▁a ▁ro ok ie , ▁made ▁the ▁effort ▁to ▁learn ▁Spanish ▁and ▁eventually ▁became ▁Val enz uela ' s ▁" person al ▁catch er " ▁with ▁the ▁D od gers ▁before ▁becoming ▁the ▁full - time ▁catch er . ▁ ▁Post - D od gers ▁career ▁▁ ▁After ▁pitch ing ▁in effect ively ▁in ▁spring ▁training ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁Val enz uela ▁was ▁released ▁by ▁the ▁D od gers . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Val enz uela ' s ▁release , ▁several ▁D od gers ▁leaders , ▁including ▁Tommy ▁Las ord a , ▁Fred ▁Cla ire , ▁and ▁Peter ▁O ' Mal ley , ▁pra ised ▁Val enz uela ▁for ▁creating ▁exc iting ▁mem ories ▁over ▁several ▁seasons ▁and ▁they ▁indicated ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁difficult ▁decision ▁to ▁release ▁him . ▁ ▁An ▁abort ive ▁attempt ▁at ▁a ▁com eb ack ▁with ▁the ▁California ▁Ang els ▁failed ▁later ▁that ▁summer . ▁Val enz uela ▁signed ▁with ▁the ▁Detroit ▁Tig ers ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁but ▁he ▁never ▁played ▁for ▁the ▁team , ▁and ▁was ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Maj ors ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁with ▁his ▁contract ▁being ▁purchased ▁by ▁J alis co ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁League ▁that ▁summer . ▁He ▁pitch ed ▁and ▁played ▁some ▁first ▁base ▁when ▁he ▁wasn ' t ▁on ▁the ▁m ound ▁before ▁making ▁another ▁brief ▁com eb ack ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁with ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁Ori oles . ▁ ▁J ump ing ▁between