Sports Then and Now

Baseball fans has been captivated this season by the emergence of Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes. The first pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes has reached amazing heights having started the 2024 MLB All-Star Game and drawing comparisons to other great rookie pitchers from throughout baseball history.

The journey from promising prospect to Major League Baseball (MLB) rookie can be daunting, but some pitchers have managed to make an immediate and unforgettable impact. We still have two months to see if Skenes will finish as one of the top rookie pitchers of all-time, but in the interim, here are the top 5 rookie pitching seasons in MLB history, showcasing their remarkable achievements and lasting legacies.

1. Fernando Valenzuela (1981, Los Angeles Dodgers)

Fernando Valenzuela’s rookie season in 1981, dubbed “Fernandomania,” is one of the most iconic in MLB history. The young left-hander from Mexico burst onto the scene with a unique screwball and a charismatic presence on the mound.

Valenzuela started the season with eight consecutive complete game victories, capturing the imagination of baseball fans worldwide. He finished the season with a 13-7 record, a 2.48 ERA, and 180 strikeouts in 192.1 innings pitched. Valenzuela’s dominance earned him both the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, making him the first player to win both honors in the same year. His impact extended beyond statistics, as he brought a new wave of Latino fans to the game and left an enduring legacy in baseball history.

2. Mark Fidrych (1976, Detroit Tigers)

Mark Fidrych, known as “The Bird” for his resemblance to the Sesame Street character Big Bird, captured the hearts of baseball fans with his eccentric behavior and outstanding performance in 1976. Fidrych would talk to the baseball, groom the mound meticulously, and exude a contagious enthusiasm that made him an instant fan favorite.

After becoming an American tradition following its inception in 1933, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game evolved into the “Midsummer Classic” through some memorable moments in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The exhibition eventually moved beyond being just a game to include a home run contest and many other activities that gave fans the opportunity to see their heroes in a completely different atmosphere than ever before.

From the very beginning, the All-Star Game was a highly competitive contest that even though technically an exhibition, lacked little in desire by the great players to win the game and claim bragging rights over the other league.

The game began to lose a little of the competitive edge following the inception of free agency in the 1970s. More players were switching from league to league and by the 1980s it started to be more important to give as many players as possible a chance to play, rather than keep your best players out there for the entire contest.

Of course, that strategy culminated with the 2002 game, which had to be called with the game tied in the 12th inning because both teams had run out of players. We will look more in-depth at that game in part three of this series.

In this second installment of the three part series, we will relive some of the legendary moments and games in All-Star history between 1960 and 1989. You can also catch the first installment with memories from 1933-1959.

July 13, 1960 (Yankee Stadium, New York City)
Between 1959 and 1962, two All-Star Games were played each year to provide the opportunity for fans in different cities to see the players up close and personal.

The second All-Star Game of the 1960 season provided a homecoming for Willie Mays, who had not been back to New York City since the Giants moved to San Francisco following the 1957 season.

He didn’t disappoint as Mays led off the game with a single and then hit a home run in the third inning.

Eddie Mathews, Ken Boyer and Stan Musial also blasted home runs for the National League as they won the game 6-0.

Also of note in the game was that it marked the 18th and final All-Star appearance for Ted Williams.

July 31, 1961 (Fenway Park, Boston)
The second meeting between the All-Stars in 1961 marked the first time that the game ended in a tie as the game was knotted at 1-1 when rain prevented the game from continuing after nine innings.

The American League scored first on a home run by Rocky Colavito in the first inning. The National League didn’t score until the sixth inning when Eddie Mathews scored on a hit by Bill White.