▁Mex icana ▁de ▁Be is bol ▁( M ex ican ▁Baseball ▁League ), ▁automatically ▁elev ating ▁then ▁ 1 8 - year - old ▁Val enz uela ▁to ▁the ▁Tri ple - A ▁level . ▁P itch ing ▁for ▁the ▁Le ones ▁de ▁Y uc at án ▁( Y uc at án ▁L ions ) ▁that ▁year , ▁Val enz uela ▁went ▁ 1 0 – 1 2 ▁with ▁a ▁ 2 . 4 9 ▁E RA ▁and ▁ 1 4 1 ▁strike outs . ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁ML B ▁teams ▁sc out ed ▁Val enz uela ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁D od gers ▁sc out ▁Mike ▁Brit o ▁had ▁gone ▁to ▁a ▁game ▁in ▁Mexico ▁to ▁evaluate ▁a ▁short stop ▁named ▁Ali ▁U sc anga . ▁Val enz uela ▁threw ▁three ▁balls ▁to ▁U sc anga ▁to ▁fall ▁behind ▁in ▁the ▁count ▁and ▁then ▁threw ▁three ▁straight ▁strik es ▁to ▁strike ▁out ▁the ▁batter . ▁Brit o ▁said ▁later ▁that ▁at ▁that ▁point , ▁he ▁" f org ot ▁all ▁about ▁the ▁short stop ." ▁The ▁D od gers ▁finally ▁gam bled ▁on ▁the ▁young ▁left y , ▁bu ying ▁out ▁his ▁Liga ▁contract ▁on ▁July ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁for ▁$ 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Move ▁to ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁D od gers ▁organization ▁ ▁After ▁acqu iring ▁Val enz uela ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁the ▁D od gers ▁assigned ▁him ▁to