Dodgers [Finally] Retire 34

[SoxJox]

‘FernandoMania’ lives on: Dodgers retire Fernando Valenzuela’s number, a long time coming

BaseballRef (that 1981 season, while shortened, remains a magical one.

His first 8 games, leading to CYA and ROY:

• 4/9: 0 ER (CG)
• 4/14: 1 ER (CG)
• 4/18: 0 ER (CG)
• 422: 0 ER (CG)
• 4/27: 0 ER (CG)
• 5/3: 1 ER (Fernando went 9, relinquishing the mound to Steve Howe, who earned the win when the Dodgers scored 5 unanswered runs in the top of the 10th)
• 5/8: 0 ER (CG)
• 5/13: 2 ER (CG)

He went on to pitch an additional 3 CG shutouts on 8/27, 9/6, and 9/17.

For decades, Fernando Valenzuela‘s No. 34 jersey number was unofficially retired by Dodgers players and coaches in a sign of respect for the legendary Mexican pitcher.

On Friday night, the Dodgers finally made it official.

Valenzuela’s number was formally retired by the team during a pregame ceremony before the Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 6-1 at Dodger Stadium.

 

[Deweys New Stance]

He had a strong decade-long run with the Dodgers, but that amazing first season remained the high point. He did throw a no hitter in his last Dodgers season, then he bounced around quite a bit in the 90's. Well deserved # retirement IMO.

 

[moondog80]

‘FernandoMania’ lives on: Dodgers retire Fernando Valenzuela’s number, a long time coming

BaseballRef (that 1981 season, while shortened, remains a magical one.

His first 8 games, leading to CYA and ROY:

• 4/9: 0 ER (CG)
• 4/14: 1 ER (CG)
• 4/18: 0 ER (CG)
• 422: 0 ER (CG)
• 4/27: 0 ER (CG)
• 5/3: 1 ER (CG) (Fernando went 9, relinquishing the mound to Steve Howe, who earned the win when the Dodgers scored 5 unanswered runs in the top of the 10th)
• 5/8: 0 ER (CG)
• 5/13: 2 ER (CG)

He went on to pitch an additional 3 CG shutouts on 8/27, 9/6, and 9/17.

The poster child for pitch counts.

By April 22 he had already thrown 4 CG, twice on just 3 days rest. Was 20 years old. 192.1 IP in a season that featured a two month work stoppage.

Was pretty much cooked after 25.

 

[Ale Xander]

Every team in MLB should retire Papi's number.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

The poster child for pitch counts.

By April 22 he had already thrown 4 CG, twice on just 3 days rest. Was 20 years old. 192.1 IP in a season that featured a two month work stoppage.

Was pretty much cooked after 25.

He actually pitched 233 innings that year including the playoffs.

My baseball fandom was beginning right as he was entering the broken-down portion of his career. I remember him having a really good outing here and there – the no-hitter especially – and sudden talk that maybe he was about to rejuvenate his career. His arm may have been dead, but a lot of teams wanted to do their own autopsy. What I don't recall, was whether his given age was unquestioned as true.

 

[SoxJox]

I remember reading a number of accounts that his reported age was understated. I don't recall a definitive conclusion ever being drawn, or him "confessing".

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Every team in MLB should retire Papi's number.

Hard disagree.

 

[snowmanny]

‘FernandoMania’ lives on: Dodgers retire Fernando Valenzuela’s number, a long time coming

BaseballRef (that 1981 season, while shortened, remains a magical one.

His first 8 games, leading to CYA and ROY:

• 4/9: 0 ER (CG)
• 4/14: 1 ER (CG)
• 4/18: 0 ER (CG)
• 422: 0 ER (CG)
• 4/27: 0 ER (CG)
• 5/3: 1 ER (CG) (Fernando went 9, relinquishing the mound to Steve Howe, who earned the win when the Dodgers scored 5 unanswered runs in the top of the 10th)
• 5/8: 0 ER (CG)
• 5/13: 2 ER (CG)

He went on to pitch an additional 3 CG shutouts on 8/27, 9/6, and 9/17.

He hit pretty well too 9 hits in 29 ab in that initial stretch you detail, including knocking in the run in the 4/22 1-0 shutout.

 

[Daniel_Son]

I know the stats aren't quite there, but man I'd love to see Fernando in the Hall someday. Dude's responsible for like half the Dodger's fan base.

 

[Sausage in Section 17]

The poster child for pitch counts.

By April 22 he had already thrown 4 CG, twice on just 3 days rest. Was 20 years old. 192.1 IP in a season that featured a two month work stoppage.

Was pretty much cooked after 25.

That, along with Billy Martin and the A’s, was the end of that era. I was just watching a rerun of the 1977 All-Star game on YouTube this morning. Jim Palmer started for the American league, and had already pitched 188 2/3 innings at the All-Star break!

One can only imagine how many other potentially great pitchers couldn’t have careers due to the work load in those days.

 

[Max Power]

Yeah, that Palmer guy would have been much better if they pulled him after the second time through the order.

All the workload limiting for pitchers in the last 20 years hasn't made a bit of difference in injury rates. Pitchers might have longer careers now, but that's almost entirely due to Tommy John surgery. If medicine today were like it was in the 80s, there wouldn't be a team in the league who could field a starting rotation.

 

[GreenMonster49]

That, along with Billy Martin and the A’s, was the end of that era. I was just watching a rerun of the 1977 All-Star game on YouTube this morning. Jim Palmer started for the American league, and had already pitched 188 2/3 innings at the All-Star break!

Wilbur Wood had thrown 220-1/3 innings in 1972 by the all-star break, and 247-2/3 innings in 1973 by the all-star break. Palmer had it comparatively easy, always getting 3 days’ rest and occasionally 4.

 

[8slim]

Yeah, that Palmer guy would have been much better if they pulled him after the second time through the order.

All the workload limiting for pitchers in the last 20 years hasn't made a bit of difference in injury rates. Pitchers might have longer careers now, but that's almost entirely due to Tommy John surgery. If medicine today were like it was in the 80s, there wouldn't be a team in the league who could field a starting rotation.

Agreed. Fernando was a workhorse for 10 years. Hell, the guy threw 171 innings when he was 35.

I’ve searched high and low for some definitive statistical proof that the babying of starting pitchers has yielded some kind of significant increase in longevity and effectiveness. I’ve yet to find any.

That aside, 1981 was the first year I followed baseball and Fernando-mania was a nationwide phenomenon. I remember watching This Week in Baseball just to see his highlights. What a run.

 

[moondog80]

Agreed. Fernando was a workhorse for 10 years. Hell, the guy threw 171 innings when he was 35.

I’ve searched high and low for some definitive statistical proof that the babying of starting pitchers has yielded some kind of significant increase in longevity and effectiveness. I’ve yet to find any.

That aside, 1981 was the first year I followed baseball and Fernando-mania was a nationwide phenomenon. I remember watching This Week in Baseball just to see his highlights. What a run.

It's certainly true that there were some pitchers, like Palmer, who were able to handle the high workloads. I think the problem is there's no good way to identify the Palmers and Nolan Ryans other than "let them all try it and see who doesn't get hurt", and with the cost of starting pitching, teams want to play it safe with their investments.

And yes on Fernandomania. This is a statement more about the relative positions of baseball in our culture then and now, but he was a much, much bigger deal than Shohei Ohtani is now or Aaron Judge was last year. I'd compare it to when McGwire and Sosa broke the HR record, or Ripken passed Lou Gehirg.

 

[YTF]

Every team in MLB should retire Papi's number.

That's kinda' random. Any particular reason?

 

[Ale Xander]

That's kinda' random. Any particular reason?

34

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

Fernando was a star, but retiring his number is a bit much.

 

[SoxJox]

Fernando was a star, but retiring his number is a bit much.

You are, of course, kidding, right? Would you care to extrapolate beyond a drive by comment like that...from a lurker?

 

[tims4wins]

I didn’t realize he threw 17 scoreless innings in September 1980 after being called up. Dude gave up 2 runs in his first 80 MLB IP, and 4 in his first 100. I mean, what?!

 

[JimD]

I can still picture his windup in my head.

I recall that he pitched for the Padres after he left LA, but I'd forgotten that he'd also pitched for the O's, Phillies and Cardinals.

 

[SoxJox]

@tims4wins THAT, was the genesis of FernandoMania. Of course, the term, was invented. But I was living in San Diego at the time and went up to Chavez Ravine to see him pitch.

 

[tims4wins]

@tims4wins THAT, was the genesis of FernandoMania. Of course, the term, was invented. But I was living in San Diego at the time and went up to Chavez Ravine to see him pitch.

Yeah I knew he was on fire to start 81, I just didn't realize it started in 80.

I also didn't realize that he threw 8 straight CG to begin 81 (well technically 7 since one of the games went into extras).

I guess I never really looked back on the game log before. I figured it was more like Wakefield's run in 1995, I guess.

 

[Remagellan]

I know the stats aren't quite there, but man I'd love to see Fernando in the Hall someday. Dude's responsible for like half the Dodger's fan base.

This is why his number retirement was long overdue.

 

[Remagellan]

Hard disagree.

Well for sure the MFYs shouldn't retire Papi's number given they never retired him when he was playing against them. (At least in a big spot.)

 

[mauf]

You are, of course, kidding, right? Would you care to extrapolate beyond a drive by comment like that...from a lurker?

Valenzuela was a 6-time all-star who didn’t deserve a couple of those nods and posted a 107 ERA+ in his 10.5 seasons with the Dodgers. He’s not getting into Cooperstown without buying a ticket.

The standard for retiring a number is different, of course. I don’t know Dodgers’ lore well enough to say whether Valenzuela’s number should be retired for reasons similar to why Johnny Pesky’s number is retired in Boston or Elston Howard’s is in New York.

 

[SoxJox]

@mauf I don't think HoF is even in the discussion.

But, now that you mention it, here is BRef's HoF Stats on him. Clearly not there.

 

[SoxJox]

@mauf, and the lowdown on Dodger lore.

Here are the retired numbers. All are in the HoF except Jim Gilliam and Fernando.

As far as Howard and the Yankees are concerned, maybe it was that stint as an Army Special Forces during the Korean War prior to landing in AAA in 1953 and then debuting in The Show in 1955.

 

[mauf]

@mauf, and the lowdown on Dodger lore.

Here are the retired numbers. All are in the HoF except Jim Gilliam and Fernando.

As far as Howard and the Yankees are concerned, maybe it was that stint as an Army Special Forces during the Korean War prior to landing in AAA in 1953 and then debuting in The Show in 1955.

View attachment 70078

Gilliam died young and was a Dodgers’ coach at the time. His number was retired two days after his death. So Valenzuela is a real outlier here.

In addition to Howard’s military service, he was the Yankees’ first Black player and was a strong clubhouse presence as well as a standout player. Not really sure how good a parallel that is to Valenzuela — I’ve never heard a bad word about the guy, but people don’t speak of him like he’s a saint the way they did with Howard.

We should’ve retired Pesky’s number 20 years sooner than we did, so if Valenzuela has been a constant, positive presence in the Dodgers’ organization for the past 25 years the way Pesky was here after his playing days, I’d say that plus his playing career is enough.

 

[SoxJox]

We should’ve retired Pesky’s number 20 years sooner than we did,

Couldn't agree more. I chatted with him each time we traveled to Spring Training. A gracious guy.