From pitching spitballs to inside the broadcaster's booth: Tracing Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela's incredible career after baseball

After a successful MLB career, six-time All-Star Fernando Valenzuela made a comeback to the world of MLB with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the color commentator. He was a broadcaster for the National League West games. He joined Jaime Jarrin and Pepe Yniguez in the Spanish-language booth.

Jarrin has worked for 64 years before finally retiring. His voice is something that MLB fans truly admire. Jarrin is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to covering games. Valenzuela is a fan of Jarrin’s style and has appreciated him from the start of his career as a broadcaster to the present day:

“I know baseball, but I appreciate that he had patience with me, and I think that’s what kept me going as a broadcaster” – Valenzuela said about Jarrin.

On being asked if Valenzuela would like to alter anything about his MLB career, the legend said,

“I think from everything that has happened to me in my career, I wouldn’t change anything.”

Valenzuela believes in hard work and dedication and to this date believes that people cannot work their way through without those.

“For something to happen, there needs to be dedication. That’s the most important thing. You can be the most talented person in the world but if you don’t know how to use it or don’t know when to use it, it won’t happen.” – Fernando Valenzuela said in an interview with the SB Nation.

Fernando Valenzuela’s career in MLB

Valenzuela was a pitcher during his 17-season-long MLB career and played from 1980 to 1991 and 1993 to 1997. He wore the jersey for six different MLB teams, and his longest stint was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has a win-loss record of 173-153 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.54.

He was the first sole player to have bagged both the Cy Young and the Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. He was a six-time All-Star award winner. He had also bagged two Silver Slugger awards and a Gold Glove award. He is a Dodgers pitcher who had pitched through a no-hitter and also has a World Series to his name.

The 1997 season witnessed Valenzuela’s last baseball appearance. He made a return to the Dodgers in 2003 as a broadcaster.

Fernando retired from baseball after the 1997 season. In 2003, he returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers as a broadcaster.