Valenzuela Perfect for an Inning

Fernandomania in Orioles Park at Camden Yards this summer? Could it happen?

Does the popular former National League Cy Young Award winner still have the ability to fool major league hitters?

If Fernando Valenzuela’s one perfect inning of relief Friday night and an outstanding spring are any indication, the answer is maybe, Baltimore manager Johnny Oates said.

“We’ll just have to see how remarkable this story is,” Oates said.

The popular Valenzuela -- a six-time NL All-Star who won the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981 when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers -- came out of the bullpen Friday night. He easily retired three batters in the seventh inning of a 6-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

“He got his work in and he got people out,” Oates said.

It was Valenzuela’s first major league appearance since July 12, 1991, when, as a member of the California Angels, he lost 8-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers.

He was released less than a month later.

On Tuesday night in Texas, he is scheduled to make his 323rd major league start.

Valenzuela probably is getting his last chance. He claims he is 32 but is believed to be several years older. He pitched in the Mexican League last season after being released by the Angels in July 1991.

He said the difference between now and when he attempted to resurrect his career with the Angels two years ago is his control.

“I’ve tried to work on my control all spring,” he said. “I’m excited about this chance the Orioles have given me. But it’s too soon for me to say I’m going to do this or I’m going to do that.

“I’ve had a great career and now I have a job again. I just have to try to do the best I can.”

Valenzuela signed a minor league contract with the Orioles Feb. 27. He was a longshot to make the team when he arrived in Florida for spring training. But he didn’t allow a run in his first 15 innings and finished with a 2.65 ERA in six games and 17 innings.

Valenzuela signed a major league contract that will pay him $250,000 base salary this season. He has a chance to make another $750,000 in incentive bonuses.

Valenzuela’s major league career appeared over two years ago. The Dodgers released him in March 1991, after he was 13-13 with a 4.59 ERA in 1990. The Angels released him after he was 0-2 with a 12.15 ERA in two starts.

Valenzuela doesn’t know if his velocity is better now than it was in 1991.

“That’s hard to say,” he said. “I just want to throw strikes and have good location. So far I have that. My breaking ball is working good. All through my career, I never have had good velocity. I just have had good location on all my pitches.”

Valenzuela is anxious to see what happens when he pitches against the Rangers.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “I think everything will go OK.”