Fernando Valenzuela dies at age 63

[milagros317]

Horrible news. The star of the 1981 Dodgers World Championship season (which was also his rookie year) has died much too soon, at the age of 63.
https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/fernando-valenzuela-dies
Ironically, this happened just days before the first Dodgers/Yankees World Series since 1981.
Valenzuela pitched a complete game victory in Game 3 of that 1981 World Series. He threw an incredible (by today's standards) 149 pitches in that victory.

 

[milagros317]

A personal note:
The first time that I saw Fernando Valenzuela pitch was May 8, 1981. The Dodgers scored one run in the top of the first inning. Ken Landreaux, batting second, reached first base on an error by the Mets shortstop, Bob Bailor. A balk sent him to second base. Batting third, Dusty Baker [later to be a manager for several different teams] got an RBI by driving in Landreaux with a single. The was the only run that the Dodgers scored all game. It was an unearned run.
So, Valenzuela's complete game shutout victory that day was by a score of 1-0. It was his fifth shutout of the year. At the end of that game, his won-lost record became 7-0 and his ERA was lowered to 0.29. Not a typo, that is zero point two nine after seven starts, all victories. All of this from a 20-year-old rookie.
Mike Scott was the hard-luck losing pitcher, giving up only one run, unearned, with 7 innings pitched.

No, my memory is not that good for a game that I attended 43 years ago. The website Baseball Reference is invaluable for recapturing memories.

Here is the box score of that game from Baseball Reference:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN198105080.shtml

Rest In Peace, Mr. Valenzuela. Dodger fans will never forget you.