Fernando Valenzuela was more than just baseball: ‘Brought together cultures’

Rick Monday paid tribute to erstwhile teammate and chap Dodgers broadcaster Fernando Valenzuela, who passed distant astatine 63 of an undisclosed unwellness 3 days earlier nan World Series. 

For those not astir aliases alert successful 1981, erstwhile Valenzuela started 8-0 pinch a 0.50 ERA and triggered Fernandomania, it was bigger than moreover Shohei Ohtanimania or, really, thing shot has seen. 

“We knew it was coming, but it still doesn’t return distant nan emptiness of nan truth that Fernando is not here. He meant truthful much,” Monday told The Post. “He brought together cultures, not only present successful LA, but he brought cultures successful different cities.” 

Valenzuela — nan only 1 to triumph Rookie of nan Year and nan Cy Young successful nan aforesaid play and 1 of conscionable 2 non-Hall of Fame Dodgers to person his numbers retired (alongside Jim Gilliam) — excited nan masses but ever remained calm, Monday recalled. 

“There were times he would return nan mound and it was for illustration he had lived that crippled before,” Monday said. “I ne'er saw Fernando fluster connected nan mound. I saw him fluster connected a play course, but ne'er nan mound.” 

Valenzuela looked for illustration an Everyman. But he was built different, Monday said. 

“To spot him successful public, wherever you spot children look up to him and you spot adults mesmerized gathering this young feline from a distant area successful Mexico,” Monday said. “He had this beingness that was royalty. He ne'er looked astatine himself arsenic royalty.

“He didn’t want to seizure nan attention. But everyplace he went, group looked up to him. And they were mesmerized by him.”