6ix Baggers — №72: Fernando of Navojoa
We interrupt your friendly Drink Cart feed for a special limited edition series baseball newsletter based on our 2020-21 newsletter and we're swinging on a 3–0 count.
Dear Drink Carters and Welcome back 6ix Baggers
In 2020 and 2021 during the heart of the pandemic I wrote 71 issues of another newsletter. Yes, before The Drink Cart, your boy was slinging 1200 words a week in 6ix Baggers. A purely baseball focused newsletter. In hindsight, 71 issues seems like a lot. But like a Netflix show it was just abruptly and prematurely cancelled. The writing was on the wall in issue 51, when we smugly did a cringey “clip show.” 51 weeks in and I was out of gas. So it makes total sense that three years later, with another newsletter going, and a full time job, that we’re sort of rebooting it.
Yes, we’re leaping into the “Drink Cart Extended Newsletter Universe”. Don’t tell him, but I’m also low-key flexing on my business partner Sandy, who is taking way too long on his newsletter hiatus (Last issue was July 10th? Bro!). At this rate, I might just dunk on him and launch a third newsletter before he gets back to publishing Below the Surface. For the record, I thank him for awakening the content beast within me - and I’m just getting started. So this is all his fault. Blame Sandy. I’m also jealous that he gets the cool name of one of the greatest pitchers to ever take the mound, Sandy Koufax.
So, since it’s World Series Season once again, it felt like the perfect time for a Gilmore Girls-like limited series come back. Maybe it will be 4-short episodes. Maybe it will be 7. Maybe, like Oasis, I’ll quit after one. That’s the fun of it right? But think of it like a cheeky bonus speakeasy newsletter dropping in your feed that you can take or leave. Don’t worry, I can almost guarantee* you’re bound to get some sneaky advertising content in here. And you better believe you’ll get some completely ripped off Aaron Sorkin references. Did someone say West Wing? Remember this scene?
What’s interesting about rebooting this content in this year of all seasons. Is that the last World Series we covered was the pandemic shortened season in 2020. Coincidently enough, that’s when the Los Angeles Dodgers won it all.
I’ve got a soft spot for Dodgers content. I covered the passing of Tommy Lasorda, went deep on Sorkin’s Sports Night and The Legend of another Dodger, Cookie Lavagetto who hit one of the walk offs in World Series history. Couple that with some perfectly timed baseball sweater weather commentary and here we are. In all seriousness, besides long-term reader Scott, I’d love to know after you read this, what you think of this baseball-centric offshoot.
*The Drink Cart and 6ix Baggers Legal Department will not allow me to guarantee much of anything, other than good vibes.
But first, Fernandomania
Writing baseball newsletters is a little like writing obits. There’s always somebody to write about who did something amazing 40 years ago. A few weeks ago, we were inspired by the passing of Pete Rose and crammed that into a newsletter that is mostly about marketing and ads. This week we’ve been inspired by the passing of the absolutely devastating screwball throwing pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela - El Toro.
He pitched in relief in 1980 for 10 games. A fluke had him start opening day in 1981 and he took that opportunity and turned it into the craziest 8 starts of a season and the cultural phenomenon of Fernandomania was born.
I’m sorry, in his first eight starts in 1981 he was 8-0 and completed every single game. He had a ridiculously low ERA of 0.50. For that month, as Jeff Passon writes, “he was the biggest sports star in the world.” That year he would win the World Series, the Cy Young Award, Rookie of the Year award and lead the league in strikeouts.
The mania was real. Fernandomanía por siempre. Fernandomania forever.
He would go on to be a 6x All star, 2x Silver Slugger, pitch a No-hitter in 1990 and have his number 34 retired by the Dodgers in 2023. I love that he also hit 10 home runs in his career too. He even hit .250 in 1981. It’s wild to think that Fernandomania could have gotten even bigger in ‘81, had it not been for a player’s strike from June 12 to July 31.
And by the end of his career he would be 173 - 153 with a 3.54 ERA and 41.5 WAR, striking out over 2,000 batters. I love this thought from Spanish announcer Jaime Jarrin, "I truly believe that there is no other player in major league history who created more new fans than Fernando Valenzuela. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Joe DiMaggio, even Babe Ruth did not. Fernando turned so many people from Mexico, Central America, South America into fans."
What’s weird about someone as iconic as Fernando, is that you totally forget he played in other teams after the Dodgers. He looks so strange in an Orioles uniform, or in an Angels uniform. Wait, the Phillies too, really? And The Padres? Whoa the Cardinals got in the Fernando game? I do not remember many of those later stops in his career. He also played in Mexico in 1992 and 1994 along the way.
I promised some advertising content. So here’s a 1981 Kern’s juice commercial - or at least part of it. The man liked himself some apricot juice. Do they even sell apricot juice anymore? I remember that was a thing, but you don’t hear of that anymore. Not sure why but writing that made me think of The Barenaked Ladies 1992 song, If I Had $1,000,000. “They have pre-wrapped sausages but they don’t have pre-wrapped bacon. Well, can you blame 'em?”
And you can’t not love a classic Spanish Corn Flakes spot. Incredible acting and picture quality to maximize the nostalgia.
It’s fitting that when the first game of the World Series starts on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, and for the 2025 season, the team will be wearing #34 patches in his honer. Thanks El Toro.
Remembering Yankees-Dodgers World Series Match ups
The intro graphics for the 1981 World Series are everything. Although that series is listed as just the 11th on a Yankees-Dodgers World Series ranking from The Athletic. In game three El Toro would throw a baffling, at least by 2024 standards, 147 pitches and complete the game. Hard to argue with that performance.
Given the history between the Dodgers-Yankees and their 11 World Series matches ups, these programs over the years are incredible artifacts. The Yankees hold an 8-3 record in these match ups.
Fall Classic and Food
Meanwhile, the photoshoot for the world series is like a fall Hallmark movie. So we get this match up for the 12th time. A battle of the highest payrolls. A battle between Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani - like 2024 MVPs. A battle that already includes 5 former MVPs in the Fall Classic for the first time ever. East Coast vs. West Coast.
Let’s also not forget there are many former Toronto Blue Jays to route for on both sides. On the Dodgers you have Teoscar Hernandez and Kevin Kiermaier - who looks pretty happy about one last shot at a ring. Former Jays pitchers Anthony Banda and Daniel Hudson are also on the club. Over on the Yankees you’ve got Tim Mayza and even the unlikable Marcus Stroman.
MLB asked 50 experts their predictions and found 27 voted for the Dodgers to win. That’s about as solid as any of the 2024 election polling at this rate. It’s anyone’s ballgame, if you can afford to see it. The tickets are as overpriced as a Taylor Swift concert. The seats which look to be beside Entertainment Tonight icon Mary Hart are listed for $32,615 a ticket. And I saw that parking at Dodger stadium that was $50 for general and $90 for oversize during the first round of the playoffs is now $75 and $125.
But let’s start with the opening salvo of stadium food. It’s the only thing that matters. The Dodgers are rolling out nine new World Series items including:
Chicken karaage bowl. Sorry Shohei, this is not Japanese karaage, It’s Korean. and served “over steamed rice, cabbage, cucumber, edamame, Kewpie mayo, and miso dressing.”
Chile oil dumplings. You get, “steamed pork dumplings come with naruto fish cakes, shiitake mushrooms, crispy garlic, scallions, and cilantro.” Okay, okay.
Deep-fried peanut butter and Nutella sandwich. Yes, for sure I’m into “Texas toast with peanut butter, Nutella, bananas, and strawberries” dipped in funnel cake batter and deep-fried.
The Dodgers don’t mess around on food either. Even their stadium food has an official social account. And I don’t think this return to baseball newslettering without acknowledging the grail - for me anyway - of having a Dodger Dog. Here’s the short story of the famous dog from Sports Illustrated.
“The Dodger Dog is 10 inches of 100% pork. (If you want 100% beef, you go for the Super Dodger Dog, and a plant-based version is available, too.) The story goes that the name came from longtime Dodger Stadium concessions manager Thomas Arthur: When he took the gig for the ballpark’s inaugural season, in 1962, he’d originally considered marketing these hot dogs as foot-longs, but he didn’t want anyone to complain about the missing two inches. It seemed better to go with truth in advertising and call them something else. The right name would be something catchy, something pithy, something that sounded as good being shouted out by a vendor as it would in an advertisement … and the Dodger Dog was born.”
So tonight the two legendary teams battle. I love this Fox social media poster. Iconic.
Walkoffs
A few more quick fastballs for you to enjoy.
Old time baseball
If you only watch one thing in this newsletter, I’d 100% make it watching this 9 minute at bat of Kirk Gibson’s legendary walk-off home run in game one of the 1988 World Series. You’ve got drama, Vin Scully, Dennis Eckersley and an incredible at bat and moment. Listen to how Scully just stops talking. Incredible broadcasting.
Home Run Tube
Sit back, relax and watch every Dodger and Yankee homer in the Postseason so far. Don’t worry, nothing like watching 16 minutes of homers. I feel like we might see lots in this series.
My constant obsessions
The Dodger blue of these Nike Air Force 1 Low Jackie Robinsons.
Absolutely not
This hat from earlier this summer is an abomination. Worse than the Rob Lowe NFL hat. And totally worse than the hat New York Mayor Adams wore with both teams’s logos. I just can’t believe I have to root against my girl Anne Hathaway. Her punishment should be to have to do The Intern II.
Collections
This #55 2017 Topps Archives Fernando card based on one of my favourite designs, 1960 Topps cards are unreal, is on my list now. But if you ask me, what the best card is that I currently have of him? There’s no doubt it’s the #175 1991 Upper Deck triple exposure card. Gorgeous. Fun that the back has an image of him signing autographs. Again, you can pick this up for just over a buck.
Until next inning
You can’t tell me this photo from Dodger Stadium isn’t incredible. And you have to imagine it with El Toro’s unofficial theme song and maybe not that ridiculous screen featuring Mike Piazza.