One of all-time favorite baseball players growing up as a kid in Los Angeles was then-Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela. My dad used to take us to Dodger stadium to watch baseball games, and on two occasions, we were treated to Valenzuela's outings.
It didn't really matter to me that he was Hispanic, it was his unorthodox pitching delivery that drew my attention, and the fact that he had a lot of media buzz surrounding him.
Valenzuela has finally become a U.S. citizen after 36-years of residency in the United States.
Hey Fernando, its about time!
Valenzuela was part of large group of immigrants, which includes my mother, that felt that they needed to stay true to their countries of origin, but finally realized that being a U.S. citizen has bigger perks and protections.
