¡Viva Valenzuela!: Fernandomania Erupts in Los Angeles

Meet LA Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, the rookie who became a symbol of Mexican American pride, in this baseball book for kids ages 7-10.

Fernando Valenzuela was just barely out of his teens when he came to the United States from Mexico to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the 1980s, Mexican Americans rarely followed baseball. But when Fernando pitched eight winning games, he inspired them to love baseball. Fernando became an international star! And the fans gained something too: a hero they could call their own.