The 1981 Dodgers season was the stuff of legend, but the beginnings were a surprise. Mexican left-hander Fernando Valenzuela, on the strength of strong minor league performances, was a September callup for the Dodgers in 1980. He performed well out of the bullpen, pitching 17.2 scoreless innings in 10 games and helping the Dodgers tie the Astros for the division lead. The Dodgers planned to make him a full-time starting pitcher in 1981.

To open the season, the Dodgers' planned Opening Day starter, Jerry Reuss, was injured the day before his scheduled start. The Dodgers' number 2 starter, Burt Hooton, was not prepared to pitch Opening Day, so on one day's notice, Valenzuela was asked to be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter, with less than 20 major league innings under his belt. Under that pressure, Valenzuela took the mound and pitched a 2-0 shutout against the Houston Astros. This was the beginning of one of the greatest stretches to open a career in baseball history, with Valenzuela kicking off "Fernandomania" with an 8-0 record, including five shutouts and an ERA of 0.50.

This stub dates to that magical Opening Day shutout. A significant piece of Dodgers history from the season Valenzuela would win both the Cy Young and the Rookie of the Year in the same season. FAIR condition with creasing and soiling, an outstanding stub nonetheless.