Valenzuela was signed by the Dodgers on July 6, 1979, and he made his debut late in the 1980 season. In 1981, in what came to be called "Fernandomania," Valenzuela rose from relative obscurity to achieve super-stardom. He won his first eight starts (five of them shutouts). Valenzuela finished with a record of 13–7 and had a 2.48 ERA; the season was shortened by a player's strike. He became the first, and to date, the only player to win both Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season.

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