Dodgers icon Fernando Valenzuela, the face of “Fernandomania” in Los Angeles and across the baseball world in the 1980s, died on Tuesday. He was 63.  A cause of death was not immediately provided.  “The Los Angeles Dodgers mourn the passing of legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela,” the Dodgers official X account posted late Tuesday evening, accompanied by a photo of the lefty pitcher in the middle of his signature windup, looking up at the words, “Fernandomania por siempre. Fernandomania forever.”  Making his debut in the 1981 season, the Mexican-born Valenzuela won National League Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award, tossing a shutout on Opening Day. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title that year.  Valenzuela pitched 11 seasons for the Dodgers before making stops at five other major-league clubs.  He rejoined the Dodgers franchise in 2003 working as a Spanish-language broadcaster, a role he held through the 2024 season. He stepped away from the broadcast booth near the end of the regular season, though, citing health reasons.  Rob Manfred, commissioner of Major League Baseball, released the following statement Tuesday evening:  “Fernando Valenzuela was one of the most impactful players of his generation. With his distinctive pitching style, the Dodger left-hander’s rookie season generated so much excitement in the U.S. and his native Mexico that it became commonly referred to as ‘Fernandomania.’ His 1981 season ranks among the most decorated pitching years of all time as Fernando was the National League Rookie of the Year, the NL Cy Young Award winner, a Silver Slugger, and a World Series Champion … Fernando will always remain a beloved figure in Dodger history and a special source of pride for the millions of Latino fans he inspired.”  Manfred also announced that Valenzuela’s memory will be honored during the upcoming World Series featuring the Dodgers and New York Yankees.   The first game at Dodgers Stadium is slated to air on FOX at 5:08 p.m. on Friday, with game two slated for the same time on Saturday before the series flips to New York for three games starting on Monday.  The post Dodgers icon Fernando Valenzuela dead at 63  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.