Sports
Mark Fidrych
1954–2009 · baseball pitcher
Eccentric rookie pitcher who talked to the ball and packed Tiger Stadium during a magical 1976 season before arm injuries cut his career short.
- Born
Worcester, Massachusetts- Died
Northborough, Massachusetts
aged 54- Birth name
- Mark Steven Fidrych
- Also known as
- The Bird
- Detroit years
- 1976–1980
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
A tenth-round draft pick in 1974, Fidrych made the Tigers in 1976 almost by accident and became a national sensation within weeks. Nicknamed "the Bird" for his resemblance to Big Bird, he talked to the baseball, knelt to smooth the mound, strutted around after outs and shook hands with infielders after good plays. Detroit fans, starved for good news in the mid-1970s, filled Tiger Stadium whenever he pitched. On June 28 he beat the New York Yankees on ABC's Monday Night Baseball before a crowd of 47,855 and a huge national audience, and fans called him out of the dugout for curtain calls. He started the All-Star Game, finished 19–9 with a league-best 2.34 earned run average and was named American League Rookie of the Year. Knee and shoulder injuries followed, and he pitched only a handful of games after 1977. He died in an accident on his Massachusetts farm in 2009.
Highlights
- 1976 American League Rookie of the Year
- 19–9 with a league-leading 2.34 ERA in 1976
- Starting pitcher for the American League in the 1976 All-Star Game
- Drew huge crowds to Tiger Stadium, including 47,855 on June 28, 1976
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1976–1980
Tiger Stadium (site)
Demolished · 1912–1999
Where his 1976 starts drew sellout crowds; demolished in 2008–2009.