'Fernandomania' 40 years later: How Fernando Valenzuela captivated baseball fans for decades

If you were a baseball fan in the '80s, you knew about "Fernandomania."

That was the word for the spectacle and excitement surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who made his first start for the team 40 years ago this month. Decades later, he remains a Mexican American icon.

Legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully has described the frenzy around the star pitcher as a “religious experience.”

Fans were immediately captivated by the portly pitcher from Sonora, Mexico. They’d line up at the stadium to watch his “dramatic” windup, Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano says. Arellano is part of the newspaper’s “Fernandomania @ 40” documentary series.