Fernando Valenzuela, Chita Rivera: Latinos we lost in 2024
A theater legend, a superstar baseball player, and a trailblazing judge were among the notable Americans of Latino heritage who passed away in 2024.
A theater legend, a superstar baseball player and a trailblazing judge were among the notable Americans of Latino heritage who died in 2024. As we do each year, we look back at their unique achievements and the paths they carved.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela at Dodger Stadium in around 1981.George Rose / Getty Images fileFERNANDO VALENZUELA, 63, baseball star. He came from a small village in Mexico. He was a bit chubby. His English was limited. And by age 20, he’d touched off a fan frenzy pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In his first season, Valenzuela won the 1981 National League Cy Young Award and the Rookie of the Year Award — and helped the Dodgers win the World Series. When he made the cover of Sports Illustrated, the headline read: “UNREAL!”
As Valenzuela rose to stardom, “Fernando-mania” swept Los Angeles. His performances on the mound were likened to “a religious experience.” His pitching spiked attendance at Dodgers games. In 1986, Valenzuela became the highest-paid pitcher in baseball with a deal that included a one-year salary of over $2 million.
Many Latinos were drawn to the unassuming player with a distinctive windup pitch. “Fernando ended up in L.A., which is like the Mexican capital of the U.S., at just the right time,” Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano said. “He awakened a new fan base. People were thirsting for a Latino ballplayer, and the Dodgers, up to that point, had never had a superstar Latino player.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/latinos-lost-2024-valenzuela-chita-rivera-obits-rcna183870
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