Fernando Valenzuela Biography

Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea, nicknamed El Toro, was a Mexican professional baseball pitcher born on November 1, 1960, and passed away on October 22, 2024. Valenzuela played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, competing from 1980 to 1997 with a one-year break in 1992. Fernando Valenzuela played for six MLB teams, with his most notable tenure being with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed him in 1979 and debuted him in 1980. Valenzuela is the only player in MLB history to win both the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season, a feat recognized as of 2024. He was named a National League All-Star each year from 1981 to 1986, marking his peak performance period. Valenzuela pitched a no-hitter in 1990 and was released by the Dodgers prior to the 1991 season. He began his professional baseball journey in 1977 by signing with the Mayos de Navojoa in the Mexican Pacific League.