Taking control of sports: Being a sports fan always means a little madness, but Fernandomania was different – even when the player who caused it dies

Sport under control • The passage of time is sometimes difficult to understand. Can Fernandomania really be 43 years ago? Since Fernando Valenzuela captured the imagination of Southern California and the baseball world with a debut season that amazed Babe Ruth’s? Yes, it’s been so long. And as happens all too often lately, another long, sad goodbye is warranted.

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• Fernando Valenzuela was larger than life for a season that spanned more than a dozen. The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who sparked a phenomenon as a rookie died Tuesday at age 63. Definitely sad, because Valenzuela leaves behind a family and a family of baseball fans who witnessed his meteoric rise in the spring, summer and fall of 1981. Ironically, he leaves the world the same week that his Dodgers do – after a bad breakup near the end During his career, the two reconciled – facing the Yankees in the World Series for the first time since, yes, 1981.

And he leaves a fitting smile for all of us who fondly remember those days.

Valenzuela shone often in 1981. Officially, it was his rookie year, although he pitched a few innings for LA in late 1980. A smile that accompanied four consecutive shutouts in April. And an inevitable baseball renaissance in the LA Basin.

Maybe a baseball meet is a better term.

Despite being lazy about such things, even I, a native Angelino, knew that there was a surprisingly large gap between the Dodgers and the LA area’s large Hispanic population. The reason, the placement of Dodger Stadium and the predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood it displaced had, in some ways, already been lost in the mists of time. Anyone who knew knew it – and was angry. Those that didn’t (most of the region) were simply supporting a team that hadn’t won a World Series in a decade and a half.

And then came this chubby left-hander from Mexico with the strange windup, an unbeatable pitch – a screwball – from baseball’s long history and a smile that could move a lot. Oh, and he hit the ball well too. The 1981 version of Babe Ruth with Latin American roots.

Valenzuela changed everything. The Dodgers’ baseball assets, sure. Who doesn’t want a starting pitcher who not only wins every fourth day, but also doesn’t allow runs and lets the bullpen rest? And opened up another asset, the largely untapped purchasing power of an ethnic group that the team couldn’t reach despite (at the time) unheard of reach, like broadcasting games in Spanish. It was the latter that powered the Dodger machine we see today – a franchise with pockets deep enough to pay everyone. Shohei Ohtani and his almost billion dollar deal are proof of this.

Valencia? The Dodgers had him cheap back then. He didn’t care. He just pitched. Won. Gave a boost to LA – the franchise and the city. And a lead in the National League West.

On June 12, Fernandomania subsided somewhat. In fact, it and the game came to an abrupt end when the Major League players were eliminated. A strike. No one knew how long it would take or how important the Dodgers’ half-game lead over the Reds in the NL West would be. When the strike was resolved in early August, the owners agreed to a playoff system that ultimately led to another Dodger World Series title.

Valenzuela, rested, helped in this pursuit. So much so that he was not only the NL Rookie of the Year, but also the league’s Cy Young winner.

Fernandomania? It lived on in a more subdued form. The strike hurt. The same was true of the Dodgers’ habit of letting Valenzuela be his own reliever, as he often threw 150 pitches as a 20-year-old. Still, Valenzuela was the anchor of the rotation for most of his 11 Dodger seasons. A consistent Cy Young contender. A fan favorite. Until the Dodgers cut him a big contract – $2.55 million, which was a big amount for 1991 – a few days before he was locked up.

Bitterness followed. It took years to close the gap. But it healed. Valenzuela took part in the Spanish-language broadcasts in LA. The Dodgers retired his No. 34. Documentaries appeared. Valenzuela was celebrated and revered.

Now he’s gone. His smile was just a memory. His unbeatable screwball is a relic. His joy at playing a boy’s game in front of thousands of adults in an American metropolis and cheering on a young man from a small town in Mexico? That never works.

It has never been duplicated. I will never do that. Fernandomania was and is unique.

Even 43 years later.

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WSU: Losing the ball in football often has little meaning or purpose. Or takeaways if you have a defensive mentality. Either way, the Cougars were fortunate to sign more of them this season, 14 of them, sixth nationally. In this story, Greg Woods looks at the plays that get an offense and defense going. … San Diego State knows it has to contain John Mateer if it wants to win. …Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, Jon Wilner has his weekly bowl projections in today’s SR. …The big news from the conference office? John Canzano reports that the league has hired consulting firm Octagon to review its future media rights. …We can pass along Stewart Mandel’s weekly mailbag in The Athletic. … The difficult phase continues for the state of Oregon. After a tough battle with UNLV, the Beavers travel to Cal to face a team better than their record. … Trent Bray has a certain way of dealing with injuries. … Washington and Indiana play early Saturday. The schools have one player in common: Michael Penix Jr. He was quarterback for both. And he has a team he’s rooting for this week. … Yes, Oregon could go undefeated and still not win the Big Ten regular-season title. But don’t worry. The No. 1-ranked Ducks’ new home game means a playoff spot is essentially assured no matter what happens on the stretch, which begins at home against No. 20 Illinois. … A surprising group of receivers lifted UCLA’s offense. … Where does Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter belong in the NFL? … Can Utah’s offense get on track? … Wilner returns to the Mercury News with a disappointing look at one of the former Pac-12 schools. No, not that school in LA. Arizona. The Wildcats’ offense is in disarray. … So is the USC pass rush. … In the Mountain West, Ashton Jeanty is more than Boise State’s best player. Or those of the West. He may just be the best in the nation. Stopping Jeanty and the Broncos is UNLV’s main task Friday night. … New Mexico’s defense is improving. … This week is homecoming for Colorado State. … There are different reasons why each player ends up at the college they end up at. … The on-or-off volleyball game between San Jose State and Nevada will be played in San Jose. If it even works. The schools made this decision on Tuesday. …Can Washington be great in basketball news this season? One player can make the difference.

Gonzaga: The Zags are still looking for their second 2025 recruit to join guard Davis Fogle in a year on campus. They were among striker Nikolas Khamenia’s top three candidates, but the LA star announced on Tuesday that he was transferring to Duke. Theo Lawson has more to this story.

Idaho and EMU: Former Eastern star Cooper Kupp may be leaving Los Angeles. The Rams are in trade talks for the oft-injured receiver. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, a strange decision that decided UC Davis’ victory over Portland State. And now a botched replay review that hit Idaho State hard and helped Northern Arizona win last Saturday. Those responsible for the conference are having difficulties.

Preparations: When running, a pack can be stronger than a group of individuals. That axiom was proven again on Tuesday as the Lewis and Clark boys won their second straight GSL title. Greg Lee was there in the race for the title and writes about it in this notebook. … Dave Nichols has a summary of further action.

Seahawks: The Hawks are at the top of the NFC West standings. But the road to the playoffs appears to be littered with potholes, construction cones and possible traffic delays. … Michael Jerrell has made it into the NFL’s starting lineup. Not bad for a guy from a DII school.

Bosses: Dave returns with a Spokane hockey notebook, focusing on the positive aspects of Spokane’s recent long road trip.

Sailors: I have linked Valenzuela’s obituaries throughout the column above. The World Series previews? Well, there is one in SR today. Unsurprisingly, this is a Dodger reliever, not a starter. … The two managers competed on opposite sides of a college baseball rivalry – USC and UCLA.

Octopus: On a big night in the NHL, Seattle’s winning streak is broken at home by Colorado.

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• My Fernandomania memories? None personal. In 1981, this underpaid newlywed couldn’t afford it, so to speak. After all, Kim and I became homeowners for the first time that year, and the mortgage on the 990-square-foot house, built in 1909, cost every penny. But we found some quarters and a little time to spend happy hour with our friends Dennis and Marsha at a nearby restaurant in El Torito when we could. The four of us played Pac-Man, drank beer, and watched the Dodgers on TV together. All the way through the World Series. Since then, Fernandomania and Pac-Man have been closely linked in my memory. Fun. See you later …