Former legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and broadcaster Fernando Valenzuela has died, the team announced on Tuesday night. He was 63.
The baseball icon played 17 seasons in MLB from 1980-91 and 1993-97. Although he played for six different clubs, he spent the most time with the Dodgers. In Los Angeles, he became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in the same season.
Valenzuela was also the first rookie to lead the majors in strikeouts. In 1981, Valenzuela helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series title as a 20-year-old rookie. The 1981 season created the phenomenon known as “Fernandomania.”…