LosAngeles.Dodgers.MLB.com

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history and an international sports icon, Fernando Valenzuela, has agreed to a three-year deal to join the club as a Spanish-language color commentator, according to Dodger Senior Vice President of Communications, Derrick Hall.

"We have been trying to find the perfect situation for Fernando," said Hall. "This fits his personality well and he will bring magic to what is already the best Spanish broadcast team in baseball. His tenure with the organization lasted more than a decade and altered the game of baseball. Now, his profound knowledge of the sport can be passed on to future generations of Dodger fans."

Valenzuela, 42, will join Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrin and Pepe Yñiguez in the booth during all Dodger home games and during road trips against National League Western Division foes.

A native of Navajoa, Sonora, Mexico, Valenzuela was the emergency starter on Opening Day in 1981 and hurled a 2-0 shutout over the Houston Astros, one of five shutouts in his first eight starts that season. The improbable beginning to his tremendous Major League career sparked "Fernandomania," a phenomenon which remains not only one of the most memorable periods in Dodger history but also in Southern California sports history.

While leading the Dodgers to the World Championship that season, he became the first player in Major League history to be named Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award winner in the same season. He baffled hitters with his signature screwball and packed opposing stadiums throughout the National League, while also earning the All-Star Game start in Cleveland. Including his late season call-up in 1980, the rookie began his Major League career with a 10-0 record and 0.40 ERA (4 ER/90.0 IP).

"Fernando came at a time when baseball needed a hero," said Jarrin, who served as Valenzuela's interpreter at press conferences during the 1981 season and will now be joined in the booth by the left-hander. "I have seen superstars like Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills and Don Drysdale, but we will never see in Los Angeles a player do what Fernando did in 1981. He was a phenomenon, not only in sports, but in the social field."

Jarrin will continue to call Dodger games on his own during the first inning of the game and will be joined by Valenzuela in the second and third. Yñiguez will be joined by Valenzuela in the fourth and fifth innings, with Jarrin rejoining Valenzuela in the booth for the sixth and seventh innings. Jarrin will call the eighth and ninth innings solo.

"I'm very excited about entering this new phase of my career," said Valenzuela, who was also part of the Dodgers' 1988 World Championship club. "I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the best broadcasters in baseball, as well as be a part of the Los Angeles community again."

In 17 big league seasons, Valenzuela compiled a 173-153 record and 3.54 ERA with Los Angeles, California, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis. He was named to the National League All-Star team for six consecutive seasons from 1981-1986 and in 1986 he won 20 games while also earning the Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

On June 29, 1990, Valenzuela reached the pinnacle of any pitcher's career, as he tossed a no-hitter while blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-0.

The southpaw's success and longevity allowed him to etch his name in the Dodger record books, as he ranks among the top ten all-time in nearly every pitching category in Los Angeles Dodger history including wins (141, 5th), complete games (107, 4th), strikeouts (1759, 4th), shutouts (29, 5th), starts (320, 4th) and innings pitched (2,348.2, 4th). Among the all-time franchise leaders, Valenzuela is eighth in victories, fifth in strikeouts, seventh in shutouts and seventh in starts.

But far more important than the statistics he posted was the effect he had on baseball. When he made his Major League debut, he was just the seventh Mexican to play for the Dodgers and his impact on the game internationally is incalculable. In 2002, his first season eligible for Hall of Fame consideration, the left-hander garnered 31 votes.

Valenzuela will be introduced at a 1 p.m. press conference tomorrow, June 5 in the Dugout Club at Dodger Stadium.