By james art Sometimes Hollywood gets it right. They do such a good job with a movie that specific phrases and images live for free in our heads forever. There are moments in history that match scenes on the big screen and years later we have a hard time remembering which was which. Such is the case with Bull Durham, a film written and directed by Ron Shelton which gave viewers a very realistic view of what minor league baseball was like in the 1980s. Baseball enthusiasts, fans, former players and sportswriters who know the game inside and out all agree that Bull Durham is one of, if not the, best baseball movie of all time.
Where does the idea that Fernando Valenzuela breathes through his eyelids come from?
As far as we can tell, it wasn’t Vince Scully or any other baseball writer who claims the Mexican pitcher breathes through his eyelids. The Dodgers left-hander has taken baseball by storm with his unique curve and release as well as his effectiveness with his screwball. Tommy Lasorda visited him in 1981 on opening day and the stocky 20-year-old was born in Houston in his first start, pitching a 2-0 win over the Astros. The rest is history.
His performance was unique, yes, and many tried to imitate him, but none could coil his body, look up to heaven, and deliver a blow like Valenzuela. This is where Susan Sarandon’s Bull Durham character comes into the picture. Annie, a baseball groupie and expert in her own right, gave Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh some tips for throwing in her backyard to try and get him out of his rut:
Annie: “Now, I want you to breathe through your eyelids?”
Nuke: “My eyelids?”
Annie: “Yes, like the lava lizards of the Galapagos Islands. See, there are some lizards that have a parietal eye behind their heads so they can see backwards. Haven’t you noticed how Fernando Valenzuela, he just doesn’t look up when he throws? He is a Mayan Indian. Or Aztec, I’m confusing them.
Annie’s advice worked and Nuke began to dominate the hill. It’s unclear if he “breathed through his eyelids” or if his success came from wearing a belt under his uniform, but either way, either way Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) and Annie (Susan Sarandon) have teamed up and brought “million dollar arm but dime head” (Tim Robbins) to the big league.
Over 35 years later, we can still see Nuke Laloosh and Fernando Valenzuelawho died on October 22, 2024, looking to the sky and establishing their presence, shedding heat from an unsuspecting blow.