Monday, April 13, 2009

The Bird RIP

Really saddened to learn that former Detroit Tiger pitcher, Mark 'The Bird' Fidrych has died at 54.

Fidrych emerged from obscurity in 1976 to become not only the pitching ace for the Tigers but also one of the league's greatest attractions.

His oddball antics -- talking to the baseball, preparing the mound with his hands between innings-- made him a fan favorite across the baseball world.

Alas 1976, when he won 19 games, turned out to be his one great year. After that a series of injuries hampered his pitching effectiveness and he soon dropped out of the game.

But it was quite a ride while it lasted.

H/T Paul Tuns

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Mark was fun to watch. Especially sitting in the cool, shaded confines of old Tiger Stadium with a cold beer and a mustard slathered hotdog. I loved it when he would shake the hand of an infielder who had just made a great play. The game always needs its characters.