April 9, 2021 The mystery pitcher began appearing in my morning box scores during the second half of September 1980. Sometimes he was Valenzuela, others Valenzla, but every time I looked, he had zeroes next to his name. I couldn’t find him in my baseball card set, my Street & Smith’s Official Yearbook 1980, or my Complete Handbook of Baseball 1980. All I knew was that suddenly he was one of the Dodgers’ most reliable relievers, a rookie thrown into the fire of a three-way NL West race between the Dodgers, Astros, and Reds. What I didn’t know was that just over six months later, everybody who was anybody would know the name Fernando Valenzuela and the trail of zeroes he left in his wake. Fernandomania was coming.
January 22, 2021 Don Sutton did not have the flash of Sandy Koufax, or the intimidating presence of Don Drysdale. He lacked the overpowering fastball of Nolan Ryan, and didn’t fill his mantel with Cy Young awards the way that Tom Seaver or Steve Carlton did. He never won a World Series or threw a no-hitter. Yet Sutton earned a spot in the Hall of Fame alongside those more celebrated hurlers just the same. He was one of the most durable pitchers in baseball history, as dependable as a Swiss watch. Alas, durability does not confer immortality. Sutton died on Monday at the age of 75, after a long battle with cancer. Son Daron Sutton, a former pitcher and broadcaster in his own right, shared the news on Twitter on Tuesday:
Tommy Lasorda The colorful manager started with the club in Brooklyn as a pitcher, then guided L.A. to two World Series titles as he fit in oh-so-well in Hollywood. Tommy Lasorda, the boisterous master motivator who “bled Dodger Blue” during his seven decades with the club as a player, scout, coach, manager and ambassador in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, has died. He was 93. Lasorda, who managed the team for nearly 20 years to four National League pennants and World Series titles in 1981 and 1988, died Thursday night after suffering a heart attack at his home in Fullerton, California, the Dodgers announced. He had been ill for some time.
Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Rain showers in the evening, then fog developing overnight. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 48F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Updated: March 24, 2021 @ 12:18 am