In a story on the Dodgers' website looking back at 25 years ago, to the start of Fernandomania, when ESPN had barely started and the Internet was just science fiction, a pudgy 20-year-old from Mexico stepped into the spotlight on opening day 1981, threw a shutout, and L.A. united over a screwball pop culture icon.
"Dodger owner Walter O'Malley would often mention that he wanted a "Mexican Sandy Koufax" to join the organization and help tap the growing Hispanic population in Los Angeles," according to the story. "While he did not live to see Valenzuela look to the sky before throwing his signature screwball (O'Malley died in 1979), his dream was realized when Fernandomania captured the city. 'It's true, he told me many times,' said Dodger Hall of Fame Spanish broadcaster Jaime Jarrín of conversations with O'Malley about his wish for a Mexican Koufax. 'It was part serious, part in jest. More jest than serious. He knew that it would be difficult to find another Sandy Koufax. Well, Fernando Valenzuela came along to answer a wish and have a season like any of the best years that Sandy Koufax had.' Valenzuela threw seven complete-game victories to start his career (he threw nine innings in the eighth victory, which the Dodgers won in 10 innings while Valenzuela was still pitcher of record), and had five shutouts among those victories. His numbers over that magical run were four runs allowed over 72 innings for an ERA of 0.50. What he ended up going 13-7 on the strike-split season with a 2.49 ERA and a league-leading 180 strikeouts, winning the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award -- the only player in baseball history to win both awards in the same year. He was also fifth in MVP voting that season, capping it with a complete Game 3 victory over the Yankees in the 1981 World Series.
In '82, he went 19-13. In '83, he received baseball's first million-dollar salary arbitration award. In '86, he was 21-11 with a career best 242 strikeouts and 20 complete games. At the '86 All-Star Game, he made history by striking out five consecutive American League batters. From '87-'90, however, he was a below. 500 pitcher and showing wear and tear.
In 1990, on June 29, he no-hit St. Louis at Dodger Stadium in what would be his last great game there ("throw your sombrero to the sky"). He also hit .304 that season (21 hits in 69 at bats, including his eighth career homer) The Dodgers cut him in spring training in '91. His mark in 11 seasons with the Dodgers was 141-116.
The Angels picked him up for part of the '91 season (giving him No. 36, because reliever Brian Harvey wore No. 34), and he tried comebacks with Baltimore, Philadephia, San Diego and St. Louis before retiring in '97 at the proported age of 36.
And remember, Valenzuela was no automatic out at the plate. He had a career .368 average as a pinch hitter. He finished with a .200 career batting average.
With 173 career victories, Valenzuela retired as the leading Mexican-born pitcher in Major League history. And as the St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture notes, despite his considerable achievements with the Dodgers, he is nevertheless best remembered for setting the baseball world on its ear during the spring and summer of 1981. And fans who listen to him on the Spanish-language Dodgers radio broadcasts are reminded of it each night.

First runner-up:
==Shaquille O’Neal, Lakers (1996-'04)
If Valenzuela helped unite a city, O'Neal was instrumental in dividing it by the time his run with the Lakers ended. He and Kobe Bryant, of course, collected those three NBA titles. All it took to join the Lakers was GM Jerry West offering him a seven-year, $122 million deal before the '96-'97 season to get it started. The beginning of the end for the perennial MVP came at the beginning of the 2003-04 season, with two years left on his contract at the time, when he told the team he wanted a substantially larger extension to his contract. The Lakers did eventually offer O'Neal a large contract in February 2004, but he refused. After the Lakers' loss to the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, the Big Aristotle/Diesel/Man of Steel started a more public feud with management, forcing GM Mitch Kupchak to cobble a trade with Miami for a bunch of spare parts (Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a future No. 1 pick). Upon signing with the Heat, O'Neal discarded No.l 34 and went back to No. 32, which he wore while playing for the Orlando Magic.
He won another title in Miami, clanked a few more free throws, starred in a TV show trying to get kids to lose weight and filed for another divorce. This time, from his wife.

==Second runner-up:
==Bo Jackson, Raiders ('87-'90)

Vincent Edward Jackson, the eighth of 10 kids, was known in his family as a "wild boar." Shorten it to Bo, and history was made. The '85 Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn was drafted No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Bucs in the '86 selection, but he decided to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals. So how do the Raiders come into play?
He was thrown back into the NFL draft, and the Raiders took him in the seventh round (183rd overall pick) in '88. Owner Al Davis said Jackson could keep playing baseball and join the Raiders when the season was over. Joining the Raiders midway through the 1987 season, Jackson rushed for 554 yards on 81 carries in just seven games. Over the next three seasons, he ran for 2,228 more yards and 12 touchdowns: a remarkable achievement, in light of the fact that he was a second string to Marcus Allen. The game we all remember was his 221-yard performance on "Monday Night Football" in '87 against Seattle, running over Brian Bosworth and then going off on a 91-yard TD run that ended with him disappearing into a tunnel at the the Kingdome.
During a Raiders playoff game against Cincinnati in 1990, Jackson suffered a serious hip injury that's still too painful to think about. Following surgery and rehab, it was discovered that Jackson had avascular necrosis, and needed a hip replacement. His football career was done, but he returned to play for the Royals, and later finished his baseball career with the Angels in '94 -- a team that once upon the time drafted him -- before retiring.

Third runner-up:
==Paul Cameron, UCLA football ('51-'53)
Consensus All-American as a senior, and team MVP in '51 and '53, leading the conference in rushing in '53 as he led the Bruins to the '54 Rose Bowl. Third in the '53 Heisman voting and sixth in '52.

Other No. 34s:
==Dave Meyers, UCLA basketball ('72-'75)
==David Greenwood, UCLA basketball ('75-'79)
==Bryan Harvey, Angels ('87-'92)
==Les Josephson, Rams ('64-'67, '69-'74)
==Barry Zito, USC baseball ('95-'96)
==Dennis Layton, USC basketball ('70-'71)

Sports Illustrated's choice for the all-time No. 34: Walter Payton, over Bo Jackson, with O'Neal (Lakers), Earl Campbell, Kirby Puckett, Nolan Ryan (Astros, Rangers), Herschel Walker (college), Rollie Fingers and Hakeem Olajuwon. And no mention of Valenzuela.

Did we miss anyone?
You've got our vote, now let's see yours: