Mike Brito, the longtime Los Angeles Dodgers scout who discovered Fernando Valenzuela and dozens of other players, died on Thursday at age 87, the team announced.
Brito was part of the Dodgers’ organization for almost 45 years. For decades, he was a visible fixture behind home plate at Dodger Stadium, wearing a Panama hat and pointing a radar gun at the action.
Valenzuela was a phenomenon when he arrived in the major leagues from Mexico at age 19. The left-hander won both the National League Cy Young Award and NL Rookie of Year in 1981, and he helped the Dodgers win the World Series that year. He went on to be a six-time All-Star….