The summer the Dodgers and Brewers made Mexican MLB history
By Tab Bamford
Starting Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will battle for supremacy in the National League. There isn’t much of a historic rivalry between the two clubs because the Brewers were in the American League until 1998.
Thirty-two years ago, however, the Los Angeles and Milwaukee aces had seasons when they were hurling for the record books. Fernando Valenzuela was already in icon in LA, and Teddy Higuera was emerging as a star in Milwaukee. Both were trying to do something that had never been done before.
The two men, in different leagues, chased MLB history for their home country: Mexico.
CHASING HISTORY
The first major league pitching appearance by a native of Mexico came on April 16, 1942 when the Chicago Cubs’ Jesse Flores took the mound against St. Louis. Before 1980, only 19 players born in Mexico pitched in the big leagues; three of those 19 were position players making cameos to save the bullpen, essentially taking one for the team. Another, Memo Luna, appeared in only one game in the majors.
None of those pitchers reached anywhere near the level of acclaim that three-time All-Star infielder Bobby Avila achieved in Cleveland in the 1950s. Avila won an American League batting title in 1954 with the Indians, making him the first Mexican star in the big leagues.
The second – and greatest – Mexican baseball star arrived in the majors 26 years later.
On Sept. 15, 1980, Valenzuela—born in Navojoa, Sorona and not quite 20 years old—took the mound for the Dodgers for the first time. He allowed one hit and struck out one batter in two innings against the Braves, beginning his major league career with a solid effort.
He would go on to throw 17 and 2/3 innings in 1980 as a late-season call-up. He won twice and had a perfect 0.00 ERA while pitching out of the bullpen in all four of his appearances.
The following year, “El Toro” took over the world.
Valenzuela won the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young awards as he helped the Dodgers to a World Series championship. He also created a connection with many Mexicans in southern California and around the United States.
Valenzuela wouldn’t suffer a sophomore slump, winning 19 games in 1982 and appearing in his second All-Star Game in as many seasons. The 19 victories were the most ever in a regular season for a pitcher born in Mexico.
Through the 1985 season, Valenzuela had a 78-57 record with 64 complete games. He had appeared in five consecutive All-Star games and was the face of the Dodgers.
The 27-year-old Higuera didn’t arrive with the same Beatles-level hype as Valenzuela. He made his debut in Milwaukee on April 23, 1985 against the White Sox. Ozzie Guillén batted ninth for Chicago that day and managed an RBI single off Higuera in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Still, Guillén and Higuera finished first and second, respectively, in the 1985 AL Rookie of the Year voting. Higuera won 15 games, including seven complete games and two shutouts, and threw 212 1/3 innings in his first season in the big leagues.
Pitchers, Duels
Valenzuela came out of the gates with a bang in 1986, throwing a complete game against the San Diego Padres in his first start of the season. Of his five starts in April, Valenzuela completed three games; he failed to throw eight complete innings only once in his first 10 starts.
Like Valenzuela four years earlier, Higuera did well in his second year. He won three of his first five starts in April of 1986. In his one no-decision that month, Higuera struck out 11 in 10 innings of work.
A loss to the California Angels on July 9 brought Higuera’s record to 10-7. He threw only 3 2/3 innings that day, walking five and allowing four earned runs. The five free passes were the highest number he allowed in 1986, a total matched in one other start (June 13 at Boston).
After that loss to the Angels, however, Higuera reloaded and enjoyed one of the better stretches of pitching of his career. Over his next five starts, Higuera threw two shutouts and won all five. He allowed only eight earned runs in 40 1/3 innings.
At the end of August, Higuera had a stellar 17-8 record with a 2.68 ERA.
Valenzuela won his first two starts of September to match his career-high of 19 wins with four weeks of regular season remaining.
Higuera lost his first start of September in Minnesota, allowing seven earned runs in only 1 2/3 innings. But he came back with two strong performances in Detroit and a home shutout of the Blue Jays to catch Valenzuela at 19 victories on Sept. 14.
The Dodgers went to Atlanta on Sept. 17 and scored only once, squandering an eight-inning complete game performance from their ace in his first bid to win 20.
The Brewers managed only one run of support for Higuera in Baltimore on Sept. 19 and he took a loss despite allowing three runs in an eight-inning complete game effort.
Valenzuela got the next shot at his 20th of the year on Sept. 22 in Houston. LA jumped all over Danny Darwin and scored six times in the fourth inning to blow the game open. Valenzuela was dominant as usual that day, finishing what he started while allowing two runs on only two hits to become the first Mexican-born pitcher to reach 20 wins in a big league season.
Future big league manager Phil Garner, who managed one of the two hits off Valenzuela that day, flew out to center to end the game.
Three days later, Higuera became the second Mexican-born pitcher to reach 20 wins. Like Valenzuela, Higuera threw a complete game in a 9-3 Brewers victory at home against the Orioles.
For the final out of Higuera’s historic win he struck out future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.
Highlights of their seasons
Higuera completed his last three starts and had a 20-11 record for the year. Unfortunately for Higuera, the Brewers finished 18 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, ahead of only the Orioles for last place in the division.
Valenzuela completed three of his final four outings, contributing to a league-leading 20 complete games and a National League-leading 21 wins. Unfortunately for Valenzuela, the Dodgers finished 23 games behind the Houston Astros in the NL West, ahead of only the Braves for last place in their division.
Two remarkable individual efforts in the midst of unremarkable seasons for the Brewers and Dodgers.
When the ballots were cast for the Cy Young Awards that fall, both players were looking up once again at their respective division champions. Boston’s Roger Clemens, who was 24-4 that year, won the award in the American League while Mike Scott, the ace of the Astros, won it in the National League.
In the 32 years since the magical run of Higuera and Valenzuela only one pitcher born in Mexico has been able to reach the 20-win mark. Esteban Loaiza threw only one complete game in 2003 but finished the season with 21 wins for the Chicago White Sox.
Featured Image: Bernstein Associates / Getty Images Sport
Inset Images: TOPPS