October 23, 2024 • 43 mins
Steve Sax and Tim Cates take your calls about the passing of Fernando Valenzuela. Former Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia joins the guys to remember his former teammate and friend.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
The right quist.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Dodgers Playoff Baseball is back, and with it an annual postseason.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Tradition, scam is back. Baby.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
This is Saxon Cakes in.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
The a APPA go with Proway.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Dodger legend Steve Sacks is joined by your favorite Dodger
pregame host Tim Kates. If you want to talk Dodgers,
get in on the show on eighty six six nine,
eighty seven two five seven now. While the Dan Patrick
Show streams on the Ihearts radio app. We've been banished
to the internet until this Dodgers playoff run concludes. Here
(00:40):
they are broadcasting live on AM five to seven e
LA Sports. It's Tim Kates and Steve.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Sachs sax and Kate's and AM here on M five
seventy LA Sports on this Wednesday morning, October twenty third.
We appreciate you being with us as you get up,
make your way around city on your way to work,
school drop off the kids. We appreciate you being with
us and having us with you as you're driving around
here in southern California. Game one of the World Series
(01:09):
Dodgers and Yankees is Friday Night. Out of Dodgers Datium
Jack Felerty and Garrett Cole will be the Game one
pitching matchup, Dave Roberts making that announcement yesterday in a
press conference, also announcing that Yoshinoba Yamamoto will be the
Game two starter on Saturday night, first two games at
Dodgers Datium before heading back to New York on Monday
for Games three, four, and possibly five. We'll have Morogo
(01:31):
Casino Dodgers on deck in. It all started at four
o'clock on Friday. We got walda wall coverage lead up
to that, including the sad news that came down last night,
the passing of Fernando Valenzuela at the age of sixty three,
the cultural hero, the baseball legend who took southern California
by storm in nineteen eighty one, bringing together the cultures
of southern California and certainly the baseball community together for
(01:55):
Fernando Mania. That really sparked a movement here in sather
Than California. Brought everybody together, and it was a symbol
of hope for a lot of people here in Los
Angeles and the city. And Fernando Mania took off in
nineteen eighty one. What a season. He had Cy Young Award,
Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, and of course a
World Series Championship. Ten years with the Dodgers, went on
(02:18):
to play with the Angels and of course a couple
of other teams before retiring and returning to the Dodgers
as a broadcaster with the Dodgers, Spinish brod at Brady
broadcast team for the last twenty plus season. Saxy, you
mentioned the hitting. I don't think people realize what a
good hitter he was. Silver Slugger Award winner in his
rookie season in nineteen eighty one. He was an extra
(02:39):
weapon off the bench on those nights when he wasn't pitching.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
I mean, you talk about hitters today like Madison Bumgardner.
How good of a hitter he was, you know, with
the Giants and the d Backs, And then you look
at Fernando.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Fernando was at least that good.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
There were times when Tommy would pinch hit and use
Fernando's bat and put him up there, and if we
were in a tough situation where we were depleted on
the bench, he felt good about putting Fernando in there.
And lots of times he came through He was a
really good hitter and all around athlete. And you mentioned
I think Gus had mentioned how much Fernando liked soccer.
I remember Fernando would be down in the dugout constantly
(03:14):
with it. Remember the hacky sack. Oh yeah, Fernando could
hit that. It could you know, pop that hacky sack
up for just endlessly with his feet and he hit
it with his head, hit it with his hand, and
he was good at that. He was just an all
around great athlete. And again not a big wondering why
Fernando won, you know, that Silver Slugger Award. He was
(03:37):
a really good hitter and he could hit the ball
out of the park.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
We talk about nineteen eighty one because it started Fernando
Mania and what he did with those eight complete games
to start his major league career there in nineteen eighty one,
with that first start and opening day, the five shutouts,
the accolades that he gets from nineteen eighty one surly,
But you played with him in the years after that,
and what Fernando man after that was equally impressive. And
(04:02):
will we spotlight nineteen eighty one because that's when it started,
That's when the fever started. He burst onto the scene
and really galvanized the city. The years after eighty two,
eighty three, eighty four, of the years on that you
played with him, was that fever still the same when
you guys traveled on the road. Fernando Mania was special
in eighty one. How special was it in those years
(04:24):
after that? Oh, Fernando was always electric and another part
of him. When you talk about him, you kind of
dissect the different parts and great things about Fernando. It
keeps adding on, it keeps layering on. Another thing about him,
his competitiveness. Besides being able to throw that great screwball,
and you know how he carved up hitters. He was
(04:44):
a tough competitor.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
There were games and I remember if it was in
the World Series, where they kept him in a game
he gave up three or four runs, kept him in
the game, deep in the game, and he winds up
winning it. And that's because of his intestinal fortitude. The
guy was just absolutely nails. Nothing would bother him. He
was like, you know, it was like ice water in
his veins. He would not get caught up in the moment.
(05:08):
And he was always, you know, central to just getting
that hitter out and Fernando was the best at it.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Game five of the series against the Montreal Expos in Montreal,
the Rick Monday home run, that was a Fernando start,
And I was watching it last night on Spectrum Sports
in at La. They had the whole feature on on
Fernando Plane, and they brought it up about how Fernando
struggled and gave up a run in that first inning
on that cold day in Montreal, and Tommy Lasorda got
(05:36):
Bobby Castillo up warming in the bullpen in the bottom
of the first inning, and Fernando even said he looked
over and he saw Bobby Castillo warming up, and he said,
uh huh, this ain't happening today. I'm gonna go out
and I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the guy, and
I'm gonna pitch and went on to pitch a great
game there against the Montreal Expos. But it was Tommy
lighting that little fire getting somebody warm that ticked off
(05:57):
Fernando in Game five of that series. Again, that's the Expos.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Hey, how about in his twenty five starts that year,
Fernando pitched one hundred and ninety two and a third.
Then he went on to pitch seven years of two
hundred plus innings, including in nineteen eighty two two hundred
and eighty five innings, the next year two hundred and
fifty seven innings, the next year two hundred and sixty one,
two seventy two, two sixty nine, and on and.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
On it goes.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
You talk about one and one hundred and twenty innings
that pitchers go today. Fernando was more than double in
that more than double. So you talk about a guy
that took the workload on his back and carried the team.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
That's what he would do.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
In nineteen eighty eight, he for the first time went
on the injured list because of shoulder issues, and it
cost him two months, but also costing the opportunity to
pitch in the World Series. I think that's something that
gets lost is we talk about Gabee and Oral and
what you guys did as a group in nineteen eighty eight.
Fernando was hurt in nineteen eighty eight, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
And I imagine if we would have had him on
the team, you know, it would have been a much
smoother ride. I think into the World Series when we
had that real tough confrontation with the Mets. If we
would have had Fernando on there. I mean, imagine how
much better we would have been.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Eight sixty six, nine eighty seven two five seventy. Eight
sixty six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy A sad
day for Dodger Nation with the passing of Fernando Vealezuela
as at the age of sixty three here in Los Angeles.
What did he mean to you? How much did he
mean to your baseball family and your family here in
southern California eight six sixth nine eighty seven, two five seventy. Uh,
(07:36):
Aaron and all Hambro, I's been waiting patiently. Thank you, Erin.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
How you doing hey, good buddy, how you guys doing good?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Good?
Speaker 7 (07:42):
Aeron good.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Hey.
Speaker 7 (07:44):
I'll just relate a couple of quick stories. My sister
used to work for the Dodgers, and she was down
in San Diego. They were at a game and they
saw Fernando getting into his car after the games, and
she says, hey, mister valencewaie can have your autograph? And
he says no, in a very serious tone. And so
(08:05):
he gets in those car, rolls down the window and
he says come over, and she says, mister Elnezuela. I
work at the stadium, and he says, I know, come
over here, and he signs it. My second story is,
and I'm sorry, I'm a little choked up. A friend
who worked at for the Dodgers, a bad boy, Peter Sandoval,
(08:27):
he passed away. I'm sitting in the back of the
church at the funeral as a very last pew, and
Fernando comes in and he just very quietly comess sits
down at the funeral, pays his respects because Mike Brito
was Peter Sandoval's godfather, and so he was there paying
(08:49):
his respects.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
Just a humble guy, and just you know, it was
such a neat thing to see this man is such
a great picture, comes in, sits down without anybody knowing,
and and you know, and just do this thing so humbly.
I was like always impressed with that. So I just
wanted to share those couple of stories. What a nice guy.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I appreciate it, Aaron, Thanks for sharing that. David and Riverside.
Next up here on Saxon Kate's and a am Alive
a local on your Home with the Dodgers A five
seven e LA Sports.
Speaker 9 (09:17):
Hi David, good morning, Steve and Tim, thank you for
having us on and this opportunity to share about Frando.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Absolutely, go ahead, David, Hell yeah, go ahead, David Okay.
Speaker 9 (09:33):
The story I want to share speaks to not just
Fernando Mania, but to the man Fernando of Alanzuela. About
twelve years ago, I had the opportunity to bring in
six young ladies that were in their mid twenties or
mid I'm sorry, mid thirties to mid forties to the
(09:54):
suite and they were our tough performing employees for the quarter.
We treated them to a game. I happen to run
into Jorge Hereen in the walkway out there behind the suites,
and I said, well, what are the chances that Fernando
(10:14):
would be available, maybe between innings when he's not at
the mic. And he said, let me see, let me see.
I'll be right back, and he says, top of the
third Fernando's coming in. Awesome. Now, these are these are
ladies that are, like I said, in the mid thirties
(10:35):
to mid forties. They grew up as elementary and junior
high kids during Fernandomania. So you can imagine when he
walks through the door. I mean, it's just like it
might have been the Beatles, or it might have been
like in today's world. You know, maybe it's Taylor Swift
(10:55):
walking in the door while they're sitting there eating their
Dodger dogs and their peanuts, and they dropped everything and
rushed to this guy, like maybe Elvis.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (11:05):
Uh, it's just it's amazing the magnets, the magnetism that
he had, Uh, the impression that he had on these people.
Uh during that time.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (11:18):
And and he's spoke closed for pictures, he figned autographs.
Speaker 6 (11:23):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (11:24):
They told their stories about him. He smiled and listened
to every one of those stories. But one lady, and
they were all able to bring a guest, so a spouse,
a child. One lady brought her father who's in a
wheelchair and he had terminal cancer. Didn't speak English. He
(11:46):
was in the restroom when Fernando came in and missed
the whole thing. I went out to Himie again, I said, Jimie,
we missed one. We missed one. And he says, I'll
be right back. He comes back and it says, come
with me. So I took the employee, I took her dad.
(12:09):
We went next door into the broadcast booth. Fernando then
leaves his spot. It's between innings. He squats down like Fosha,
catch her behind the plate next to this man's wheelchair
and sits there and talks to him to the next
almost the full next half inning. And I don't know
(12:29):
what they're saying. I'm just watching this thing, and I'm
watching her cry. I'm watching her father cry. And then
Fernando puts his arm around the man. After they've done talking,
and Fernando starts crying. And I looked at her afterwards,
I said, what were they saying? And he was telling Fernando.
(12:51):
I tell my children, this is how you This is
how you take care of yourself. This is what you do,
no matter how humble and low your beginnings are, this
is what you can make of yourself. Fernando is a
role model. It doesn't matter if you're a boy, if
you're a girl. This is how you put yourself up.
And it's not that you didn't have anybody in your beginning.
(13:11):
This is your family and fam Fernando had a family.
He's telling them. He's telling Fernando this, and and the
emotions that came out of that. It speaks about that
all of these girls remember when they were kids. But
the man that Fernando Valenzuela was for someone like that.
(13:31):
This this man passed away a few months later, but
he was able to tell his children's hero what he
meant to that entire family.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
That's awesome, David, appreciate you sharing that. That is a
that is an unbelievable story and and sort of just
fits right to what we're hearing about Fernando Valenzuela, about
the kind of man he was. And to think about Steve,
he could have been a superstar that got so big
that he he wasn't amongst the people, and you know,
could have been a rock star type of person that
(14:05):
got carried away with things and you know, maybe you know,
lives a different lifestyle and becomes somebody else, not who
he was growing up and who he was initially as
Fernando and Fernando Mania nineteen eighty one. Things could have gotten,
you know, rockstar esque. You know, people change with fame
and fortune. It just happened, and it happens for the
(14:26):
bad a lot of the times. But it never changed
Fernando very easily. He could have been a rock and
roll type icon, which he is, but gone down a
different path and treated fans differently and acted differently. But
the guy never did. He was amongst the people all
the time.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
Well, when you say it could have happened, I get
your point, but impossible with him, he was not that
way at all. He was like I said, he was
the most grounded guy and his family was it for
him and all this stuff. You know, how this guy
I transformed the sports the way you look at sports
(15:03):
in southern California, it paled in comparison to what was
important to him, and that was his family and his friendships.
That's what meant, That's what meant the most of Fernando,
and that's what everybody says, and it's the absolute truth.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Rosemary and Riverside, thanks for being patient. You're on with
Saxon Kates in the am. You're on your home with
the Dodgers A five seventy.
Speaker 10 (15:25):
How you doing, Rosemary, Hi, good morning guys. Thank you
for taking my call and love your show. I was
a little girl when I remember when I started watching
the Dodgers, and I got to tell you, I fell
in love with the Dodgers because of Venezuela. I just
remember him being such a great player, and then of
(15:48):
course I started lik Saxy and Marshall and everybody else
and Herscheiser. But he makes us Mexican so proud. I mean,
I remember my grandparents used to watch him, you know,
playing the game, and it makes me so sad. I
actually cried last night, guys, because I got emotional. You know,
(16:09):
it brought up so many memories and keeviva toro borbida geviva.
I love him. He just changed the baseball world.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
Guys.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Thank you, Ron.
Speaker 10 (16:21):
It couldn't be any more proud. Thank you guys for
taking one more thing. Guys, I can't find you on
the radio. I can't listen to you while I'm at
home getting ready. They're showing the other guy. What's his name,
Dan Patrick?
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (16:34):
Yes, how do I find you?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
A f I seventy over the terrestrial radio. I know
Dan's on the iHeart app. There's other outlets you can find, Rosemary.
If you follow me on Twitter, I can give you
a give you a give you a good listen. So
appreciate Rosemary. Thank you so much for sharing and uh again,
just another example of what Fernando Valezuela meant to people
here in southern California and the people he brought to baseball,
(16:59):
the eyeball sacks he that he brought to you. Think
about that, a different a different amount of people that
may have never known who the great Steven Sachs was
unless Fernando Vealezuela was there bringing that group of people,
and those fans that weren't baseball fans that became Dodger
fans and became fans of Saxons.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Tim He he made everybody better, He made his teammates better,
and everybody that was around him, and not a cliche.
Everything about Fernando was the real deal.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Eight six six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy more
of your phone calls this morning as we remember Fernando Vealezuela.
Mike Sosh is gonna join us, coming up here at
the bottom of the hour. Dusty Baker's going to join
us next hour. Your phone calls, your memories, your rememberances.
He met so much to so many people here in
southern California and the city of Los Angeles. Fernando Mania
will live on forever. We're your home of the Dodgers.
(17:52):
An Fhi seventy I Sports sax and Kates in the
am on this Wednesday morning. In five to seventy, LA
Sports gave one of the World Series coming up on
Friday nights, Jack Flaherty and Garrett Cole the pitching matchup
(18:15):
in the series opener, first pitch at five oh eight.
We've got you covered wall the wall coverage leading up
to first pitch on Friday night. But certainly sad news
the loss of Fernando Vealezuela passed away yesterday at the
age of sixty three. El Toro, an icon here in
Los Angeles, in southern California, burst onto the scene in
(18:36):
nineteen eighty one. We've been taking a lot of your
phone calls and memories, and he touched the lives of
so many people here in Southern California. In Los Angeles.
He changed the baseball culture here in Southern California. He
changed baseball across the country in the nineteen eighties, and
SAX you mentioned it. It wasn't just in La thing
(18:57):
that that caught Fernando mania and ran with it. It
was across the country and being on the road and
traveling and playing in other cities. You saw it firsthand.
Even after the nineteen eighty one season. In the years
following that when Fernando pitched, it was different in those cities,
wasn't It was a different crowd. It was more crowded
in those stadiums.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
I remember Fernando walking out of the clubhouse and you know,
the people had pretty good accessibility to the players and
you go out and you know, go to your car whatever.
I remember that even in spring training in Vero, where
people were very accessible, they would just want to touch
Fernando's shoulder, they or do you want to touch his coat?
You know when he when he was walking out, when
(19:36):
they said he was like one of the Beatles. He
was that much of an attraction. And you know, there's
one other thing in the professional realm. I want to
just marvel for a moment if we could about Fernando
in this day and age of you know, maybe five, six, seven.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Eighties and then you're out of the game.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
I mean, how many players, how many pitchers today can
you think of that really go out and pitch a
complete game where they start and finish the game, which
is you know, should be the idea when you go
out and take the ball to try to you know,
pitch the full game, the nine innings. That's what pitchers
used to do. I don't think they really try to
do that or really shoot to do that, but to
(20:14):
complete the game is a is almost to something that
you never see today because they just don't go the
full tilt. Fernando Vealezuela had one hundred and thirteen complete
games in his career. Wow, you will go through and
see people today, even the great pitchers, they don't complete
(20:35):
games today. They have a smattering of games that they'll
complete throughout their career, a few, maybe one hundred and
thirteen complete games. That is called taking it on your
shoulders right, all the team together and putting it on
your back.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
That's what he did.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
That was Fernando Vealezuela, the guy who went out and
took the ball every time he was asked to go
out and do it, do it into the postseason. Is
well and dominating and carrying a city on his shoulders
as well through the nineteen eighties with Fernando Mania, taking
your phone calls eight sixty six, ninety seven, two five
seventy Angel and Lincoln Heights is next up here on
an FI seventy Oli sports. Hi Angel, Hey how.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
You doing Boston?
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Good? Hi Angel?
Speaker 1 (21:20):
This is Angel. Yeah, listen I grew up in Lincoln Heights.
My dad used to work at Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 7 (21:25):
Man.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
My brother used to work at the Stadium club. My
dad used to serve all the time he was at
the Stadium club. He used to serve all those guys
you know with their family, Steve Garvey, Ron Say and
Steve Davy Lols And uh, we used to go there
(21:48):
all the time. And we used to see Valance for
all all the time.
Speaker 11 (21:51):
Yeah, and uh, I remember this guy.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Used to work for the Dodgers. Is a guy named
the name it a little that was. His name was
Pete Saliva, and we all grew up with him, and
I see him. I saw him in a lot of places.
I used to see him driving his Corvette all the
time because he used to live on No Phillies and
(22:14):
he used to just wait on me all the time.
And that guy was a really nice guy man. Every
every funeral, he was there. He was there when Tommy
la sort That passed away. He just got out of
the car, he put his hat down, checked everybody's hand
got on it. And I saw my tom Pabo Castillo's funeral.
Speaker 11 (22:37):
I saw him in a bunch of another guy I've
been to Manymoa and the Tows. Another great guy. You know,
all this stuff we went to. When we went the
first time they had that All Star game, my dad
bought us ticket.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
That guy chick Uh put Fernando put An on us
and he was really good man.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
He was the best.
Speaker 11 (23:06):
Say that.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Can I say a shout out to my little nephews. Yeah,
I was listening to you guys, all right. He lives
in Ontario. His nemus Fernando too, Bernando Garcia.
Speaker 6 (23:17):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Hey, he's out there delivering the kids to school. Man,
he's I was listening to you guys.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Awesome, Angel, appreciate it. Thank you for the memories. Thanks
for sharing that. A lot of memories from Dodger fans
this morning certainly touched a lot of people's lives, families
here in Southern California. Changed the baseball culture here in
Southern California, and the man behind them plate for so
many of those Fernando Valezuela starts. He caught the no
hitter in nineteen ninety. He is a Dodger icon himself.
(23:46):
Longtime Angels manager, sixteen hundred and fifty wins as a manager,
three time World Series Champion, two with the Dodgers as
a player, one as a manager with the Angels. He
is the great number fourteen Mike Sooshia and he joins
us here on five seventy l A Sporting LA Sports Mike,
good morning.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
How you doing good, guys? How are you doing okay?
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Doing okay? Certainly the sad news of the passing of
Fernando Valenzuela last night's uh, I guess just your initial
thoughts and and and when you hear about his passing,
what kind of goes through your mind.
Speaker 6 (24:17):
That's a sad day, There's no doubt about it. But
I think it's it's uh, it's it's definitely day of
reflection for all of us to understand, uh, the impact
that Fernando had on not only do the Dodger organization,
all Southern California, the whole baseball world and all of
Latin America. And I think understanding that and living it
(24:41):
in real time, and I know, Saxuly, you know, we
had the chance to live at real time. It was
you know, it was really uh spectacular. So it's a
sad day for sure, way too young for for for
Fernando to pass, But that's what you know, it's what
we have today and just a special person, special pitcher
(25:04):
and a great teammate, great friends.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Yeah, Mike, thanks for being on with us. And in
your great career, you've caught so many pitchers. Nobody knew
Fernando and his professionalism and what he brought as a
pitcher better than you.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
You knew it better than anybody.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
So maybe you can give our listeners some insight on
just what made him so special and what was it
about that screwball and how was he able to master
that thing?
Speaker 6 (25:31):
You know, saxy, he you know, you can see his
natural talent and I mean you know you could see
it from second base obviously the way his pitches moved.
But I've never caught a guy that really had five
pitches that he could use on any count and and
really ice water in his veins. He just he made pitches.
He had great command of his fastball. He could move
(25:52):
that thing on the corner two inches off the corner,
two more inches off the corner. To see how much
an umpire was giving you, and just that natural ability
was was special. But it goes further than that. Fernando had.
He had a huge heart out there on the mouth.
He wanted to go out there. He wanted to win.
(26:13):
He didn't care if he had to throw one hundred
and fifty pitches of a game. He wanted to finish
that ninth inning get a win for the team. And
so when you when you combine his natural ability with
his ability to just compete, you.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Know, it was just a special pitcher in that nineteen
eighty one season, Mike, I believe you caught all but
two of his starts in that Fernando Mania season with
it really springboarded Fernando and took off here in southern California.
What was your Spanish like before and what did it
develop into quickly? I guess in that nineteen eighty one season, Well.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
Let me just say Fernando knewhim a lot more English,
and then people maybe knew and you know, I played
a couple of years down in Dominican Republic, and you know,
you pick up Spanish and the Dodge organization are always
a lot of players from Latin America, so you would
kind of trade words and get an understanding. But you know,
a lot of baseball terminology was universal, so you didn't
(27:12):
have a lot of there was no problem with communication
with Fernando, and you know, baseball's baseball, and once you
get back there and understand what a pitcher has his stuff,
talk to him about what he's trying to do. There
was no there was no problem and all with communication.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
Yeah, Mike, we talked about how great he was a pitcher.
But Fernando was a really good athlete all the way around.
And you know he's a good soccer player. And how
about him as a hitter. I mean, Tommy would sometimes
use Fernando in a pitch hitting role if our bench
became depleted, and then felt no qualms about putting him
out there. And lots of times he came through.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
No doubt. You know, if you looked at you know,
and Fernando as he as he grew, he you know,
he came up. He was so young, and he had
this little pudgy body, you know, a little lefty, and
but you you could see the way he moved off
a moundin the way he fielded his position, the way
he could swing a bat, that he was a he
was a tremendous athlete and he was and whatever it
(28:10):
would take, he would get big hits for us. You know,
I remember a game he knocked in. You know their
games where he might not get in the only run.
I remember pigeon against Steve Carlton and in Philly and
knocks in. I think he knocked in the winning run
in a game that was two to one. I think
he struck out like fifteen players. But you know, he
(28:30):
he he was. He was a great athlete. And you
know as he first came up, as I said, you
saw this little pudgy body with a with a strange
delivery where he's looking up to the sky, but he
moved off that mound. Great could swing the bat. And
as I said before, whether he had to get a
bunt down or pinch it get a hit, he just
wanted to help the team win.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Mike's social with us here on M five seventy LA Sports,
June twenty ninth, nineteen ninety Fernando throws a no hitter
against the Saint Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. You were
the catcher that night. Is it true he came to
you before the game MIC and said you're about to
catch a no hitter tonight.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Well, yeah, this is true. But here's here's how the
situation evolved. We're watching Dave Stewart pitch finish off his
what ended up being a no hitter. So we're watching
the last like four or five pitches in our video
room before we went out there to get loose, and
Fernando is walking by because he's going to the bullpen
yet to pass our video room, so he pokes his
head in. Dave Stewart finishes off his no hitter, and
(29:30):
Fernando says, you saw one on TV, now you're going
to see one in person. And he goes down there
and warms up and ends up throwing no hitter. So
that was that was a special time for all of us,
and particularly Fernando because it was I think a lot
of people don't realizing eighty eight. He hurt his arm
in May and didn't pitch for us that whole year
and we ended up winning the World Series. So he
(29:52):
was coming back from a serious arm injury, came back
and pitched a long time after that, and it was
a big you know, that was just a big knight
for all of us to see him go out there
or be part of a no hitter.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
Yeah, you know, we talk about how great Fernando was, Mike,
but I think the best part of Fernando was I
he was always the same guy. He was grounded, he
was the biggest part of his life was his family, obviously,
And it's amazing how when people talk about how unaffected
he was. You mentioned the ice water in his veins,
(30:26):
it's because of where he came from and how grounded
he was. And he wasn't too big for the moment,
because he was he was just he was just another guy,
you know, the way he looked at things, and his
family was the biggest thing to him. I think that
might have been his greatest his big best thing.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
He brought to the club.
Speaker 6 (30:44):
Absolutely sex. I think you know, those of us that
got to know him well understand that he was just
you know, he was a kid like all of us,
from all from different parts of this world. He got
together and got on the same team, and he was
just a very grounded kid. Loved his family, had a
big game from big family down in Mexico, and uh
(31:06):
just uh, he just enjoyed the camaraderie. One of the
things I remember about Fernando, and you're right about him
always being the same whether he was pitching well or
pitching poorly, or what was going on at the clubhouse.
He had the same demeanor, and he was a you know,
he was a prankster. Remember when he had that lasso. Yes,
he would have a lot. He would have a lasso
and you'd be walking by and all of a sudden,
(31:26):
he lasso your ankle as you're walking. You play those trips,
and he was and and and uh, that's the way
he was.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
You know.
Speaker 6 (31:35):
I mean, there's playoff games that we're going into and
you know, and all the pressure that could be in
the clubhouse. Uh he was. He was one of the
guys that alleviated and just just let that that air
out of the balloon and we could relax.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
And uh.
Speaker 6 (31:50):
He was funny, he was quick witted, he'd uh, you know,
just just just a down the earth guy. And that's
that's you know, that's how we'll remember Fernando.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Mike as we remember Fernando nineteen eighty one, especially a
year for you guys winning the World Series and beating
the Yankees. And here we are just a couple of
days away from Game one of the twenty twenty four
World Series. Dodgers Yankees again, superstars galore going to be
on the biggest stage with Otani and Judge and everybody
on both rosters. When you see this matchup about to happen,
(32:24):
Dodgers Yankees, what comes to your mind from eighty one
Dodgers Yankees in that World Series.
Speaker 6 (32:30):
Yeah, well, we were really young in eighty one. We
just came up and you know what our really takeaway
from that eighty one World Series was. It was it
was like the infield and the guys that had lost
in seventy seven, seventy eight to the Yankees. These guys
were on mission and we were all a part of it,
(32:52):
understanding that, hey, this is a huge series for this organization.
We need to beat the Yankees. Even go back to
Brooklyn when the Dodgers would play the Yankees in in
the fifties and they won in fifty five one time,
but lost so many times. This was important for the
Dodger organization, and these guys all felt that they felt
like they were carrying that banner. And it was an
(33:13):
intense series. Would lose the first two games in New
York and then would come back and sweep them in
LA And by the way, game three, Fernando pitches and
he had to throw one hundred and fifty hundred and
sixty pitches. I don't even know what the pitch count was.
Started off a little rough for the first couple of innings.
They got to think three to four runs off him,
and then all of a sudden, he pitches a complete game,
(33:34):
striking at lou Penela to win the game and hold
the lead. So that was a special special moment for us,
and especially being able to win Game six in in
Yankee Stadium was something for you know, just I think
it was a little retribution for the guys that had
gone through the tough season seventy seven and seventy eight.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
Yes, Mike, My last one for you, Mike is you know,
can you imagine today, with the transfer of information and
social media, just how huge Fernando would have been.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
I mean, this is a modern day show. He would
have been the modern day show. Hey Otani, you know,
is uh?
Speaker 5 (34:11):
With all the you know advantages we have today to
transfer the information and get things in real time. New
cycles are now by the hour. Can you imagine what
Fernando could have been today in this market of social media.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Oh, it would have been unbelievable. But I think it
just shows how dominant he was. To go back to
nineteen eighty one. And remember that there's no cell phones
in eighty one. There's you know, I think they might
you might have had you know, answer machines on your
telephone by then, but there's there's there's you know. The
media was the reporters who were at the stadium. Uh,
(34:48):
you know, the the uh you know, the audio guys
who were doing the video and our audio you know,
doing radio and TV. That was it. And just think
how big he became with all the with all these
three sources. Well, so I think that speaks speaks to
the to the mag you know, the magnitude the Fernando affected,
(35:08):
you know, everybody, and as I said, not just a
Dodge organization, not just selling California, the whole baseball world
throughout you know, throughout Latin America and everywhere. And it
was it was just, uh, you know, something quite an
experience for all of us who went through it.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Mike final thing, uh sho hel Tani.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
You had show hey in twenty eighteen, his first year
in the big leagues to see what he's doing now,
you know, seven seasons later in a Dodger uniform, now
on the biggest stage in the world, Series fifty to
fifty season. Uh what what are your what are your
thoughts about what you've seen him do this year and
taking it to even a higher level that nobody thought
(35:49):
he could do and baseball had never seen before.
Speaker 6 (35:53):
Well, I think, I mean he had the potential. You
knew he had the potential to do what he's done.
Uh and and to this level, I think did he
He's just right now in a tremendous situation for show. Hey,
he's you know, he's comfortable. He has the highest level
of confidence I think you could possibly have as a player.
(36:15):
And I'm excited to see him pitch next year again
because I think that he's going to get the exposure
to pitch on a Dodger club and people are going
to see his you know why people still want him
to pitch. He's a dominated pitcher, he's a you know,
his stuff is top five in baseball. So I think
he'll have to obviously, you know, deal with pitching and
(36:39):
hitting again, But I don't think it'll I don't think
it will affect him. He's a special player, special athlete,
and what he's done this year is it's it's it's remarkable.
But he has had the potential to do this, and
he's doing it well.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
You guys brought up the brought up Game three of
the nineteen eighty one World Series, Fernando one hundred and
forty seven pitches that night and the Dodgers five four
win over the Yankees out at Dodger Stadium. And that
was October twenty third, nineteen eighty one. Today's October twenty third,
twenty twenty four, so the anniversary of Game three. And
that that outing that you mentioned, Mike, that Fernando had
(37:14):
one hundred and forty seven pitches in that Game three unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (37:19):
It's unbelievable, it is, And I think that speaks to
the heart that Fernando had and his willingness to go
out there and help us club to throw that many pitches.
And I think that that pitch counter broke somewhere along
the line because I think he had more than forty seven.
I mean, he was he just kept going like a
pitching machine. And he'll be missed for sure. I think
(37:42):
that you can really look at Fernando and even though
you know, you know, it's a sad day what he's
done for baseball and we're going to continue to do
with the legacy he's left is going to be something
special to be here for a long time.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Out about it, Mike, thank you so much for joining
us this morning. Difficult circumstances as we get ready for
Game one of the World Series on Friday. We really
appreciate you doing it.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
Thanks Mike.
Speaker 6 (38:09):
All right, guys, thanks a lot. We'll see you all
right there.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
He goes the great Mike Soosha, unbelievable. Appreciate it. Mike,
thanks you Steve Brenner for helping him set that up.
We'll get back to your phone, calls Dusty Baker, another
former Dodger. Great, we'll be joining us next hour, Saxy
in Saxon Kate's in the am on this Wednesday morning
on NFI seventy LA Sports. Thanks for being with us
as we remember Fernando Valenzuela passed away at the age
(38:33):
of sixty three yesterday here in southern California. Touched so
many lives, so many families on and off the field.
Love hearing the stories, Love checking in with great Dodgers
like Mike Sosha, Dusty Baker. Next hour and you here
on an FI seventy I Sports. Saxon Kate's in the
(38:56):
AmAm five seventy LA Sports. You're a home of the Dodgers.
Game one of the World Series is coming up on
Friday night, five oho eight. First Pitch, Jack Felarity, Garrett Cole,
the pitching matchup Dodgers Yankees. We've got you covered all
the coverage for Dodger Baseball right here on your home
with the Dodgers. A five seventy sad news last night
(39:16):
with the news that Dando Valenzuela passed away at the
age of sixty three, way too young. A Dodger icon,
a superstar here in Los Angeles. Really transformed the Dodger
brand in the nineteen eighty one season with Fernando Mania
turning the Dodgers and went to the art today a
global brand. Certainly, what he did in nineteen eighty one
(39:37):
in the Latino community, the Mexican community was something we'll
never see again. You mentioned it earlier, Saxy. The closest
thing we can to see to it is sho hey
Otani and the I guess the influence and what he
means to a culture, and that being the Japanese culture
(39:57):
and globally with the impact he's had. But I mean
you I mean you said it with Mike Soshi. Yeah,
imagine this being today Fernando Mania, and and the coverage
and the social media and it would be off the charts.
Speaker 5 (40:11):
Can you can you imagine Fernando going into arbitration with
those numbers that he put up. I mean it, It's
almost like they wouldn't even have enough money to pay
this dude, you know, because he that's what he meant,
because baseball has really taken on a complete a complete
knowledge of what a person is not only on the field,
(40:34):
but off the field, and what he brings to the
box office, and he how he moves the fan base.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Nobody did it like Fernando.
Speaker 5 (40:42):
I would venture to say, at least what shoe Hey
or Tani does Fernando. Fernando just you know, he just
had this, had this whole organization, organization surge to a
different level, especially when you are able to in reinvigorate
a whole Mexican American community that is just going to
(41:04):
pack this house every single time he pitches.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
And that's what he brought.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
I think a lot of times Baseball gets criticized for
their lack of promoting the individual players, and I'll second
that by saying they don't do a very good job
doing that, quite frankly, and would they have superstars promoting
those superstars? And I get baseball as a regional sport,
not like football, not like like basketball, but it's a
regional sport, and you fall in love with your team,
and it's hard to watch a national game of two
(41:31):
teams you're maybe not interested in, but you could be
interested in the superstars. And they do a horrible job
promoting those superstars. I don't remember, but in nineteen eighty
one and then a couple of years after that, did
they do a good job in promoting Fernando nationally?
Speaker 5 (41:46):
I mean, Aneso, I just don't remember if they did.
I look, I agree with you, tim Is, they should
do a much better job. When you go down you know,
the five Freeway going down to going down to Orange Care,
there should have been, you know, billboards everywhere of Otani
and Mike Trout.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
And when you're going.
Speaker 5 (42:07):
Back in Pittsburgh, there should have been billboards everywhere of
Lawrence McCutcheon. You know, young, good looking, handsome role models
out there, successful people that can really speak to.
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Everybody, bring everybody up.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
I mean, I think this shit they have these great
examples of what is really nice about America baseball, the
wholesomeness about baseball, the nice young men that are out
there to really set an example for the country. I
just think they have a golden opportunity to really stretch
that out and bring that forward, and they just don't
do it as much as they should.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
I don't believe.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
No, they don't. And they had it back in eighty
one with Fernando Mania. Maybe they didn't realize what they
had at the time. Maybe they didn't know how to
market it, a kid from Mexico playing for the La
Dodgers and making it a national brand. But certainly with
shoey Otani now in twenty twenty four, he is a
global brand. Eight sixty six, In two, five seventy more
your phone calls coming up, Dusty Baker's gonna join us.
(43:04):
Love hearing the memories what Fernando meant to you, your family,
and when he meant to La. It's all right here
in a five seventy LA Sports
The right quist.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Dodgers Playoff Baseball is back, and with it an annual postseason.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Tradition, scam is back. Baby.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
This is Saxon Cakes in.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
The a APPA go with Proway.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Dodger legend Steve Sacks is joined by your favorite Dodger
pregame host Tim Kates. If you want to talk Dodgers,
get in on the show on eighty six six nine,
eighty seven two five seven now. While the Dan Patrick
Show streams on the Ihearts radio app. We've been banished
to the internet until this Dodgers playoff run concludes. Here
(00:40):
they are broadcasting live on AM five to seven e
LA Sports. It's Tim Kates and Steve.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Sachs sax and Kate's and AM here on M five
seventy LA Sports on this Wednesday morning, October twenty third.
We appreciate you being with us as you get up,
make your way around city on your way to work,
school drop off the kids. We appreciate you being with
us and having us with you as you're driving around
here in southern California. Game one of the World Series
(01:09):
Dodgers and Yankees is Friday Night. Out of Dodgers Datium
Jack Felerty and Garrett Cole will be the Game one
pitching matchup, Dave Roberts making that announcement yesterday in a
press conference, also announcing that Yoshinoba Yamamoto will be the
Game two starter on Saturday night, first two games at
Dodgers Datium before heading back to New York on Monday
for Games three, four, and possibly five. We'll have Morogo
(01:31):
Casino Dodgers on deck in. It all started at four
o'clock on Friday. We got walda wall coverage lead up
to that, including the sad news that came down last night,
the passing of Fernando Valenzuela at the age of sixty three,
the cultural hero, the baseball legend who took southern California
by storm in nineteen eighty one, bringing together the cultures
of southern California and certainly the baseball community together for
(01:55):
Fernando Mania. That really sparked a movement here in sather
Than California. Brought everybody together, and it was a symbol
of hope for a lot of people here in Los
Angeles and the city. And Fernando Mania took off in
nineteen eighty one. What a season. He had Cy Young Award,
Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, and of course a
World Series Championship. Ten years with the Dodgers, went on
(02:18):
to play with the Angels and of course a couple
of other teams before retiring and returning to the Dodgers
as a broadcaster with the Dodgers, Spinish brod at Brady
broadcast team for the last twenty plus season. Saxy, you
mentioned the hitting. I don't think people realize what a
good hitter he was. Silver Slugger Award winner in his
rookie season in nineteen eighty one. He was an extra
(02:39):
weapon off the bench on those nights when he wasn't pitching.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
I mean, you talk about hitters today like Madison Bumgardner.
How good of a hitter he was, you know, with
the Giants and the d Backs, And then you look
at Fernando.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Fernando was at least that good.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
There were times when Tommy would pinch hit and use
Fernando's bat and put him up there, and if we
were in a tough situation where we were depleted on
the bench, he felt good about putting Fernando in there.
And lots of times he came through He was a
really good hitter and all around athlete. And you mentioned
I think Gus had mentioned how much Fernando liked soccer.
I remember Fernando would be down in the dugout constantly
(03:14):
with it. Remember the hacky sack. Oh yeah, Fernando could
hit that. It could you know, pop that hacky sack
up for just endlessly with his feet and he hit
it with his head, hit it with his hand, and
he was good at that. He was just an all
around great athlete. And again not a big wondering why
Fernando won, you know, that Silver Slugger Award. He was
(03:37):
a really good hitter and he could hit the ball
out of the park.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
We talk about nineteen eighty one because it started Fernando
Mania and what he did with those eight complete games
to start his major league career there in nineteen eighty one,
with that first start and opening day, the five shutouts,
the accolades that he gets from nineteen eighty one surly,
But you played with him in the years after that,
and what Fernando man after that was equally impressive. And
(04:02):
will we spotlight nineteen eighty one because that's when it started,
That's when the fever started. He burst onto the scene
and really galvanized the city. The years after eighty two,
eighty three, eighty four, of the years on that you
played with him, was that fever still the same when
you guys traveled on the road. Fernando Mania was special
in eighty one. How special was it in those years
(04:24):
after that? Oh, Fernando was always electric and another part
of him. When you talk about him, you kind of
dissect the different parts and great things about Fernando. It
keeps adding on, it keeps layering on. Another thing about him,
his competitiveness. Besides being able to throw that great screwball,
and you know how he carved up hitters. He was
(04:44):
a tough competitor.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
There were games and I remember if it was in
the World Series, where they kept him in a game
he gave up three or four runs, kept him in
the game, deep in the game, and he winds up
winning it. And that's because of his intestinal fortitude. The
guy was just absolutely nails. Nothing would bother him. He
was like, you know, it was like ice water in
his veins. He would not get caught up in the moment.
(05:08):
And he was always, you know, central to just getting
that hitter out and Fernando was the best at it.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Game five of the series against the Montreal Expos in Montreal,
the Rick Monday home run, that was a Fernando start,
And I was watching it last night on Spectrum Sports
in at La. They had the whole feature on on
Fernando Plane, and they brought it up about how Fernando
struggled and gave up a run in that first inning
on that cold day in Montreal, and Tommy Lasorda got
(05:36):
Bobby Castillo up warming in the bullpen in the bottom
of the first inning, and Fernando even said he looked
over and he saw Bobby Castillo warming up, and he said,
uh huh, this ain't happening today. I'm gonna go out
and I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the guy, and
I'm gonna pitch and went on to pitch a great
game there against the Montreal Expos. But it was Tommy
lighting that little fire getting somebody warm that ticked off
(05:57):
Fernando in Game five of that series. Again, that's the Expos.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Hey, how about in his twenty five starts that year,
Fernando pitched one hundred and ninety two and a third.
Then he went on to pitch seven years of two
hundred plus innings, including in nineteen eighty two two hundred
and eighty five innings, the next year two hundred and
fifty seven innings, the next year two hundred and sixty one,
two seventy two, two sixty nine, and on and.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
On it goes.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
You talk about one and one hundred and twenty innings
that pitchers go today. Fernando was more than double in
that more than double. So you talk about a guy
that took the workload on his back and carried the team.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
That's what he would do.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
In nineteen eighty eight, he for the first time went
on the injured list because of shoulder issues, and it
cost him two months, but also costing the opportunity to
pitch in the World Series. I think that's something that
gets lost is we talk about Gabee and Oral and
what you guys did as a group in nineteen eighty eight.
Fernando was hurt in nineteen eighty eight, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
And I imagine if we would have had him on
the team, you know, it would have been a much
smoother ride. I think into the World Series when we
had that real tough confrontation with the Mets. If we
would have had Fernando on there. I mean, imagine how
much better we would have been.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Eight sixty six, nine eighty seven two five seventy. Eight
sixty six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy A sad
day for Dodger Nation with the passing of Fernando Vealezuela
as at the age of sixty three here in Los Angeles.
What did he mean to you? How much did he
mean to your baseball family and your family here in
southern California eight six sixth nine eighty seven, two five seventy. Uh,
(07:36):
Aaron and all Hambro, I's been waiting patiently. Thank you, Erin.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
How you doing hey, good buddy, how you guys doing good?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Good?
Speaker 7 (07:42):
Aeron good.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Hey.
Speaker 7 (07:44):
I'll just relate a couple of quick stories. My sister
used to work for the Dodgers, and she was down
in San Diego. They were at a game and they
saw Fernando getting into his car after the games, and
she says, hey, mister valencewaie can have your autograph? And
he says no, in a very serious tone. And so
(08:05):
he gets in those car, rolls down the window and
he says come over, and she says, mister Elnezuela. I
work at the stadium, and he says, I know, come
over here, and he signs it. My second story is,
and I'm sorry, I'm a little choked up. A friend
who worked at for the Dodgers, a bad boy, Peter Sandoval,
(08:27):
he passed away. I'm sitting in the back of the
church at the funeral as a very last pew, and
Fernando comes in and he just very quietly comess sits
down at the funeral, pays his respects because Mike Brito
was Peter Sandoval's godfather, and so he was there paying
(08:49):
his respects.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
Just a humble guy, and just you know, it was
such a neat thing to see this man is such
a great picture, comes in, sits down without anybody knowing,
and and you know, and just do this thing so humbly.
I was like always impressed with that. So I just
wanted to share those couple of stories. What a nice guy.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I appreciate it, Aaron, Thanks for sharing that. David and Riverside.
Next up here on Saxon Kate's and a am Alive
a local on your Home with the Dodgers A five
seven e LA Sports.
Speaker 9 (09:17):
Hi David, good morning, Steve and Tim, thank you for
having us on and this opportunity to share about Frando.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Absolutely, go ahead, David, Hell yeah, go ahead, David Okay.
Speaker 9 (09:33):
The story I want to share speaks to not just
Fernando Mania, but to the man Fernando of Alanzuela. About
twelve years ago, I had the opportunity to bring in
six young ladies that were in their mid twenties or
mid I'm sorry, mid thirties to mid forties to the
(09:54):
suite and they were our tough performing employees for the quarter.
We treated them to a game. I happen to run
into Jorge Hereen in the walkway out there behind the suites,
and I said, well, what are the chances that Fernando
(10:14):
would be available, maybe between innings when he's not at
the mic. And he said, let me see, let me see.
I'll be right back, and he says, top of the
third Fernando's coming in. Awesome. Now, these are these are
ladies that are, like I said, in the mid thirties
(10:35):
to mid forties. They grew up as elementary and junior
high kids during Fernandomania. So you can imagine when he
walks through the door. I mean, it's just like it
might have been the Beatles, or it might have been
like in today's world. You know, maybe it's Taylor Swift
(10:55):
walking in the door while they're sitting there eating their
Dodger dogs and their peanuts, and they dropped everything and
rushed to this guy, like maybe Elvis.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (11:05):
Uh, it's just it's amazing the magnets, the magnetism that
he had, Uh, the impression that he had on these people.
Uh during that time.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (11:18):
And and he's spoke closed for pictures, he figned autographs.
Speaker 6 (11:23):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (11:24):
They told their stories about him. He smiled and listened
to every one of those stories. But one lady, and
they were all able to bring a guest, so a spouse,
a child. One lady brought her father who's in a
wheelchair and he had terminal cancer. Didn't speak English. He
(11:46):
was in the restroom when Fernando came in and missed
the whole thing. I went out to Himie again, I said, Jimie,
we missed one. We missed one. And he says, I'll
be right back. He comes back and it says, come
with me. So I took the employee, I took her dad.
(12:09):
We went next door into the broadcast booth. Fernando then
leaves his spot. It's between innings. He squats down like Fosha,
catch her behind the plate next to this man's wheelchair
and sits there and talks to him to the next
almost the full next half inning. And I don't know
(12:29):
what they're saying. I'm just watching this thing, and I'm
watching her cry. I'm watching her father cry. And then
Fernando puts his arm around the man. After they've done talking,
and Fernando starts crying. And I looked at her afterwards,
I said, what were they saying? And he was telling Fernando.
(12:51):
I tell my children, this is how you This is
how you take care of yourself. This is what you do,
no matter how humble and low your beginnings are, this
is what you can make of yourself. Fernando is a
role model. It doesn't matter if you're a boy, if
you're a girl. This is how you put yourself up.
And it's not that you didn't have anybody in your beginning.
(13:11):
This is your family and fam Fernando had a family.
He's telling them. He's telling Fernando this, and and the
emotions that came out of that. It speaks about that
all of these girls remember when they were kids. But
the man that Fernando Valenzuela was for someone like that.
(13:31):
This this man passed away a few months later, but
he was able to tell his children's hero what he
meant to that entire family.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
That's awesome, David, appreciate you sharing that. That is a
that is an unbelievable story and and sort of just
fits right to what we're hearing about Fernando Valenzuela, about
the kind of man he was. And to think about Steve,
he could have been a superstar that got so big
that he he wasn't amongst the people, and you know,
could have been a rock star type of person that
(14:05):
got carried away with things and you know, maybe you know,
lives a different lifestyle and becomes somebody else, not who
he was growing up and who he was initially as
Fernando and Fernando Mania nineteen eighty one. Things could have gotten,
you know, rockstar esque. You know, people change with fame
and fortune. It just happened, and it happens for the
(14:26):
bad a lot of the times. But it never changed
Fernando very easily. He could have been a rock and
roll type icon, which he is, but gone down a
different path and treated fans differently and acted differently. But
the guy never did. He was amongst the people all
the time.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
Well, when you say it could have happened, I get
your point, but impossible with him, he was not that
way at all. He was like I said, he was
the most grounded guy and his family was it for
him and all this stuff. You know, how this guy
I transformed the sports the way you look at sports
(15:03):
in southern California, it paled in comparison to what was
important to him, and that was his family and his friendships.
That's what meant, That's what meant the most of Fernando,
and that's what everybody says, and it's the absolute truth.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Rosemary and Riverside, thanks for being patient. You're on with
Saxon Kates in the am. You're on your home with
the Dodgers A five seventy.
Speaker 10 (15:25):
How you doing, Rosemary, Hi, good morning guys. Thank you
for taking my call and love your show. I was
a little girl when I remember when I started watching
the Dodgers, and I got to tell you, I fell
in love with the Dodgers because of Venezuela. I just
remember him being such a great player, and then of
(15:48):
course I started lik Saxy and Marshall and everybody else
and Herscheiser. But he makes us Mexican so proud. I mean,
I remember my grandparents used to watch him, you know,
playing the game, and it makes me so sad. I
actually cried last night, guys, because I got emotional. You know,
(16:09):
it brought up so many memories and keeviva toro borbida geviva.
I love him. He just changed the baseball world.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
Guys.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Thank you, Ron.
Speaker 10 (16:21):
It couldn't be any more proud. Thank you guys for
taking one more thing. Guys, I can't find you on
the radio. I can't listen to you while I'm at
home getting ready. They're showing the other guy. What's his name,
Dan Patrick?
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (16:34):
Yes, how do I find you?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
A f I seventy over the terrestrial radio. I know
Dan's on the iHeart app. There's other outlets you can find, Rosemary.
If you follow me on Twitter, I can give you
a give you a give you a good listen. So
appreciate Rosemary. Thank you so much for sharing and uh again,
just another example of what Fernando Valezuela meant to people
here in southern California and the people he brought to baseball,
(16:59):
the eyeball sacks he that he brought to you. Think
about that, a different a different amount of people that
may have never known who the great Steven Sachs was
unless Fernando Vealezuela was there bringing that group of people,
and those fans that weren't baseball fans that became Dodger
fans and became fans of Saxons.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Tim He he made everybody better, He made his teammates better,
and everybody that was around him, and not a cliche.
Everything about Fernando was the real deal.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Eight six six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy more
of your phone calls this morning as we remember Fernando Vealezuela.
Mike Sosh is gonna join us, coming up here at
the bottom of the hour. Dusty Baker's going to join
us next hour. Your phone calls, your memories, your rememberances.
He met so much to so many people here in
southern California and the city of Los Angeles. Fernando Mania
will live on forever. We're your home of the Dodgers.
(17:52):
An Fhi seventy I Sports sax and Kates in the
am on this Wednesday morning. In five to seventy, LA
Sports gave one of the World Series coming up on
Friday nights, Jack Flaherty and Garrett Cole the pitching matchup
(18:15):
in the series opener, first pitch at five oh eight.
We've got you covered wall the wall coverage leading up
to first pitch on Friday night. But certainly sad news
the loss of Fernando Vealezuela passed away yesterday at the
age of sixty three. El Toro, an icon here in
Los Angeles, in southern California, burst onto the scene in
(18:36):
nineteen eighty one. We've been taking a lot of your
phone calls and memories, and he touched the lives of
so many people here in Southern California. In Los Angeles.
He changed the baseball culture here in Southern California. He
changed baseball across the country in the nineteen eighties, and
SAX you mentioned it. It wasn't just in La thing
(18:57):
that that caught Fernando mania and ran with it. It
was across the country and being on the road and
traveling and playing in other cities. You saw it firsthand.
Even after the nineteen eighty one season. In the years
following that when Fernando pitched, it was different in those cities,
wasn't It was a different crowd. It was more crowded
in those stadiums.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
I remember Fernando walking out of the clubhouse and you know,
the people had pretty good accessibility to the players and
you go out and you know, go to your car whatever.
I remember that even in spring training in Vero, where
people were very accessible, they would just want to touch
Fernando's shoulder, they or do you want to touch his coat?
You know when he when he was walking out, when
(19:36):
they said he was like one of the Beatles. He
was that much of an attraction. And you know, there's
one other thing in the professional realm. I want to
just marvel for a moment if we could about Fernando
in this day and age of you know, maybe five, six, seven.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Eighties and then you're out of the game.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
I mean, how many players, how many pitchers today can
you think of that really go out and pitch a
complete game where they start and finish the game, which
is you know, should be the idea when you go
out and take the ball to try to you know,
pitch the full game, the nine innings. That's what pitchers
used to do. I don't think they really try to
do that or really shoot to do that, but to
(20:14):
complete the game is a is almost to something that
you never see today because they just don't go the
full tilt. Fernando Vealezuela had one hundred and thirteen complete
games in his career. Wow, you will go through and
see people today, even the great pitchers, they don't complete
(20:35):
games today. They have a smattering of games that they'll
complete throughout their career, a few, maybe one hundred and
thirteen complete games. That is called taking it on your
shoulders right, all the team together and putting it on
your back.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
That's what he did.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
That was Fernando Vealezuela, the guy who went out and
took the ball every time he was asked to go
out and do it, do it into the postseason. Is
well and dominating and carrying a city on his shoulders
as well through the nineteen eighties with Fernando Mania, taking
your phone calls eight sixty six, ninety seven, two five
seventy Angel and Lincoln Heights is next up here on
an FI seventy Oli sports. Hi Angel, Hey how.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
You doing Boston?
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Good? Hi Angel?
Speaker 1 (21:20):
This is Angel. Yeah, listen I grew up in Lincoln Heights.
My dad used to work at Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 7 (21:25):
Man.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
My brother used to work at the Stadium club. My
dad used to serve all the time he was at
the Stadium club. He used to serve all those guys
you know with their family, Steve Garvey, Ron Say and
Steve Davy Lols And uh, we used to go there
(21:48):
all the time. And we used to see Valance for
all all the time.
Speaker 11 (21:51):
Yeah, and uh, I remember this guy.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Used to work for the Dodgers. Is a guy named
the name it a little that was. His name was
Pete Saliva, and we all grew up with him, and
I see him. I saw him in a lot of places.
I used to see him driving his Corvette all the
time because he used to live on No Phillies and
(22:14):
he used to just wait on me all the time.
And that guy was a really nice guy man. Every
every funeral, he was there. He was there when Tommy
la sort That passed away. He just got out of
the car, he put his hat down, checked everybody's hand
got on it. And I saw my tom Pabo Castillo's funeral.
Speaker 11 (22:37):
I saw him in a bunch of another guy I've
been to Manymoa and the Tows. Another great guy. You know,
all this stuff we went to. When we went the
first time they had that All Star game, my dad
bought us ticket.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
That guy chick Uh put Fernando put An on us
and he was really good man.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
He was the best.
Speaker 11 (23:06):
Say that.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Can I say a shout out to my little nephews. Yeah,
I was listening to you guys, all right. He lives
in Ontario. His nemus Fernando too, Bernando Garcia.
Speaker 6 (23:17):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Hey, he's out there delivering the kids to school. Man,
he's I was listening to you guys.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Awesome, Angel, appreciate it. Thank you for the memories. Thanks
for sharing that. A lot of memories from Dodger fans
this morning certainly touched a lot of people's lives, families
here in Southern California. Changed the baseball culture here in
Southern California, and the man behind them plate for so
many of those Fernando Valezuela starts. He caught the no
hitter in nineteen ninety. He is a Dodger icon himself.
(23:46):
Longtime Angels manager, sixteen hundred and fifty wins as a manager,
three time World Series Champion, two with the Dodgers as
a player, one as a manager with the Angels. He
is the great number fourteen Mike Sooshia and he joins
us here on five seventy l A Sporting LA Sports Mike,
good morning.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
How you doing good, guys? How are you doing okay?
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Doing okay? Certainly the sad news of the passing of
Fernando Valenzuela last night's uh, I guess just your initial
thoughts and and and when you hear about his passing,
what kind of goes through your mind.
Speaker 6 (24:17):
That's a sad day, There's no doubt about it. But
I think it's it's uh, it's it's definitely day of
reflection for all of us to understand, uh, the impact
that Fernando had on not only do the Dodger organization,
all Southern California, the whole baseball world and all of
Latin America. And I think understanding that and living it
(24:41):
in real time, and I know, Saxuly, you know, we
had the chance to live at real time. It was
you know, it was really uh spectacular. So it's a
sad day for sure, way too young for for for
Fernando to pass, But that's what you know, it's what
we have today and just a special person, special pitcher
(25:04):
and a great teammate, great friends.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Yeah, Mike, thanks for being on with us. And in
your great career, you've caught so many pitchers. Nobody knew
Fernando and his professionalism and what he brought as a
pitcher better than you.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
You knew it better than anybody.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
So maybe you can give our listeners some insight on
just what made him so special and what was it
about that screwball and how was he able to master
that thing?
Speaker 6 (25:31):
You know, saxy, he you know, you can see his
natural talent and I mean you know you could see
it from second base obviously the way his pitches moved.
But I've never caught a guy that really had five
pitches that he could use on any count and and
really ice water in his veins. He just he made pitches.
He had great command of his fastball. He could move
(25:52):
that thing on the corner two inches off the corner,
two more inches off the corner. To see how much
an umpire was giving you, and just that natural ability
was was special. But it goes further than that. Fernando had.
He had a huge heart out there on the mouth.
He wanted to go out there. He wanted to win.
(26:13):
He didn't care if he had to throw one hundred
and fifty pitches of a game. He wanted to finish
that ninth inning get a win for the team. And
so when you when you combine his natural ability with
his ability to just compete, you.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Know, it was just a special pitcher in that nineteen
eighty one season, Mike, I believe you caught all but
two of his starts in that Fernando Mania season with
it really springboarded Fernando and took off here in southern California.
What was your Spanish like before and what did it
develop into quickly? I guess in that nineteen eighty one season, Well.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
Let me just say Fernando knewhim a lot more English,
and then people maybe knew and you know, I played
a couple of years down in Dominican Republic, and you know,
you pick up Spanish and the Dodge organization are always
a lot of players from Latin America, so you would
kind of trade words and get an understanding. But you know,
a lot of baseball terminology was universal, so you didn't
(27:12):
have a lot of there was no problem with communication
with Fernando, and you know, baseball's baseball, and once you
get back there and understand what a pitcher has his stuff,
talk to him about what he's trying to do. There
was no there was no problem and all with communication.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
Yeah, Mike, we talked about how great he was a pitcher.
But Fernando was a really good athlete all the way around.
And you know he's a good soccer player. And how
about him as a hitter. I mean, Tommy would sometimes
use Fernando in a pitch hitting role if our bench
became depleted, and then felt no qualms about putting him
out there. And lots of times he came through.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
No doubt. You know, if you looked at you know,
and Fernando as he as he grew, he you know,
he came up. He was so young, and he had
this little pudgy body, you know, a little lefty, and
but you you could see the way he moved off
a moundin the way he fielded his position, the way
he could swing a bat, that he was a he
was a tremendous athlete and he was and whatever it
(28:10):
would take, he would get big hits for us. You know,
I remember a game he knocked in. You know their
games where he might not get in the only run.
I remember pigeon against Steve Carlton and in Philly and
knocks in. I think he knocked in the winning run
in a game that was two to one. I think
he struck out like fifteen players. But you know, he
(28:30):
he he was. He was a great athlete. And you
know as he first came up, as I said, you
saw this little pudgy body with a with a strange
delivery where he's looking up to the sky, but he
moved off that mound. Great could swing the bat. And
as I said before, whether he had to get a
bunt down or pinch it get a hit, he just
wanted to help the team win.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Mike's social with us here on M five seventy LA Sports,
June twenty ninth, nineteen ninety Fernando throws a no hitter
against the Saint Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. You were
the catcher that night. Is it true he came to
you before the game MIC and said you're about to
catch a no hitter tonight.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Well, yeah, this is true. But here's here's how the
situation evolved. We're watching Dave Stewart pitch finish off his
what ended up being a no hitter. So we're watching
the last like four or five pitches in our video
room before we went out there to get loose, and
Fernando is walking by because he's going to the bullpen
yet to pass our video room, so he pokes his
head in. Dave Stewart finishes off his no hitter, and
(29:30):
Fernando says, you saw one on TV, now you're going
to see one in person. And he goes down there
and warms up and ends up throwing no hitter. So
that was that was a special time for all of us,
and particularly Fernando because it was I think a lot
of people don't realizing eighty eight. He hurt his arm
in May and didn't pitch for us that whole year
and we ended up winning the World Series. So he
(29:52):
was coming back from a serious arm injury, came back
and pitched a long time after that, and it was
a big you know, that was just a big knight
for all of us to see him go out there
or be part of a no hitter.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
Yeah, you know, we talk about how great Fernando was, Mike,
but I think the best part of Fernando was I
he was always the same guy. He was grounded, he
was the biggest part of his life was his family, obviously,
And it's amazing how when people talk about how unaffected
he was. You mentioned the ice water in his veins,
(30:26):
it's because of where he came from and how grounded
he was. And he wasn't too big for the moment,
because he was he was just he was just another guy,
you know, the way he looked at things, and his
family was the biggest thing to him. I think that
might have been his greatest his big best thing.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
He brought to the club.
Speaker 6 (30:44):
Absolutely sex. I think you know, those of us that
got to know him well understand that he was just
you know, he was a kid like all of us,
from all from different parts of this world. He got
together and got on the same team, and he was
just a very grounded kid. Loved his family, had a
big game from big family down in Mexico, and uh
(31:06):
just uh, he just enjoyed the camaraderie. One of the
things I remember about Fernando, and you're right about him
always being the same whether he was pitching well or
pitching poorly, or what was going on at the clubhouse.
He had the same demeanor, and he was a you know,
he was a prankster. Remember when he had that lasso. Yes,
he would have a lot. He would have a lasso
and you'd be walking by and all of a sudden,
(31:26):
he lasso your ankle as you're walking. You play those trips,
and he was and and and uh, that's the way
he was.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
You know.
Speaker 6 (31:35):
I mean, there's playoff games that we're going into and
you know, and all the pressure that could be in
the clubhouse. Uh he was. He was one of the
guys that alleviated and just just let that that air
out of the balloon and we could relax.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
And uh.
Speaker 6 (31:50):
He was funny, he was quick witted, he'd uh, you know,
just just just a down the earth guy. And that's
that's you know, that's how we'll remember Fernando.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Mike as we remember Fernando nineteen eighty one, especially a
year for you guys winning the World Series and beating
the Yankees. And here we are just a couple of
days away from Game one of the twenty twenty four
World Series. Dodgers Yankees again, superstars galore going to be
on the biggest stage with Otani and Judge and everybody
on both rosters. When you see this matchup about to happen,
(32:24):
Dodgers Yankees, what comes to your mind from eighty one
Dodgers Yankees in that World Series.
Speaker 6 (32:30):
Yeah, well, we were really young in eighty one. We
just came up and you know what our really takeaway
from that eighty one World Series was. It was it
was like the infield and the guys that had lost
in seventy seven, seventy eight to the Yankees. These guys
were on mission and we were all a part of it,
(32:52):
understanding that, hey, this is a huge series for this organization.
We need to beat the Yankees. Even go back to
Brooklyn when the Dodgers would play the Yankees in in
the fifties and they won in fifty five one time,
but lost so many times. This was important for the
Dodger organization, and these guys all felt that they felt
like they were carrying that banner. And it was an
(33:13):
intense series. Would lose the first two games in New
York and then would come back and sweep them in
LA And by the way, game three, Fernando pitches and
he had to throw one hundred and fifty hundred and
sixty pitches. I don't even know what the pitch count was.
Started off a little rough for the first couple of innings.
They got to think three to four runs off him,
and then all of a sudden, he pitches a complete game,
(33:34):
striking at lou Penela to win the game and hold
the lead. So that was a special special moment for us,
and especially being able to win Game six in in
Yankee Stadium was something for you know, just I think
it was a little retribution for the guys that had
gone through the tough season seventy seven and seventy eight.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
Yes, Mike, My last one for you, Mike is you know,
can you imagine today, with the transfer of information and
social media, just how huge Fernando would have been.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
I mean, this is a modern day show. He would
have been the modern day show. Hey Otani, you know,
is uh?
Speaker 5 (34:11):
With all the you know advantages we have today to
transfer the information and get things in real time. New
cycles are now by the hour. Can you imagine what
Fernando could have been today in this market of social media.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Oh, it would have been unbelievable. But I think it
just shows how dominant he was. To go back to
nineteen eighty one. And remember that there's no cell phones
in eighty one. There's you know, I think they might
you might have had you know, answer machines on your
telephone by then, but there's there's there's you know. The
media was the reporters who were at the stadium. Uh,
(34:48):
you know, the the uh you know, the audio guys
who were doing the video and our audio you know,
doing radio and TV. That was it. And just think
how big he became with all the with all these
three sources. Well, so I think that speaks speaks to
the to the mag you know, the magnitude the Fernando affected,
(35:08):
you know, everybody, and as I said, not just a
Dodge organization, not just selling California, the whole baseball world
throughout you know, throughout Latin America and everywhere. And it
was it was just, uh, you know, something quite an
experience for all of us who went through it.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Mike final thing, uh sho hel Tani.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
You had show hey in twenty eighteen, his first year
in the big leagues to see what he's doing now,
you know, seven seasons later in a Dodger uniform, now
on the biggest stage in the world, Series fifty to
fifty season. Uh what what are your what are your
thoughts about what you've seen him do this year and
taking it to even a higher level that nobody thought
(35:49):
he could do and baseball had never seen before.
Speaker 6 (35:53):
Well, I think, I mean he had the potential. You
knew he had the potential to do what he's done.
Uh and and to this level, I think did he
He's just right now in a tremendous situation for show. Hey,
he's you know, he's comfortable. He has the highest level
of confidence I think you could possibly have as a player.
(36:15):
And I'm excited to see him pitch next year again
because I think that he's going to get the exposure
to pitch on a Dodger club and people are going
to see his you know why people still want him
to pitch. He's a dominated pitcher, he's a you know,
his stuff is top five in baseball. So I think
he'll have to obviously, you know, deal with pitching and
(36:39):
hitting again, But I don't think it'll I don't think
it will affect him. He's a special player, special athlete,
and what he's done this year is it's it's it's remarkable.
But he has had the potential to do this, and
he's doing it well.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
You guys brought up the brought up Game three of
the nineteen eighty one World Series, Fernando one hundred and
forty seven pitches that night and the Dodgers five four
win over the Yankees out at Dodger Stadium. And that
was October twenty third, nineteen eighty one. Today's October twenty third,
twenty twenty four, so the anniversary of Game three. And
that that outing that you mentioned, Mike, that Fernando had
(37:14):
one hundred and forty seven pitches in that Game three unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (37:19):
It's unbelievable, it is, And I think that speaks to
the heart that Fernando had and his willingness to go
out there and help us club to throw that many pitches.
And I think that that pitch counter broke somewhere along
the line because I think he had more than forty seven.
I mean, he was he just kept going like a
pitching machine. And he'll be missed for sure. I think
(37:42):
that you can really look at Fernando and even though
you know, you know, it's a sad day what he's
done for baseball and we're going to continue to do
with the legacy he's left is going to be something
special to be here for a long time.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Out about it, Mike, thank you so much for joining
us this morning. Difficult circumstances as we get ready for
Game one of the World Series on Friday. We really
appreciate you doing it.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
Thanks Mike.
Speaker 6 (38:09):
All right, guys, thanks a lot. We'll see you all
right there.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
He goes the great Mike Soosha, unbelievable. Appreciate it. Mike,
thanks you Steve Brenner for helping him set that up.
We'll get back to your phone, calls Dusty Baker, another
former Dodger. Great, we'll be joining us next hour, Saxy
in Saxon Kate's in the am on this Wednesday morning
on NFI seventy LA Sports. Thanks for being with us
as we remember Fernando Valenzuela passed away at the age
(38:33):
of sixty three yesterday here in southern California. Touched so
many lives, so many families on and off the field.
Love hearing the stories, Love checking in with great Dodgers
like Mike Sosha, Dusty Baker. Next hour and you here
on an FI seventy I Sports. Saxon Kate's in the
(38:56):
AmAm five seventy LA Sports. You're a home of the Dodgers.
Game one of the World Series is coming up on
Friday night, five oho eight. First Pitch, Jack Felarity, Garrett Cole,
the pitching matchup Dodgers Yankees. We've got you covered all
the coverage for Dodger Baseball right here on your home
with the Dodgers. A five seventy sad news last night
(39:16):
with the news that Dando Valenzuela passed away at the
age of sixty three, way too young. A Dodger icon,
a superstar here in Los Angeles. Really transformed the Dodger
brand in the nineteen eighty one season with Fernando Mania
turning the Dodgers and went to the art today a
global brand. Certainly, what he did in nineteen eighty one
(39:37):
in the Latino community, the Mexican community was something we'll
never see again. You mentioned it earlier, Saxy. The closest
thing we can to see to it is sho hey
Otani and the I guess the influence and what he
means to a culture, and that being the Japanese culture
(39:57):
and globally with the impact he's had. But I mean
you I mean you said it with Mike Soshi. Yeah,
imagine this being today Fernando Mania, and and the coverage
and the social media and it would be off the charts.
Speaker 5 (40:11):
Can you can you imagine Fernando going into arbitration with
those numbers that he put up. I mean it, It's
almost like they wouldn't even have enough money to pay
this dude, you know, because he that's what he meant,
because baseball has really taken on a complete a complete
knowledge of what a person is not only on the field,
(40:34):
but off the field, and what he brings to the
box office, and he how he moves the fan base.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Nobody did it like Fernando.
Speaker 5 (40:42):
I would venture to say, at least what shoe Hey
or Tani does Fernando. Fernando just you know, he just
had this, had this whole organization, organization surge to a
different level, especially when you are able to in reinvigorate
a whole Mexican American community that is just going to
(41:04):
pack this house every single time he pitches.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
And that's what he brought.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
I think a lot of times Baseball gets criticized for
their lack of promoting the individual players, and I'll second
that by saying they don't do a very good job
doing that, quite frankly, and would they have superstars promoting
those superstars? And I get baseball as a regional sport,
not like football, not like like basketball, but it's a
regional sport, and you fall in love with your team,
and it's hard to watch a national game of two
(41:31):
teams you're maybe not interested in, but you could be
interested in the superstars. And they do a horrible job
promoting those superstars. I don't remember, but in nineteen eighty
one and then a couple of years after that, did
they do a good job in promoting Fernando nationally?
Speaker 5 (41:46):
I mean, Aneso, I just don't remember if they did.
I look, I agree with you, tim Is, they should
do a much better job. When you go down you know,
the five Freeway going down to going down to Orange Care,
there should have been, you know, billboards everywhere of Otani
and Mike Trout.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
And when you're going.
Speaker 5 (42:07):
Back in Pittsburgh, there should have been billboards everywhere of
Lawrence McCutcheon. You know, young, good looking, handsome role models
out there, successful people that can really speak to.
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Everybody, bring everybody up.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
I mean, I think this shit they have these great
examples of what is really nice about America baseball, the
wholesomeness about baseball, the nice young men that are out
there to really set an example for the country. I
just think they have a golden opportunity to really stretch
that out and bring that forward, and they just don't
do it as much as they should.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
I don't believe.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
No, they don't. And they had it back in eighty
one with Fernando Mania. Maybe they didn't realize what they
had at the time. Maybe they didn't know how to
market it, a kid from Mexico playing for the La
Dodgers and making it a national brand. But certainly with
shoey Otani now in twenty twenty four, he is a
global brand. Eight sixty six, In two, five seventy more
your phone calls coming up, Dusty Baker's gonna join us.
(43:04):
Love hearing the memories what Fernando meant to you, your family,
and when he meant to La. It's all right here
in a five seventy LA Sports
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com