▁Philadelphia ▁Phill ies , ▁San ▁Diego ▁Pad res , ▁and ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Card inals . ▁ ▁Val enz uela ▁retired ▁from ▁baseball ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁season . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁D od gers ▁as ▁a ▁broad c aster . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁natural ized ▁American ▁citiz en . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Fernando ▁Val enz uela , ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁twelve ▁children , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Et ch oh ua qu ila , ▁a ▁small ▁town ▁within ▁the ▁municipality ▁of ▁Nav o jo a ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Son ora , ▁Mexico . ▁His ▁birth ▁date ▁is ▁officially ▁listed ▁as ▁November ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁but ▁during ▁his ▁ro ok ie ▁season ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁several ▁comment ators ▁question ed ▁his ▁age , ▁guessing ▁him ▁to ▁be ▁significantly ▁older ▁than ▁twenty . ▁ ▁Play ing ▁career ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁in ▁Mexico ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁Val enz uela ▁began ▁his ▁professional ▁baseball ▁career ▁when ▁he ▁signed ▁with ▁the ▁May os ▁de ▁Nav o jo a . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Gu an aju ato ▁T uz os ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Central ▁League , ▁posting ▁a ▁ 5 – 6 ▁record ▁with ▁a ▁ 2 . 2 3 ▁E RA . ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Central ▁League ▁was ▁absor bed ▁into ▁the ▁expanded ▁Liga