Fernando Nation

30 for 30: Fernando Nation (2010)

*** (out of 4)

The rise of Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela is cover in this episode of ESPN's series. We take a look at how Fernando got playing the sport and we learn about when he finally began to dream about becoming a pitcher. The documentary covers his now legendary 1981 rookie series, which included him winning his first eight starts plus a Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and a World Series title. As far as documentaries go this one here is pretty good as those unfamiliar with Valenzuela and what he accomplished will certainly get all the details. Those unfamiliar with him are going to get a lot of information but I think the majority of people who watch SportsCenter are already going to know all the stories told here so on that level there's really nothing new in terms of the pitcher. We see all of his awards and we learn about his no-hitter as well as him finally being released by the Dodgers. The most interesting aspect of this documentary happens at the start when we learn about the Mexican population in L.A. before the Dodgers came to town. We see how many were thrown out of their homes and into the streets when the city decided to build the baseball stadium where they were living. We hear some interesting stories from some Mexican people who turned their backs on baseball because of these events only to be drawn back by Fernando. These stories are certainly the most interesting in the film but overall this is a good entry in the series and one worth watching.