It's been 34 years since Fernandomania took baseball fans by storm.
On Wednesday, the legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who sparked the craze added another milestone to his timeline - he became a U.S. citizen.
Fernando Valenzuela, a native of Sonora, Mexico, joined nearly 8,000 others from more than 130 countries at a naturalization ceremony in downtown LA to take the oath of allegiance, the Dodgers announced.
"The Los Angeles Dodgers extend their congratulations to broadcaster and legendary left-hander Fernando Valenzuela," the team said in a news release.
In 1981 - two years after coming to the U.S. - Valenzuela entered his rookie season with the Dodgers. He became the first pitcher in the majors to capture the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season, and helped Los Angeles win a World Series title.
Valenzuela is now in his 13th season calling Dodger games from the broadcast booth.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the top 10 countries represented at Wednesday's ceremonies were:
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1. Mexico
2. Philippines
3. Vietnam
4. Iran
5. China
6. El Salvador
7. South Korea
8. Guatemala
9. India
10. Armenia
