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Mark Fidrych also passes away

Farmer Ted Apr 13 2009 05:12 PM The Bird

BOSTON -- Former All-Star pitcher Mark "the Bird" Fidrych was found dead Monday in an apparent accident at his farm. He was 54. Worcester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. says a family friend found Fidrych about 2:30 p.m. Monday beneath a dump truck. He appeared to be working on the truck, Early said. Mark Fidrych was the American League rookie of the year in 1976. The colorful right-hander was the American League rookie of the year in 1976 when he went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA. He spent all five of his major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, compiling a 29-19 record and a 3.10 ERA. His career was cut short by injuries. Fidrych attempted a comeback in 1983 with the Boston Red Sox and went to their Triple A team in Pawtucket, R.I. But he never pitched in the majors after 1980 and retired in 1983. The Worcester, Mass., native later owned a trucking business. Fidrych acquired the nickname "the Bird" because of his resemblance to the Big Bird character on the Sesame Street television show. During games, he would bend down and groom the mound with his hands, appear to talk to the baseball and slap high fives with teammates in the middle of the diamond. He started the 1976 All-Star Game after opening the season with seven wins in eight decisions. He finished that season with 24 complete games. But he tore knee cartilage during spring training the following year and was placed on the disabled list until May 24. He sustained a shoulder injury in July 1977 and ended up pitching in just 58 games during his major league career. State police detectives are investigating the circumstances of his death, Early said.<br><br><br><I>(Merged from The Bird, 4/13/2009</i>)

metsguyinmichigan Apr 13 2009 05:12 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 13 2009 05:39 PM

Sadness in Michigan today. The Bird was very popular still.

metirish Apr 13 2009 05:14 PM

Terrible day for baseball.....R.I.P. Never got to see him but loved reading about him and watching a documentary on him.

MFS62 Apr 13 2009 05:15 PM

RIP, Bird. Later<br><br><br><I>(Merged from The Bird, 4/13/2009</i>)

Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 05:51 PM

Can we jsut call this season a do-over. That guy is an eternal rookie in my head, though I thought he played a little with Boston also at the end.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 13 2009 06:06 PM

They've been showing that Monday Night Baseball game from 1976 on the MLB Network. I remember that game well, as I spent that entire summer consuming baseball. Cryin shame.

seawolf17 Apr 13 2009 06:23 PM

="Edgy DC":2hw8j74n]Can we jsut call this season a do-over.[/quote:2hw8j74n] Yeah, no kidding! Crazy. Rockin' Doc Apr 13 2009 08:00 PM Mark "the Bird" Fidrych was just a big kid playing a kids game. His exuberance for the game made each of his starts an occasion. I loved watching him pitch. His career and now his life ended too soon. A Boy Named Seo Apr 13 2009 09:53 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":k1crjngd]They've been showing that Monday Night Baseball game from 1976 on the MLB Network. I remember that game well, as I spent that entire summer consuming baseball. Cryin shame.[/quote:k1crjngd] I watched that game the other day. Wild character. Such a good interview post-game. Euker told him he was clocked at 90-something in the 9th inning and he was so psyched and said that was the first time anyone "timed his ball." themetfairy Apr 13 2009 11:07 PM We got this news at Citi Field moments after hearing about Harry Kalas. A horrible one two punch. I remember Fidrych's phenomenal rookie season fondly. You guys know that I have a penchant for the quirky ones, and Fidrych was nothing but quirk. He pitched beautifully prior to his injuries and wore his heart on his sleeve - what's not to love. RIP Mark, and thanks for the great memories. themetfairy Apr 14 2009 08:20 AM From [url=http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/04/14/the-dugout-the-bird-and-the-angel/:2cpf8hfq]The Dugout[/url:2cpf8hfq] LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 14 2009 12:57 PM Nice 1985 interview with the Bird (a little before my time, but I've heard the stories) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm_jU0b5Hgw <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rm_jU0b5Hgw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rm_jU0b5Hgw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 16 2009 10:34 AM Great clip. Steve Rushin did a terrific peice on the Bird a few years back that I was reminded of recently. Ironically, he talks about buying the truck that would end his life having saved his farm. What a character. [url:38odvq7d]http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1022912/1/index.htm[/url:38odvq7d] Edgy DC Apr 16 2009 10:37 AM Doesn't he look a little messed up and older than his years in that clip, though? metirish Apr 16 2009 10:38 AM I was surprised when I searched but there was very little if any tape of Fidrych pitching. Farmer Ted Apr 16 2009 04:42 PM This is just brutal. NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- Former All-Star pitcher Mark Fidrych suffocated after his clothes became entangled with a spinning part on the truck he was working on, Massachusetts authorities said Thursday. The state medical examiner's office ruled the death an accident, according to a release from the Worcester District Attorney's office. A friend found Fidrych, 54, beneath a 10-wheel dump truck on Monday at his Northborough farm. "He appeared to have been working on the truck when his clothes became tangled in the truck's power takeoff shaft," District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said in a statement. A power takeoff shaft is a driveshaft that spins at high speed and can be used to power another piece of equipment. The investigation is now closed, a spokesman for the DA said. Fidrych went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA for the Detroit Tigers in 1976 to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, becoming as famous for his mop of curly hair and on-the-mound antics as his skills. The Bird, as he was known, was beloved by Tigers fans for appearing to talk to the ball and smoothing out the mound between innings. He never matched the heights of his first season, as injuries derailed his promising career. He attempted a comeback with the Boston Red Sox in 1982 and 1983, but never again pitched above the Triple-A level. Fidrych remained a popular figure in his hometown, known for his friendly demeanor and generosity. Visitation is scheduled for Thursday at the First Parish Unitarian Church in Northborough. A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday at the same church, followed by private burial. Fidrych is survived by his wife, Ann, and daughter, Jessica. A Boy Named Seo Apr 16 2009 04:53 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":3muphw82]Nice 1985 interview with the Bird (a little before my time, but I've heard the stories) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm_jU0b5Hgw <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rm_jU0b5Hgw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rm_jU0b5Hgw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/quote:3muphw82] The commentary at the end was worth the wait. cooby Apr 16 2009 07:58 PM Loved this guy...had a penpal in Detroit at the time that would send me Detroit newsclippings about him. I also had a paperback book called "The Bird" that I carried with me everywhere and he knocked Ron Cey right off my top "foreign" baseball player perch for a time. Ron never made it back. I also had a huge crush on those yellow curls. He was fun to watch and I'm not really surprised that there is not much footage left of him. His was a brief, brilliant candle and some things are best left to memory, not photography. metirish Apr 17 2009 08:26 AM What a terrible way to die. dgwphotography Apr 20 2009 04:41 AM A look at The Bird through [url=http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2009/04/20/goodbye-bird/:1jgq18di]Joe McNally's Lens[/url:1jgq18di] Edgy DC Apr 20 2009 06:02 AM "IN the summer of 1976, a youthful goofball named Mark Fidrych blew fastballs by just about everybody with a bat in their hands..." See, here's something that needs discussing. He didn't throw it by them. Throwing 250 innings with a league-leading ERA with less than 100 strikeouts is in it's own way far more amazing. This really pthrows water on the Voros McCracken thesis, and adherents of the thesis would perhpas say that his season was unrepeatable. But before he got hurt his sophomore year, Fidrych was repeating it. And it all happened with Tiger Stadium for a home field. Anyhow, nice pictures.