Fernando Valenzuela made the Los Angeles Dodgers what they are today

LOS ANGELES – Longtime Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela had been ill for some time but refused to discuss it, even with his closest friends and associates, to protect his privacy.

You were amazed at how he pitched with his unique style and rolled his eyes to the heavens. You enjoyed his company long after he retired, laughed at his wonderful sense of humor and felt good watching him walk into the room.

It wasn't until this summer that things changed dramatically.

You saw him, you talked to him, you spent time with him, and that beautiful, engaging spirit was gone, replaced by a blank look in his eyes.

I last saw him in Phoenix six weeks ago when the Dodgers came to town to play the Arizona Diamondbacks. You looked at him, worried. You spoke to him and were alarmed.

It was perhaps the first time that Valenzuela didn't address me as “Matt.” He called me “Matt” for decades and insisted I resembled former All-Star infielder Matt Williams. He giggled every time he said it. I'm still not sure he ever knew my real name.

This time he didn't call me by name. He didn't acknowledge me until I passed his table, but he was awfully quiet. No jokes. No laughing. No stories. He just sat quietly and ate his dinner while everyone else talked.

They asked those closest to him about his health, and they just grimaced and said that Valenzuela refused to talk about it, even though everyone knew he was sick.

He was diagnosed with cancer, liver cancer to be precise, but he suffered in silence, not wanting anyone to feel sorry for him. He died on Tuesday at the age of 63.

Valenzuela wanted to preserve and maintain the same unadulterated joy he created when he burst onto the scene as a freshman in 1981.

Hailing from Etchohuaquila, Mexico, he became an overnight star in Los Angeles, leaving the Latino community bursting with pride at being Dodgers fans while Anglo fans scrambled to learn Spanish – or at least a few popular phrases .

Valenzuela, the only pitcher in baseball history to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season in 1981, was easily the best ballplayer Mexico has ever produced.

Now, 43 years later, he is still the greatest.

He was so legendary that a last name wasn't necessary.

He was simply called “Fernando.”

He remained revered in Mexico and was considered a king wherever he traveled.

He didn't need a license plate when driving in Mexico. He didn't even need a driver's license. Everyone knew him.

Fernando.

Why complicate it with more?

Now, just three days before the World Series — the Dodgers play the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic starting Friday for the first time since Valenzuela's rookie year — he's gone.

But “Fernandomania” will live forever.

“He is one of the most influential Dodgers of all time and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of franchise heroes,” Dodgers CEO and President Stan Kasten said in a statement. “He galvanized the fan base with the 1981 Fernandomania season and has remained loyal to him.” Since then, it has been close to our hearts, not only as players but also as broadcasters. “He left us far too soon.”

Valenzuela never made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Doesn't matter. He is as legendary in Dodgers history as Sandy Koufax.

Walk into Dodger Stadium today and you'll see more Valenzuela jerseys with the number 34 than Koufax jerseys. They showed him on the video board working Dodgers games as part of their Spanish-language broadcast team, and cheers erupted as fans chanted his name over and over again.

The man made the Dodgers what they are today, and his influence is visible throughout Dodger Stadium with its diverse crowd and large Latino population.

There was never any bragging at Valenzuela. When asked, he only talked about himself. He didn't need anyone to confirm his size.

He was simply Fernando, and Fernando never stopped being Fernando.

It has been 43 years since Valenzuela captained the Dodgers to the 1981 World Series, and the Dodgers will carry on his legacy in this series. They will dedicate this World Series to him. They will wear badges of honor on their uniforms. There will be an emotional moment of silence on Friday. Memories are passed on to future generations.

All the attention would embarrass Fernando, just as he never spoke about his illness and refused to be the center of attention.

He came to this land known only as Fernando, left this world as Fernando, and the memories of his beautiful innocence will forever be remembered in Los Angeles folklore.

Anyone who has seen him pitch knows it was a privilege.

Well, it was a greater honor to know him.

What a legend.

What a beautiful person.

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Fernando Valenzuela made the Los Angeles Dodgers what they are today

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