Legacy of Fernando Valenzuela lives in Etchohuaquila, the land where he was born

Hermosillo, Son. In Etchohuaquila, a small ejido in southern Sonora, Fernando’s legacy The Bull Valenzuela is not only carved in the memories of his town, but also in the home he built for his mother, the first dream he set for himself upon reaching the Major Leagues. “They taught me respect for what you want. The first thing I wanted to do when I started playing was to build them a house,” Valenzuela expressed in a past interview, with the humility that always characterized him. “My two dreams were to build my mom a house and make it to the Major Leagues, in that order.”

The Bullas he was affectionately called, had not dreamed of international baseball stages since he was a child. “When I was a child, there were no dreams. “You live from day to day, you play and you go to school,” he recalled. It was at the age of 12 when young Fernando decided that baseball would be his path, step by step. And he took those first steps in the dusty fields of his native Etchohuaquila, playing with his older brothers. It was that experience that, according to Valenzuela, gave him the foundation to stand out when he began playing professionally in the Mexican Summer League at age 16.

This Wednesday, The Day visited the town of Etchohuaquila, where a neighbor, Marco Martín Álvarez, guided us through the local baseball field, the same one where Valenzuela was discovered by Mike Brito, the Los Angeles Dodgers scout who would change his life forever. In that field, there is still talk of the first screwball that the young Fernando threw uniquely, a skill that would later lead him to shine in the Major Leagues and generate the famous Fernandomania that devastated not only Mexico, but the world of baseball.

Photos: Cristian Gómez Lima

Laura Elena Anguamea, who shared primary school years with Valenzuela at the Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla school, remembers him as a serious and reserved young man, but passionate about baseball. “I played with the other schools and always stood out,” he says wistfully.

For her part, Delfina Valenzuela, wife of his first coach, fondly keeps the memories of those days when Fernando was beginning to stand out, without imagining how far he would go. “They lived in a small adobe house, very humble. Then he came to build the biggest house in town for my mother,” he said.

This Tuesday night, in Los Angeles, California, the Mexican baseball icon passed away, leaving an indelible legacy. In Hermosillo, the Fernando Valenzuela Stadium, home of the Naranjeros, was the scene of an emotional minute of applause during the game against the Mayos de Navojoa, the team where Fernando played his first years as a professional. The tribute marked a moment of deep emotion for both players and fans, who celebrated the life and work of the greatest reference in Mexican baseball.

The governor of Sonora, Alfonso Durazo Montaño, mourned Valenzuela’s death, recognizing his impact not only on sports, but on the history of the state. “Fernando made us cry with joy and will forever be an example of tenacity, of effort, of struggle from below. Coming from a small ejido in our land, he reached the world leagues where he shone like very few have done. RIP,” the governor shared on social networks.

Fernando Valenzuela was not only the first Mexican to launch a game without hit nor a career in the Major Leagues, but rather he conquered the hearts of millions, establishing himself as one of the most important figures in world baseball. With titles such as the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in 1981, his career was synonymous with perseverance, discipline and love for the sport.

In his participation in Mexican winter ball, he played with the Mayos, Naranjeros and Águilas, leaving an indelible mark with a record of 54-37 and an ERA of 3.50. His presence in three Caribbean Series, where he posted a shocking 1.05 ERA, is just one more testament to his mastery on the mound.

The life of Fernando Valenzuela is a tribute to the dreams that are built with effort and dedication, and his story lives on in Etchohuaquila, in his family and in the hearts of millions of fans who saw him triumph on the biggest stages of baseball.