernandomania was different – even as the player that caused it dies

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Time’s passage is sometimes hard to comprehend. Can it really be 43 years since Fernandomania? Since Fernando Valenzuela captured the imagination of Southern California and the baseball world writ large with a debut season that marveled that of Babe Ruth? Yes, it has been that long. And, as has been happening all too often lately, another long, sad goodbye is warranted.

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• Fernando Valenzuela was, for one season that stretched into more than a dozen, larger than life. The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, who as a rookie started a phenomenon, died Tuesday at age 63. Sad, for certain, as Valenzuela leaves behind a family, and a family of baseball fans who watched his meteoric rise the spring, summer and fall of 1981. He leaves the world, ironically, the same week his Dodgers – after a bad breakup late in his career, the two reconciled – will face the Yankees in the World Series for the first time since, yep, 1981.

And he leaves all of us who remember those days fondly with, appropriately, a smile.

Valenzuela flashed his often in 1981. His rookie year, officially, though he pitched a few innings with L.A. in late 1980. A smile that accompanied four consecutive shutouts in April. And an inescapable baseball renaissance in the L.A. Basin.

Maybe a baseball reunion is the better term.

Despite being slow-witted when it came to such things, even I, a native Angelino, knew there was a surprisingly wide disconnect between the Dodgers and the L.A.-area’s large Hispanic population. The reason, the placement of Dodger Stadium and the mostly Mexican-American neighborhood it displaced, was already lost in the mist of time, in some regard. Those who knew, knew – and were angry. Those who didn’t (most of the area), just rooted for a team that hadn’t won a World Series in a decade-and-a-half.

And then along came this pudgy lefthanded-kid from Mexico with the odd windup, an unhittable pitch – a screwball – from out of baseball’s long history and a smile that could move a populace. Oh, and he hit the ball well too. The 1981 version of Babe Ruth, with a Latino heritage.

Valenzuela changed everything. The Dodgers’ baseball fortunes, sure. Who wouldn’t want a starting pitcher who not just won every fourth day but allowed no runs and let the bullpen rest? And opened up another fortune, the largely untapped buying power of an ethnic group the team had been unable to reach despite unheard of (at the time) outreach such as broadcasting games in Spanish. It’s the latter that fueled the Dodger machine we see today – a franchise with pockets deep enough to pay anyone anything. Shohei Ohtani and his nearly billion-dollar deal is proof of that.

Valenzuela? The Dodgers had him on the cheap back then. He didn’t care. He just pitched. Won. Gave L.A. – the franchise and the city – a lift. And a lead in the National League West.

On June 12, Fernandomania was waning a bit. Actually, it, and the game, came to a crashing halt as major league players walked out. A strike. Little did anyone know how long it would last nor how important the Dodgers’ half-game lead over the Reds in the N.L. West would be. As the strike was settled in early August, the owners settled on a playoff system that ultimately led to another Dodger World Series title.

Valenzuela, rested, helped in that pursuit. So much so he was not only the N.L. Rookie of the Year, the league’s Cy Young winner as well.

Fernandomania? It lived on in a more subdued form. The strike hurt. So did the Dodgers’ habit of letting Valenzuela be his own reliever, as the 20-year-old he would often throw 150 pitches. Still, Valenzuela was the anchor of the rotation for most of his 11 Dodger seasons. A perennial Cy Young contender. A fan favorite. Until the Dodgers cut him days before a large – $2.55 million, which was large for 1991 – contract became vested.

Bitterness ensued. It took years to heal the chasm. But it did heal. Valenzuela joined L.A.’s Spanish-language broadcasts. The Dodgers retired his No. 34. Documentaries appeared. Valenzuela was feted and revered.

Now he is gone. His smile only a memory. His unhittable screwball a relic. His joy of playing a boys game in front of thousands of adults in an American metropolis cheering for a young man from a small town in Mexico? That’s never leaving.    

It has never been duplicated. Never will. Fernandomania was, and is, unique.

Even 43 years later.

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WSU: There is often little rhyme or reason for football turnovers. Or takeaways, if you have a defensive mentality. Either way, the Cougars have been blessed by forcing more of them this season, 14 of them, sixth nationally. Greg Woods delves into the plays that jumpstart an offense, and a defense, in this story. … San Diego State knows it will have to contain John Mateer if it wants to win. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, Jon Wilner has his weekly bowl projections in today’s S-R. … The big news out of the conference office? John Canzano reports the league has hired a consulting firm, Octagon, to parse out its future media rights. … We can pass along Stewart Mandel’s weekly mailbag in The Athletic. … The tough stretch continues for Oregon State. After a hard battle with UNLV, the Beavers travel to Cal to face a team that is better than its record. … Trent Bray has a certain way of addressing injuries. … Washington and Indiana play early Saturday. The schools have a player in common: Michael Penix Jr. He quarterbacked both. And he has a team he’s rooting for this week. … Yes, Oregon could go undefeated and still not win the Big Ten regular season title outright. But no worries. The No.-1 ranked Ducks’ new home means a playoff spot is basically assured, no matter what happens down the stretch, which starts at home against No. 20 Illinois. … A surprising group of receivers has lifted the UCLA offense. … Where does Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter belong in the NFL? … Can the Utah offense get on track? … Wilner returns with a look in the Mercury News at one of the former Pac-12’s schools that is a disappointment. No, not that L.A. school. Arizona. The Wildcats offense is in disarray. …  So is the USC pass rush. … In the Mountain West, Ashton Jeanty is more than Boise State’s best player. Or the West’s. He may just be the best in the nation. Stopping Jeanty and the Broncos is UNLV’s main task on Friday night. … New Mexico’s defense is improving. … It is homecoming for Colorado State this week. … There are different reasons every player ends up at the college they end up at. … The on-or-off volleyball match between San Jose State and Nevada will be played in San Jose. If it comes off at all. The schools made that decision Tuesday. … In basketball news, can Washington be great this season? One player may be the difference.

Gonzaga: The Zags are still looking for the second 2025 recruit to join guard Davis Fogle on campus in a year. They were a top-three choice of forward Nikolas Khamenia, but the L.A. star announced Tuesday he’s headed to Duke. Theo Lawson has more in this story.

Idaho and EWU: Former Eastern star Cooper Kupp may be headed out of Los Angeles. The Rams are in trade talks for the oft-injured receiver. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, a weird decision that decided UC Davis’ win over Portland State. And now a blown replay review that hit Idaho State hard and helped Northern Arizona win last Saturday. The conference’s officials are having trouble.

Preps: When it comes to running, a pack can be stronger than a bunch of individuals. That axiom was proved once again Tuesday as Lewis and Clark’s boys won their second consecutive GSL title. Greg Lee was at the title-clinching race and has the coverage in this notebook. … Dave Nichols has a roundup of other action.

Seahawks: The Hawks sit atop the NFC West standings. But the path to the playoffs seems like it is strewn with potholes, construction cones and possible traffic delays. … Michael Jerrell has made it to an NFL starting lineup. Not bad for a guy from a DII school.

Chiefs: Dave returns with a Spokane hockey notebook, focusing on the positive aspects of Spokane’s recent lengthy road trip. 

Mariners: I linked the Valenzuela obituaries throughout the column above. The World Series previews? Well, there is one in the S-R today. Not surprisingly, it is about a Dodger reliever, not a starter. … The two managers competed in a college baseball rivalry – USC and UCLA – on opposite sides.

Kraken: On a big night in the NHL, Seattle’s winning streak is snapped at home by Colorado.

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• My Fernandomania memories? None in person. In 1981, this underpaid newlywed – sort of – couldn’t afford that. After all, Kim and I became first-time homeowners that year and the mortgage on the 1909-built, 990-square-foot house took every penny. But we did find a few quarters, and a little time, to join our friends Dennis and Marsha at a nearby El Torito restaurant for happy hour when we could. The four of us would play Pac-Man, nurse beers and watch the Dodgers on the TV together. All the way through the World Series. Fernandomania and Pac-Man have been intertwined in my memory ever since. Fun. Until later …