The Musical Innertube - Volume 2, Number 166 - Nick Roman talks about Fernando Valenzuela

JOHN

Hi folks, and we're back again on the Musical Innertube with our frequent guest - and I hope he's not getting too sick of us, because we never get sick of him - Nick Roman! Welcome back, Nick.

NICK

Thank you so much. Now I love doing this. It's funny because I retired from KPCC, where I've been for 20 years, and then in the next, you know, two months I was on back on the air like 7 times, always talking about baseball.

JOHN

Right.

NICK

You know, talking something about Fernando Valenzuela, some about Willie Mays, a lot about the Dodgers in general. And I would expect to be back on, you know, once the Hot Stove League really starts, you know, burning fingers. So it'll be pretty soon, I think.

DON

Before we go any further, congratulations on your Dodgers winning the World Series this year.

NICK

Yeah. Well, you know, I know that people were saying, well, it's a billion-dollar team because of the contracts that they laid out in the offseason. But if you had watched the team for the entire season, you know how completely chopped up that they were. I mean, every prominent player and a lot of you know, secondary guys got hurt. And but most of the ones that you really needed got healthy at just the right time and. And things turned out, and then the other thing that turned out was that the Yankees weren't nearly as good as they had appeared in other seasons.

DON

I admit to being a little - what's the word I'm looking for – vicious - when that 5th inning rolled around in the last game, and Judge dropped the ball, and then the shortstop couldn't throw it to Jazz Chisholm to save his life, right? And then, and then, Garrett Cole is looking at everybody in the field, saying, “Why isn't somebody covering first base?” when that was his job, when Mookie beat out the single? So yeah, there was a big grin on my face. I was at a bar watching it with friends and there was a big grin on my face when that 5th inning went down, I'll tell you.

NICK

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, I I had a a very good friend of mine who I've I've been my friend since we were in first grade together. Chuck Ochoa, who, you know, called me in the middle of that as that ending began. And so my wife Mary and I are watching the ball game. And and Charlie's TV was a few seconds ahead of hours. And so I told him that I go look, don't tip me off on what's going on, and he promised. He said I will not. I won't do that. And so we're talking. We're also we're watching the. The game and that at one point he goes ohh. The one said that was when judge dropped the line drive and the rest of the inning continued from there. So we were, yeah, we were all really, really thrilled and and to a certain extent surprised that the Yankees played so poor. Really pleased that the Dodgers took advantage of. I mean, it's one thing to be handed opportunities. It's another thing to be to take advantage of them. And they did in in virtually every instance they.

JOHN

Had you know I had the feeling and and folks we have started talking about the 2024 World Series. Which was won by the baseball team known as the Los Angeles Dodgers, beating the New York Yankees, and we zeroed in, as I think we should have done on I think the 5th inning of the last of the sixth and last game. Now we they it was being played. If I could set the stage for a second. So I want to ask you. A question about that 5th inning chair, Nick. So let's set the stage here for a minute. We're at Yankee Stadium. It's the 6th game. And six games are dangerous because if you let the team in on the 6th game, it's not uncommonly the case that they win the 7th game on you too, and people have done this several times. But an inning happens. The Yankees have a fairly comfortable lead in any other universe then the 5th inning comes up, and it really seemed as though there was a team collapse. I'm wondering if you felt the same thing. It just seemed the the the error by judge was so surprising. And then there were more errors, people falling down and then a play of first base. Could you just? Time that play at first base because I thought it was indescribable. I just. I've never seen anything like it was really Alphonse and Gaston. You do it. No, you do it. You.

NICK

Do it. I just. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, Mookie Betts had come up and they were runners, you know, runners on base and the Dodgers. I.

DON

Think the bases were loaded at that point where.

Speaker

Were.

NICK

Yeah. Yeah. So what, what happened? Was that that and it followed 2 strikeouts, too. And so, you know, it looked very much like the inning was going to could be over.

Speaker

Yeah.

NICK

And the Dodgers would come out of that, you know, down 51. So they're they're not back and they're they've got to run across, but they're not completely back in the ball game. And in the first inning, Mookie Betts had hit almost the same kind of ball, kind of, you know, off the top of the bat off the off, the end of the bat, a roller to first base. And in that instance, what happened was that Anthony Rizzo picked up the ball and tagged the first baseman, and then that was an out. This time, the ball had a lot more spin on it and as it went to Rizzo, it took sort of a little. Edge, you know, bounce to his right, and that took him a step away from the base. It shouldn't have been a problem, because as everybody who's ever played baseball knows bothered first baseman, you're the pitcher you run over to cover the base, just on the off chance that he drops it or something happens. Yeah. Gary Cole didn't do that. He got halfway there and pointed it. Rizzo, like you take it. Which is exactly what he had done in the 1st. Running only Rizzo now was too far away from the base, and Mookie Betts. You know who's an excellent player picked it up and sprinted down to first base and and was safe. And Cole was sort of like what just happened. And it was like, well, you just happened. That got the first run in and then Freddie Freeman came up and hit a single and two more runs scored. So now by three and then tie, Oscar Hernandez came up and hit a ball over judges head to.

DON

Yeah. OK.

NICK

Our field and into more runs and the second of those runs was by, you know, Freddie Freeman, who was. Like. You know, everywhere everything, all the time in this World Series.

JOHN

Yes, he really was.

NICK

Yeah. And how he rented from first base on a bad ankle all the way around to score and score somewhat easily was was amazing. But that's what happened. And you know that what in those kind of games frequently what happens is you as the the team that has seen A5 to nothing. He'd vanish in what did it take 6 or 7 minutes? It's like, you know. Oh my God, what has happened to us? To the Yankees credit, they took the lead again and were at six, five and then then the Dodgers did the kind of baseball that he's not really all that much practiced anymore. They had to sacrifice. Right. Yes, they took the lead and they won the.

JOHN

Right, right.

NICK

So you know if.

JOHN

You know, I want to just say a couple of things about that, that inning just to I first of all, it was superb. There were elements of small ball and elements of large ball, for example. You're right about. Mookie Betts, his first couple of steps out-of-the-box, were a little defeated. But then he suddenly saw that the ball was going to play Rizzo, and, by the way, Rizzo's a good first baseman and and. And that ball was just whipping up a Tempest there by his feet. And you're.

NICK

He is.

JOHN

As he as he took that little step. And suddenly he's further away from the base, and he's expecting the picture to be there and he's nowhere to be seen. And all all of that.

DON

No.

JOHN

You know, Beth saw all of it as you. Said about halfway down. The line and he just gave it his all the rest of the way to for. Space, I thought. And. Then that single by I, you know Freddie Freeman was. And I mean, he was down to strikes and and just what a wonderful. Full clutch hit and then of course the Oscar Hernandez, who is scarcely less good. I mean, what a huge hit.

DON

And that the Oscar hit was, I would say ohh couple of inches, maybe a foot or two away from being a home run. It hit the top of the of the fence and doubled back for a double. Give him a long double but had that been a home run. Had that been a bases clearing home run he would have been.

JOHN

Yeah.

DON

The hero at that game? Yeah. But even even with the double he, you know, he did a good.

JOHN

Job. He's pretty good. Yeah, yeah.

NICK

The interesting thing about about that inning, if you are an Instagram or TikTok, you know viewer. I have seen that in played out in little reels or or videos about 150 times. Sometimes with, you know, with different views of fans, just like shocked at what's going on. Dodger fans thrilled by what's going on and coaches diagramming, where everybody should have been and and where they weren't.

Speaker

The one.

NICK

It's or it's a. Real. Yeah, they're even on the Oscars on Tay, Oscars double. If you look at the. Relay into the plate, one coach pointed this out. Rizzo is supposed to be on a on a plane like that, there's there all kinds of relay positions where you're supposed to be. Was there supposed to be at the mount in case the ball gets by? He's late to the mound. Coal is supposed to be behind home plate in case there's an overthrown a throw to the plate, he's by the mound too, so it's like he didn't go to 1st and he didn't go cover, you know, back up behind home plate.

JOHN

Right.

NICK

I don't know what that means. I suspect, and this is from me, as if I know what the heck I'm talking about. File he was shell shocked. My big even the big leaguers can just sort of say, Oh my God, and that's and and and phase out for a SEC. It didn't make any difference. Freddie Freeman was going to score anyway. The ball, you know, the relay was just going to be too late, but it. It's, you know, there had been a scouting report that had sit by the Dodgers that had said if you put pressure on the Yankees, you know, they'll they'll mess up. And the Dodgers put a lot of pressure on them. And they messed up.

JOHN

Well, when the Dodgers won a few years ago, 2020, right, that was the Pandemic World Series, right? And it was a shock to consider that they had not won a World Series since.

NICK

88 yeah, I was at that one. I had the I had the NPR assignment for the dodging home games. And so I covered the 1st 2 and you know the Gibson home run game and then the following game, which is Orel Hershiser. Completely dominating the Oakland Athletics. Yes. So yeah. And I actually did not see the Gibson home run because I was downstairs setting up to get sound. But I did hear Gibson warming up in a batting cage down underneath Thunder Stadium. I did hear that now.

DON

There you go, and again, TikTok users, Instagram users, ex users. If there are still any out there I saw over and over again the split screen that had the 88 home run on the top and Freddie Freeman's home Grand Slam home run on the bottom right and and how?

JOHN

Yeah.

DON

Similar they were how incredibly similar they were.

NICK

In terms of the swing and the result and the fact that you had injured players doing it, you know Freddie Freeman wasn't completely recovered. They're both left-handed hitters. You know, if they strike out the games over and their team loses, it's the same ballpark. It's the same team.

DON

That's right.

JOHN

Yes, in both cases.

Speaker

Yes, yes.

NICK

You know, it's it. It a lot of it was pretty amazing. I I have to say though that I I have asked my wife, you know, see what do you want for, you know, my birthday is coming up and Christmas is coming up. And I there's a picture now that MLB is. Coming out of Freddie Freeman holding his bat up after he hit the home run. I. Said I want that. I want to put that out here in my studio office. Here I want to have that up on the.

DON

How inspirational.

JOHN

So now we go back to another series.

NICK

Yeah.

JOHN

That the Dodgers. Won in what has to be one of the most. Sort of unexpected and miraculous seasons in the Dodgers history. We're talking 1981.

Speaker

Yeah.

JOHN

And a kid is brought up. He's he's he's from the Mexican League. And suddenly this guy can't lose. He's from out of out of no place and a kind of craziness. Sort of closes around him. I mean, you know, audience adulation. Fernandomania, can you tell us more about who Fernando Valenzuela was?

NICK

Well, yeah. When he first came up and the first time I saw him, I didn't know who he was. I don't think anybody understands. No one, that's.

JOHN

Heard of the sky? Yeah.

NICK

He had. There's a there's a whole lot to the story and it it actually goes back prior to. Well, a a A a former, you know, minor league catcher by the name of Mike Brito was playing a semi pro game in East LA. And he goes up against a kid in uh, who done the Lincoln High School, Bobby Castillo and Castillo strikes him out with a screwball in that game. And Mike, who's trying to catch on as a scout for the Dodger.

Speaker

There.

NICK

Tells the Dodgers you gotta look at this kid. He's got a, you know, he's he's a heck of a pitcher. He's got a screwball. Well, the Dodgers go with what Mike says. They sign Castillo, and they keep Mike on as a scout, and they send them around and they send them down to Mexico to to scout a. A kid shortstop, some of this I've read from a a story that Bill Plaschke wrote a long time ago about all of this bill plasky with the LA Times.

JOHN

Mm-hmm.

NICK

And uh, so he goes down to scout. And I actually have the. Name of the team. And I'd have to find it anyway. He's it's it's in the Mexican Central League, which is like a minor league. And Mike has been assigned to look at a shortstop. And so he does. And he takes his notes on the shortstop. But in that same game, this is 17 year old Lefty who's pitching, who strikes out a dozen guys, and he goes, you got to take a look at this kid, too. His name is Fernando Valenzuela. And he looks pretty good. So the Dodgers, you know, take a shot at him. And they sign him and they assign him the next year, which was 1978. To Loda, the Lodi team in the California League, which is like single A, that's that's next to the lowest level. It's step up from rookie ball. And he's pitching, OK, he looks alright. But but Mike Rito realizes he needs another pitch. Hey, Bobby Castillo, remember when you struck me out with that curve with that screwball, would you be willing to go and teach this kid? Head. How to throw a screwball and Bobby says yeah, sure. So, Bobby East LA kid from Mexico, you figure they, you know, they'd they'd they'd mess real easily. Turns out Bobby doesn't speak.

Speaker

Spanish.

NICK

But somehow the language of baseball gets around and Fernando. Catches on with the pitch and from what I have read in no time he is throwing a hellacious screwball that nobody can. 79 he's up and he's pitching in the in the in AA and he looks good. And then the next year, the Dodgers at the end, tail end of the 1980 season, they call him up. But we didn't hear anything about him. He wasn't this one of the celebrated people that they were talking about, they bring him in, you know how it usually. Happens John and Don with a kid picture. You put him in the game with it. You've already lost, right? So you just kind of get his feet wet. And so he pitches in a handful of games like that, but nobody scores him. And now they start putting him into the serious games at the tail end of a real big.

Speaker

Sure.

NICK

And a race against the Houston Astros. And I remember being the Dodger Stadium and seeing them come out of the bullpen and we're going. Who is this guy? And then he he just get he nails everybody. And you think? Ohh man, this kid's something. He pitched in 10 innings in September of that year, late in the late sea part of the season. Nobody scores on. And then the next year, he's on the roster, the Major League roster. Jerry Royce is supposed to pitch on opening day. Pulls the calf muscle. Tommy Lasorda says, hey, kid Fernando, you're the starter today. Yeah, sure. No problem. I mean, like, cool. From what I have heard, he was cool as could be, throws a shot out against the Houston Astros and we're off and running that first month. In Los Angeles, with Fernando Valenzuela, let me let me check my notes here cause I wrote all this. No. He pitches eight straight, complete games as a rookie. They win them all. Five of those games are shutouts. It's amazing by. By the by the end of May, that's all we're talking about. Is baseball fans in Los Angeles. The crowds are getting bigger. Who is this guy? And and the fan base changed the excitement of Los Angeles. This whole Fernando man, you think it was real? And and it never ended. All the time that Fernando was was pitching in Los Angeles. Was completely, you know, the Dodgers had for years. I'm sorry. I'm going on for a long. Time but it's. OK, Dodgers had had had for years wanted to have a Mexican ballplayer star ballplayer. On the team. And had been looking for somebody and looking and looking and didn't find it. They had a picture in the mid 60s, a kid by the name of Phil Ortega that they tried to pass off as Mexican. But Phil came from Arizona. And Phil said, well, no, I'm actually Native Americans. The Dodgers said, yeah, well, thanks for blowing our cover on this one. He was a good pitcher too, but they kept looking and looking and so. It wasn't until 1980, because everybody knew there was a fan base in Los Angeles that could be that that the Dodgers and Walter O'Malley had hoped to tap into. Finally, they were able to do it. The whole other part of the story you guys is? Is basically hurt feelings over the way Dodger Stadium was built and where it was built, and that's another part of of this whole of this whole episode.

JOHN

Well, I'm glad. You brought that up. I think we should mention. And that there was a neighborhood very, a wonderfully complex, culturally deep neighborhood called Chavez Ravine up on a hill. And when it was decided that they needed a place to put Dodger Stadium, lo and behold, that was the.

NICK

Place the land there for those who don't know Los Angeles. I mean, it's a, it's a bit of a walk from north from Civic Center from from LA City Hall, but you can make that walk all the way up into that neighborhood into Chavez Ravine. It's maybe 2 miles a mile and a half away into into hills. Los Angeles is is covered with hills and this area was just a little South of Griffith Park, which is like the largest. Urban Park in America, really. You know, rustic place, popular place. But there were homes that were that were in and John and Don, you probably both have been there. I mean, they're just shoved down the hillside. You know, they're barely hanging on.

DON

Yeah, sure.

NICK

But they were in in twisty streets all through there, but there were a lot of people that lived. There was a big neighborhood. The land was supposed to go for pub that was supposed to be used for public housing, and there was a hospital attitude toward public housing in Los Angeles at the time. Was a pretty conservative city at the time, and when the Dodgers wanted to move West, the city said. Hey, build here and the Dodgers and Walter. Mellie did, and all of the people who were in that area were booted by eminent domain, and there have been a number of, you know, plays written in books written about that. It was a pretty nasty episode and and engendered a lot of hurt feelings toward the Dodgers. Although it was more the city that was involved in it than the Dodgers, but still the Dodgers were the team that was.

DON

There. And so there was kind of this standoffish feel and when Fernando came in, a lot of that changed not completely, but a lot of it did. I know a lot of people over the years. Certainly I've run into them. John, you probably have two being out here on the East Coast. Think of LA as La La Land and it's always been this land. The Lotus and I think you know the the whole idea of the motion pictures is is.

JOHN

Build.

DON

On that, when John and I were younger and living in LA in the 60's, the mayor was Sam Yorty. Yeah, who was a very conservative guy. The police chief was a very conservative guy who, you know, whose whose main motive was beat first, ask questions later.

NICK

Yeah.

DON

It was. It was not necessarily one of your more progressive cities in America. And and I've I've seen reports about this before where one of the reasons that Chavez Irvine was such a an attractive place was that. If you built the ballpark there, you could see downtown Los Angeles from from the hill, and that was one of the, you know, again you always.

NICK

Yeah, yeah.

DON

Want to build? A A ballpark so that you could see the city in the background and make it part of the the whole scene. Yeah, but yeah, it doesn't surprise me at all that that they just strong arm their way into that area. In order to build a. Ballpark.

NICK

Yeah. And, you know, it's also located where I think 3 or 4 freeways sort of intersect or close to it. And the thinking was that was the future. That's how people are going to get to, to baseball stadiums are going to drive in from suburbs all over. Place. Yeah, have fun doing that now. It's not. It's really not much of A. Party.

JOHN

Really.

NICK

And and LA you know the the LA that I knew since I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley to the east was a mix of of places, but. If you look through the history of of the area, then a lot of this I learned, you know as I was. You know, on the air working and and we were covering stories about, you know, housing policy and that sort of thing, even in my own hometown of Monrovia, there were, you know, it took years for racial covenants to get excised from some of those places. There were places where, specifically, if you were anything other than white. You weren't moving in there and I, I mean, I saw that with my own eyes in in my hometown and in other places. Too, there would be pockets where you know East LA was was a Jewish and and Latino Mexican primarily. Today it's more of a mishmash. S LA was was primarily black. That's where a lot of you know. You know where jobs were basically, and it was a Kaiser plant down there and there were. Some other things. So you know, the Los Angeles, the image of Los Angeles and palm trees is really a pretty small part of the town. It's Hollywood and it's Beverly. Hills. But for those of us who grew up here now, that's not the town that we saw. If you were in Long Beach, you lived in a port city. If you were in San Gabriel Valley, where I was, you know, there were a lot of orange trees and orchards. If you lived further South in places like Lakewood or Downey, some of that. Those dairy Terry, you know, territory there were pastures and and farms down there. Absolutely. So it was all over the place. Everything you know it's if you anything you're looking for you're gonna find it in Southern California and you're gonna and find it in Los Angeles.

JOHN

So I thought I would mention. The great album by the Very Great Rye cooter entitled Chavez Ravine, which tells the entire story, plays music from that era, written by people living there and Chavez Ravine, among many other things, was the birth place of the Chicano arts movement. The thing I wanted to.

NICK

Yeah.

JOHN

Say about Fernando, he not only changed all that. Which you're right. There was a very deep. Needed and very justified resentment among people of color about what happened up in Chavez Ravine. But there was also the fact that the the Dodgers had been trying for a long time to win a World Series and it come very close and it hadn't gotten there and the the. Playoffs have not been nice to them. No. And you know? And suddenly here they are in 81 and.

NICK

The Yankees had not been nice to me.

JOHN

No, I know it was the Yankees, the Yankees. Reggie Jackson, he was so umm nice. He hits three home runs in one game. You know, it just. But I do want to center on one game in the 81 series and that's the one where Fernando was called in to pitch Relief Game 3.

NICK

Yeah. He used to start. He was a starter in that game. He started that game.

JOHN

All right, so the thing about it, Valenzuela. Pitched from behind? Yeah. For several several innings and he just would not let the Yankees score. It was one of the gutsiest.

Speaker

4.

NICK

Yeah.

JOHN

Efforts I've ever seen, it certainly did turn that series around in a lot of ways everyone talks about. Gibbie's home run in a in a few years after that, but this was one of the toughest. It just tough minded pitching.

NICK

He lose if he loses that game. They're down three games to none. Yeah, and it's a repeat of 77 and 78 where they looked, you know, they they came in with what everyone thought were monster teams. This team was actually not. As good on the field in in the position players as those 77 and 78 teams were, but their pitching was fabulous. They just had. They had more starters and and and a better bullpen and Fernando was one of the big keys to that, but. You know, as a rookie. And you guys know this because. The Phillies right now. Have a couple of young players and they are very judicious with how much they let them pitch daughters just their daughter and said go go until you can't anymore. In that game. They in that Game 3 and 81, they gave them a three. They get Fernando three months and lead right away.

Speaker

Ah.

NICK

And then Fernando gave it back and it was it. After three innings, it's 4:00 to 3:00. And you're thinking, and I was watching that game and I thinking now, man, he doesn't have it. He just doesn't have it. And they chipped away and they chipped away and they chipped away. They finally took the lead, and they were up five, four. And Fernando kept pitching and kept pitching. And kept pitching. I've looked at it back in those days. There weren't you don't can't find box scores that have on pitch counts for the regular season. They didn't do that until 1988, when they finally started. Just, you know, clocking all the pitches. But somebody a baseball reference went back and actually did it for that game. 147 pitches, 147 pitches. That's double what some guys would ever throw, and they just they let him go. And if you look at that at the play by play of that game. In the last three innings, he was untouchable.

Speaker

Yes.

NICK

How you do that at age 20? Is beyond me, but he did it and they so they win that game, they win the next game, they win the game. After that, all by one run. And then they go back to Yankee Stadium and they just punch the Yankees out in game six. And the and, you know, the World Series.

JOHN

Is over he. He's a great pitcher. He's also a very good feeler. Yeah. And he was a good hitter. Yeah. Won two. I think he won 2 silver sluggers and one Gold Glove. Yeah. Which is telling you that. He wasn't just a pretty face. He he, you know, he, you know, he was unusually good.

NICK

Rick Monday, who? Who is the analyst on radio for the Dodgers, said he was the smartest player ever, saw Fernando and I've always said cause I watched him that whole. Time I've always said, Fernando not only knew what he was supposed to do, he knew what you were supposed to do. He would have covered first base on the Mookie Betts ground, probably for he would have been. You would have done that.

JOHN

He would have been there before. He would have, you know.

DON

The other thing though is and and this something was made of this in the the the reviews of of Fernando's life when he passed recently, he didn't have the.

NICK

The typical athlete's body now, he was very athletic, but he was pear shaped and he he might have succeeded despite his appearance. Yeah, and. And so it was, you know, it. It was distracting, I guess or or, you know, you got lured into thinking that he wasn't as good as he actually. Was. He but he really was that good. And you're right, John had he just been a hitter? He'd have been a really good hitter, yes, and he had an ability to see the game and understand the game. Like I I I just had never seen. He was a good bass runner. He had a great pickoff move. It just could do just. And a very good fielder. And you know, fans just plain loved him. The sad thing is, when they won again in 1988, he had been used and abused. So I mean, his pitch counts when you start looking back and like I said, they didn't start doing until 88. You look at what he was pitching in 88. Well in his no hitter in 19 ninety 155 pitch, 155 pitch it's it's nice and that was his last full season in Los Angeles.

JOHN

Oh yeah. Oh goodness. Ohh goodness.

Speaker

Yes.

NICK

Now when he left, there were heart hurt feelings on the part of fans. I didn't like the way it was done on the on the part of Fernando he had pitched in in the spring training in 1991, the Dodgers had a special flight down to Monterey, Mexico, so Fernando could pitch down there. In a spring training game, I forget who they were up against and he pitched well in that game. And the Dodgers ended up winning it. That was on March 17, 1991. Eleven days later, they caught him, and he was off the team. He signed with the Angels. And I went that summer to see him pitch one of those games for the Angels. And he was he didn't have it. It wasn't the same Fernando he was getting pushed around a lot, sat out all of the 92 season and then came back and you know, you guys got a chance to see him. He was in Baltimore and he was in Philadelphia for a little while and then came back and pitched in San Diego and actually had a couple of decent seasons with the. Embrace and and then was then you know, finished up his career with a few games in Saint Louis and that was it. It took a long time before the Dodgers and Fernando sort of reconciled, and then he was brought back as a as a broadcaster on Spanish language radio for any. That's what it was for many, many, many years. Loved part of a Dodger family. They retired his number and last summer you could see that his health was not good. He was. I've lost a tremendous amount of weight.

Speaker

Yeah.

NICK

And then just before the World Series began, he died. And and it's and it's sad. It's the crowd that was at his funeral included not only a lot of Dodgers, but Edward James, almost the great actor, was there as well. They were friends.

JOHN

So well, it's it's it's one of these things that of course, everybody watches the natural. That's, you know, lovely sort of fantasy film with Robert Redford and his beloved bat. But but I have to say, I think. Venezuelae's series win the way his career began. Basically his entire career with the Dodgers, where he I think he was 25 games over 500. He had a very low ERA for his time there and it is. It is the stuff I hope they make a movie about it. It's very interesting. Story because, oh, by the way, I just remember the the the team that he played for in the Mexican League was the Los Leones De Luca. That was. The Yucatan lions.

NICK

Yeah, he was stitching after his career ended, he went back and he pitched a little bit more in.

JOHN

The Mexican league? Yep. Yep. He hadn't had enough.

NICK

It's it's a great story and it and just this past week, the Dodgers announced. Another ballplayer would take his place as the broadcast analyst on Spanish. Language Louise Cruz, who was from Mexico, who played for the Dodgers in 2012 and, you know, held up Fernando as all ballplayers. Do you know as a as a hero and A and a symbol of of what he meant to the community they'll be. It'll be tough to be the guy who takes Fernando's place in the broadcast booth, but Louis should do a good.

DON

Job. Just one last question. Nick, did you ever meet him?

NICK

I did not get a chance to meet him. I didn't start freelancing. A lot of sports for NPR until 88. And by then, in that 88 season he hurt got hurt and didn't pitch past middle of August. I think it was. And so went by the time I was covering games in that World Series season for the Dodgers, he wasn't there anymore. And I didn't, you know, I was sort of studio bound. A lot of times, so I did not get a chance to to meet him in person. I got a chance obviously, as we all did on television to see him pitch many times and to see him pitch in person many times and you know it was always a thrill. You know, sort of like you could pencil Fernando in for 1617 wins or something like that. And and and it would be a big, big crowd at Dodger Stadium, you know, they're busy. He's going to be 50,000 for sure. So how a kid from, you know, playing, you know, minor league ball in Mexico was pitching.

Speaker

yeah

JOHN

Yeah.

NICK

In front of 50,000 and it made no difference to him how that happens. I don't know. But he did it.

JOHN

Well, we just did it, Nick, as always. Wonderful. We didn't get around to talk you about Willie Mays. We'll save that for next time because, of course, Willie May. Has passed not too long ago and in many people's eyes. Willie was the best who ever played all around and.

NICK

In my eyes, definitely.

JOHN

In my eyes too, you're the best I ever saw and and we had. There's a there's a story to be told also, and. But Fernando Valenzuela, you know, again, we're waiting for the movie. My agent will talk to you, if you'll. Talk to me and and Nick Roman, thanks once again for a wonderful session on. The musical interview.

NICK

I love talking about baseball, and I think I may have said this when I was in high school and my friend said you're going to be a sports broadcaster. And I said, Nah, Nah, no, I'm not going to do it. So I had to wait until finally I was, you know, retired from my other work. Everything that you can that's good about the world is sort of contained inside baseball, whether. You know, just athletic greatness, you know, fan thrill, cultural significance, you know, all all the good things of America are somehow contained in the baseball. Yeah. Baseball, Mom and apple pie.

DON

Yeah, them all.

NICK

Yeah. And I'd add in some hot dogs too, every now. Yeah. There you go. Thanks, nick. You're very welcome.