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Around Baseball… RIP: Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, 54
By Administrator | April 13, 2009
Former Detroit Tiger starting pitcher Mark Fidrych, whose antics on the mound resulted in his being nicknamed “The Bird”, was found dead today at his family farm in Northborough, MA, of an apparent accident… he was 54 years of age.
Worcester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr, said that a family friend found Fidrych at about 2:30 PM beneath a dump truck that he appeared to have been working on. The friend, Joe Amorello, told the media that he had stopped by the farm to chat with Fidrych about upcoming work when he found the body underneath the 10-wheel truck: “It looked like he was doing some maintenance on (his truck). I found him under the truck. There’s not much more I can say. I dialed 911… that’s all I could do”.
Fidrych was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1976. He went 19-9, with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games in America’s bicentennial year, but injuries abbreviated his career. He spent only five seasons in the major leagues, all with the Detroit Tigers, in which he appeared in just 58 games… he was 29-19, 3.10, in his career.
He tore knee cartilage during spring training of 1977 and was placed on the disabled list… he returned to the rotation in late-May 24 and then sustained a shoulder injury in July. He was never the same again. He pitched 250 1/3 innings in his rookie year, but only 162 afterwards (when he accumulated a record of 10-10).
After taking 1981 off from pitching, he attempted a comeback in 1982 with the Red Sox organization, pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox, but he never made it to the major leagues with Boston. He made his first appearance for the PawSox on July 3, 1982. He finished the season at 6-8, 4.98, in 20 games (19 starts). In 1983, he went 2-5, 9.68, in 12 games (8 starts). In spite of his struggles, he pitched before sellout crowds throughout the International League… though his skills had been diminished by injuries, his reputation and allure were as strong as ever. He finally retired in July 1983.
He acquired the nickname “the Bird” because of his quirky behavior and his resemblance to “Big Bird”, a character on the Sesame Street television show. During games, he would bend down and groom the mound with his hands, talk to the baseball and slap five with teammates in the middle of the diamond.
The Tigers issued a statement which read: “The entire Detroit Tigers organization was saddened to learn of the passing of former player Mark Fidrych today. Mark was beloved by Tigers fans and he was a special person with a unique personality. The Tigers send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends”.
Amorello said: “People that didn’t know him might say he was weird, but people who knew him didn’t (think that way). He was just a big-hearted person. He never even slightly suggested any regrets of his injuries. He was just happy to have the time he had in sports. He considered himself a lucky man. He bought his farm. He married the woman he was in love with (Ann, in 1986) and had a beautiful daughter (Jessica)”.
Topics: Around Baseball |
