and ▁thus , ▁the ▁division ▁championship — to ▁the ▁Ast ros . ▁ ▁" Fern and oman ia " ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁season , ▁Val enz uela ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁Open ing ▁Day ▁st arter ▁as ▁a ▁ro ok ie ▁after ▁Jerry ▁Re uss ▁was ▁injured ▁ 2 4 ▁hours ▁before ▁his ▁scheduled ▁start , ▁and ▁B urt ▁H oot on ▁was ▁not ▁ready ▁to ▁fill ▁in . ▁Val enz uela ▁shut ▁out ▁the ▁Houston ▁Ast ros ▁ 2 – 0 . ▁He ▁started ▁the ▁season ▁ 8 – 0 ▁with ▁five ▁shut outs ▁and ▁an ▁E RA ▁of ▁ 0 . 5 0 . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁domin ance ▁on ▁the ▁m ound , ▁Val enz uela ' s ▁unusual ▁and ▁fl am boy ant ▁pitch ing ▁motion — including ▁a ▁glance ▁sky ward ▁at ▁the ▁a pe x ▁of ▁each ▁wind - up — d rew ▁attention ▁of ▁its ▁own . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁habit ▁he ▁claims ▁to ▁have ▁developed ▁sp ont ane ously , ▁although ▁not ▁until ▁joining ▁the ▁D od gers . ▁ ▁An ▁instant ▁media ▁icon , ▁Val enz uela ▁drew ▁large ▁crow ds ▁from ▁Los ▁Angeles ' ▁Lat ino ▁community ▁every ▁time ▁he ▁pitch ed ▁and ▁triggered ▁high ▁demand ▁across ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁his ▁ro ok ie ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁To pp s ▁and ▁Fle er ▁baseball ▁cards . ▁The ▁cra ze ▁surrounding ▁Val enz uela ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁" Fern and oman ia ." ▁During ▁his ▁warm - up ▁routine ▁at