Former LA Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela becomes US citizen

LOS ANGELES -- Legendary former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela became a U.S. Citizen at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Wednesday.

Valenzuela joined almost 8,000 people from more than 130 countries for the naturalization ceremony. His wife Linda and his family attended the ceremony to celebrate the momentous occasion.

Valenzuela, who was born and raised in a small town in Sonora, Mexico, became widely popular in the early 1980s when he began playing for the Dodgers.

The 54-year-old now works as a broadcaster on the Dodgers Spanish-language telecast, according to the Dodger Insider blog.