I was privileged to have seen Mark pitch. I drove from Toronto to Detroit to see him pitch the first game of a doubleheader. Al Kaline was being honoured between games. I watched the ceremony then drove home listening to Ernie Harrell call the second game on the radio. I miss Mark and Tiger Stadium
@@johnboehmer6683 It's about 3 and a half hours drive time, I was a big fan if the Bird in those days and went to as many games as I could when he was pitching. Became a Blue Jays Fan when I moved to Alberta in '83. Typically the Tigers won the Series in '84. Unforgivable!
@@albertawildcat3164 He was amazing. I wonder how many other athletes inspired people to drive 7 hours to see them play? I was 9 in '76, about 25 minutes away from Tiger Stadium, and absolutely idolized him, but never was able to see him. Was there ever a time in the 84 season you were like, "c'mon Blue Jays, c'mon Blue Jays... c'mon Jays........ c'mon Tigers, go Tigers!😁 Toronto was really good that year, too. I remember after the Tigers started to cool down after that 35 - 5 start, the Blue Jays had not fallen that far away, and for a little while were still right on our heels. Then '87 happened, double ouch! Toronto did get their championship too though.
@@johnboehmer6683 The Bird was by far the best/most entertaining pitcher I ever saw. I remember when he first came up and alot of people belittled his on field antics but I loved it. He made the game fun again! And yes, '84 was a real heartbreaking year for me, glad the Tigers won the series...disappointed my team didn't. I was beginning to feel like a Red Sox fan!
Born & raised in Detroit & playing little league during the Birds entire career. It was electric, special, legendary etc.. It was no act or done for attention. It was his love of baseball that literally took over MLB. I'm blessed to have seen him pitch in person at a sold out Tiger stadium. 54,000 roaring fans all the while a pretty horrible team. Those were my golden days of baseball ⚾⚾⚾⚾
Fidrych, Trammel and Whitaker came thru Bristol Tigers organization. Unfortunately the Appalachian League was done away with in 2020. Thanks to the MLB! 👎
@@mikehickman3635 my dad told me a story when he was in the navy his ship was in the Philippines and since we are Michiganders and huge tigers fans, he actually volunteered (you don’t ever volunteer to do something in the military accepted for joining lol) to clean the tv room on his ship so he could watch the game by himself while cleaning
Fidrych tore his cartilage while shagging flies in Spring Training. Rusty Staub was standing next to him and had just finished telling the young pitcher to calm down and stop doing things that could get him injured, when Fidrych, ignoring the advice, leaped to catch a screaming liner over his head, came down and injured his leg. That injury affected his pitching motion which probably caused the rotator cuff injury that effectively ended his career.
@capacitance-rca1981 Well, all the goofball stuff doesn't take away from the fact that he was a damned good pitcher when he was healthy. Back then, it happened a couple of times that a young pitcher came into the league a became a sensation and big drawing card. It happened with Vida Blue in 1971. He even made the cover of Time magazine, when that still meant something. Then there was Fernandomania, which was a lot of overblown hype, even though he was also very good. It hasn't happened in a long time because now, the minute a pitcher shows he has something, he becomes too valuable to use, and they cover him in bubble wrap and stick him in the closet like he was made out of crystal, and you never get to see him again.
@capacitance-rca1981 Well, we won't know what Fidrych would have been because he got hurt, but he won 19 games with the 1976 TIgers and they weren't a very good team, as I remember. Bill James, the analytics guru, had some interesting stuff to say about Fidrych-mainly, if he didn't get hurt, he still wouldn't have had a long career because even as a young pitcher he was a very low strike out guy, and those type pitchers just don't have long careers. If you don't have a good fast ball as a young guy, you're not going to have a better one as you get older, and if you don't have a good fastball, you just don't last in the major leagues. You can get by on junk for a while, or if you're a knuckle ball specialist (and even the best of those guys, like Phil Niekro, get a lot of strike outs), but not for long. In other words, a healthy Fidrych wouldn't have lasted much longer than an injured Fidrych. I remember a pitcher from way back (I'm old) named Jim Nash. He came up with the A's, I think when they were still in KC. He won his first 10 games on a lousy team and ended up going something like 14-2 as a rookie, and, after that, nothing. I don't remember if he got hurt or if he was just a Fidrych type, but it happens with pitchers (or used to)-great as a rookie, but if you don't have great stuff, the hitters will figure you out.
Not to mention he threw more innings and started more games than any pitcher would today. The Bird was the only thing to cheer about in a otherwise forgettable season.
Thank you for this so much. When I was a kid, a pitcher myself, I had the same unusual relwase as Mark. I remember the first time I saw himbpitch on tv, my mom was watvhing the game and she called me in to see this crazy, odd pitcher. But then I was blown away by his performance. I soon became a Tigers fan. Back then it was baseball 24/7 for me and I followed his career closely as I was keeping my own stats that year in our family league. I ended up hoing 19 and 9 the year aftdr Mark. Once when my school had a Book Day, I came across a book written about him right after his first season. I was so excited to see the book, but I didn't have the money to buy it. So I ran all the way home, and grabbed a big handful of coins that was our lunch money, all nickels for some reason, and ran all the way back with my pockets packed with those nickels. I ran into the library praying nobody else had bought the book, and slammed all the coins dosnbon the cojnter wigh my sweaty hands and got the book. I was so happy. And I still have that book t[ this day. Sadly I didn't hear about his passing until just recently. In fact, I haven't heard his name in mainstream media in over 30 years. He disappeared from my consciousness at some point, and I even stopped playing baseball myself as I grew up. Just one day a few years ago he popped back into my head and I looked up his eikipedia page and was heartbtoken to find he had passed. Not sure why he inspired me so much, but I was obsessed with him for many years, almost as much as I was obsessed with baseball itself. RIP Bird.
I worked with him off &on in construction in the early 2000's. Fun guy. I made the mistake of throwing a snowball at him one early spring day. It still stings here & there.
About the talking while pitching thing, I guess Greinke took some of that from him lol. I mean idk if the bird also told the batters the signs but he seems like that kind of person to do such a thing.
I was fortunate to watch Mark pitch at Tiger Stadium one night in 1976. I do not recall who the opossing team was. I don't remember the game's outcome. What I do remember was a young pitcher who let it all hang out. I was born to be a Detroit Tigers fan. The "Bird" did not disappoint. We Tigers fans certainly got our moneys worth that evening. There was a feeling that we were watching history being made. The Tigers were not a great team that year. Mark did not get a lot of run support. He pitched so many complete, extra innings game. We sensed that the Tiger management used the Bird up. I was not aware of how he injured himself while goofing around pre-game. None-the-less, I still feel that for the few years he wore the Detroit uniform, he brought a lot of fans to the ballpark. This young pitcher gave us something to cheer about during tough times.
Never watched baseball back then and very little now. However, this story of this amazingly unique player, was simply captivating! He reminded me of a unique pitcher that my son grew up playing with for over 10 years. Thank you for sharing g this Baseball treasure!❤😊
I went to every home game he pitched in 1976. I was 13 and bought 2 tickets to each game with my paper route money. I'd beg my 2 job dad or my brother to take me. When they wouldn't or couldn't take me I'd take the bus downtown with a friend. The excitement of those games and the fun I had that year will always stay with me. 40-50 thousand people chanting and no one leaving until he came out was amazing. I was at the Wings Stanley Cup final win in 1997 and the Tigers World Series final win in 1984. I'd say the year of the Bird was the best. All great memories for this old man. RIP Mark! Thank you for the memories! I just wish the Lions would win 1 Super Bowl before I die. I might even be satisfied if they just make it to 1, lol. I'm not rich but I'd pay whatever I had to for a ticket.
My Dad worked Construction with The Bird in Central Massachusetts. When I was 15 in 1988 he had Fydrich sign my baseball glove :) I should have stored it in a safe place. Cause I friggin lost it about 15 years ago :( I wish I had appreciated more what this guy meant to the nation in the Summer of 76 when I was a kid. I mean to have an autographed glove from one of the greatest baseball characters and stories of all time would be special. For that 1 summer he was about as big as it gets. Must have been a fun summer in Detroit :) And of course RIP to the man who took the time to sign my glove - even if my dumb irresponsible ass lost it !!! Thanks Bird !!
My dad took me to my first MLB game when I was 11. Fenway Park. Detroit (dad's team) vs the Sox (my team). June 24th 1976. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych threw a complete game and won , and I came *this* close to catching a foul ball (guy next to me stood up at the last second and caught it). I was a big fan of Mark's after that. Years later I was working (for Raytheon) in Northborough MA and happened to bump into Mark at a store. Just a nice guy, chatted with me for a bit. I told him the story of him pitching that 1st game and he smiled.
Thanks for this. Well done! My Mom's from Detroit. Her brother, my uncle, was an MLB Umpire at Tiger Stadium in the 1950's - 60's. Retired when we were kids he'd bring us to games. Just a few years before The Bird came up. He knew everybody. We watched Aurelio Rodriguez crack a bat at home plate. My uncle excused himself for 20 min. or so. Came back with Aurelio's broken bat, a ball signed by Mickey Lolich, & brand new Official Tiger road hats for all of us. Back in the '40's he played Detroit city ball with his good friend Willie Horton. Hell of a guy. Sad he struggled with depression & booze. We miss him. We miss The Bird & Chi Chi. All left us too early.
My dad used to love this guy and love to watch him pitch. Told me Fidrych would talk to the ball and tell it what to do and the ball would listen lol. At like 5 years old i was amazed and would watch with him. Good memories
I was at Tiger Stadium for his first start ever in front of maybe 15,000 people, and then I was back there in July right in the middle of Birdmania amidst a crowd of 52,000. That July game, you could feel the electiricity in the air. We all knew we were watching a one in a lifetime thing, something beyond greatness and beyond words. The affect this wonderful guy had on fans of all kinds.... just wow. I still hold fast to the belief that this man had the biggest single-season impact on the game and nation in MLB's 120 years.
Mark Fidrych was the show to watch. His pitching talent coupled with his mound rituals and sheer presence ruled the day. Everyone tuned in to watch him pitch. His unique star quality was also shared by Dontrell Willis beginning in 2003 when Willis played for the Marlins. These guys were just fun to watch.
Mark was a good dude....I got a hitchhiking story with mark.... broke everyone’s heart , here in Michigan when his jack collapsed, and his truck fell.... we still remember going to the games in 1976.
My brother played with Mark in ‘74 on the Bristol Tigers, the year they were drafted. My family was visiting in Bristol and Mark came over to our hotel room and my dad asked him if he was from back east and Mark said “No, I’m from Massachusetts.” Then he leaned over the second floor railing too far and almost fell over but my dad caught him.
I was born in 1950, Los Angeles. NY Yankees fan since '57. Bob Gibson all time favorite pitcher. Favorite reliever Al " The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky, why? Intensity & antics. "The Bird" a favorite too, same reason.
Summer of 76" bicentennial year. When he would pitch on the road they would sell out. No one player ever did that he got me hooked on baseball. He was wonderful to kids!
The best part of the closing ceremony for Tiger Stadium in 1999 was Mark running to the mound, dropping to his knees and manicuring it one last time. One thing this video doesn't show much of is Mark's enthusiasm and appreciation to his teammates after every win - he would run around the whole field and shake everyone's hand and thank them 7:56. For the Richie Hebner part - Richie was another Massachusetts boy who spent every off season as a gravedigger.
It's insane that he made 16 more starts over the next 3 years, with 3 complete games and a 5.70 ERA. He was performing as well as most 5th starters do today, with a torn rotator cuff. I was only 8 when he debuted, but his name is indelibly planted in my memory. I never realized until today, however, just how insane his rookie year was - he was clearly the best starter in baseball that year, and not just a hype machine created phenomena.
I remember watching "The Bird" when I was younger. I can still see him talking to the baseball. He was a phenomenal pitcher and one I will never forget. RIP Mark........you were one of a kind and I mean that in a truly great way!!!!!
Thanks for this. He was a phenomenon. I saw his first start for the Tigers on TV where he gave up only one run. Lots of rookies have a good first outing and then slow down. Not the Bird. His control was phenomenal, consistently keeping his ball, along with its incredible movement, low in the strike zone where he was nearly unhittable. He signed what many thought was a foolish 3 year contract with the Tigers after his rookie year: $50,000 in 1977, $100,000 for 1978, and $150,000 for 1979. Who knew then injury would make it turn out to be a very good deal for Fidrych after all. I saw him pitch live in a 1979 exhibition game in Cincinnati against the Reds where he got absolutely rocked. He'd been injured and this no count game was to be his debut start of the season. After giving up 3 or 4 massive line drives in a row in the first, one by Champ Summers that may have been the hardest hit baseball I've ever seen in person, it was obvious he didn't have it so he got pulled - and I think those ten or fifteen pitches may have been the last he ever threw for the Tigers.
I had so many of his cards and remember watching him vs the Yanks. Never knew his full story. Thank you for doing this. More importantly, thank you for how respectful the ending was. It truly brought a tear to my eye. I remember when sports brought people together. God bless.
I remember growing up in Cleveland and listening to The Birds first start and how excited the radio announcers were describing what they were seeing on the mound...He was The Story in baseball that year, him and the Big Red Machine...RIP Joe Morgan
Mark died on April 13th, 2009, on my birthday. My dad always told me about him when I was growing up, and said that everyone told my dad that he pitched like him, just pitching style. I remember I pitched a game in Natchez, MS against Porter's Chapel on that day. For some reason, I always pitched on my birthday. I pitched the entire game, and threw pretty well even though we did lose, that was my junior year of highschool. I remember driving back, and we were outside of Monroe, LA, me and my mom in the car, my dad had a golf tournament he was coaching and couldn't be there, and thats when we heard the news he passed away on the radio. It's such a vivid memory.
I was fortunate enough to work for the City of Lakeland, Florida Recreation Dept, in 1976. This is the spring training home of the Tigers. Fidrych was a bit eccentric, but not really more than most major leaguers with their superstitions and rituals. I remember Mark drove this yellow VW Beetle when he arrived in camp. A group of other players (who I think included Alan Trammel & Lou Whitaker) picked up Mark's VW and wedged it between several palm trees, leaving no escape. Seeing this after practice, Mark simply walked up to the head groundskeeper, Paul Dash, and asked to borrow a chainsaw. We got a group of guys together and extricated his car from palm tree "jail", and away he went. Mark Fidrych was a nice, kind and affable guy, I hated to see his knee and arm injuries end his career in his prime.
Not only is his name synonymous with mine but we miss him. Mark Fidrych was just plain fun and the corner at Michigan & Trumbull was always packed to catch a glimpse of him. If you had a ticket when he pitched...? OMG. I'll close now before I get choked up.
I will never forget that Monday night game against Yankees. In little league when I pitched I had his baseball card in my back pocket. I was 9 in 76 and man I loved the Bird!
Tiger Stadium was the best place in the world to watch a baseball game, especially on a Friday night. We would get the bus to the games, and the bleachers were only a Dollar ( yeah, $ 1 ) to sit in. We played with beach balls, got a contact buzz from all the weed being smoked, and got to see a game too.
My Uncle used to do this snowmobile marathon every winter in Alaska with his "buddy". Well his buddy was The Bird, and while he always spoke highly of him, he would always say that they were bonded strongly because they saw something horrific together. While on the marathon, they were riding and were trailing behind someone they met along the way. It was getting dark and the visibility provided by the snowmobile lights do not shine very high when going on sloped terrain uphill. At around 50 miles an hour the man in front of them fell off the snowmobile shortly after his severed head hit the ground. A chain between two trees to mark a property line had been strung up, and the high speed impact cut his head off. So now whenever I think of Mark Fidrych, I think of a bloody head in the snow... After typing this I'm not sure if this is a good story (lol) but if you found it interesting that's a win for me!
I was lucky to have been able to watch Fidrych when I was a kid. It was his second season, and by then, the shoulder injury was wearing on him. He was lit up by the Milwaukee Brewers and removed after about 4 innings. But his first season...THAT... was nothing short of pure beauty. Even though I never saw him shine, at least I saw him play.
He lived a couple blocks away from me in Southgate, Michigan that year. You would see him out and about just like a regular guys that incredible Summer.
I was born and raised in Pontiac and grew up (and still do) follow the Tigers. I remember when Mark joined the team, and the excitement that he brought. It was a shame that management wasted such talent simply by just burning him out. It was sad to hear of his death on his farm. A picture of him still hangs in my office. RIP Bird...
After the horrendous season the Detroit Tigers had in 1975, Mark Fidrych was exactly what Detroit fans needed to rejuvenate & revitalize interest in the team. He did just that! Thank you Mark Fidrych for being a part of my childhood!
I just love footage of Tiger Stadium. The Detroit Tigers and grand old Tiger Stadium were pure magic to me as a kid. The sights, the sounds, the smells. The undeniable, throbbing pulse of a coliseum filled to the top with excited fans for a game, even on a weeknight in July. The pageantry of the event would start a block away with people singing Motown, playing instruments, selling souvenirs and street foods and just build with more Tiger pride as you would approach the gates at Michigan and Trumble. Comerica park is nice but the soul is just not the same. I just missed the bird but I got all the Trammel, Sweet Lou Whittaker, Jack Morris and Great Gibby (and more) a boy could handle. Not to mention a world series win!!!!! We're all behind our baseball team, Go Get 'em Tigers!
I remember going my 1st Tiger game at CoAmerica park.. I asked my buddy that had already went to one earlier that year how it was.. He said beautiful stadium, but how many times did you see a hitter foul a pitch back, and it would go over the roof and out of the park.. I replied almost every game I went to.. he then said count how many foul balls that make it to the upper deck.. the answer was none.. that is because instead of the decks stacked like at Tiger Stadium, the 2nd deck at CoAmerica doesn’t start till 100 yards behind the 1st row of the lower deck.. that said it all.. no matter where you sat at Tiger Stadium you were always close to the field.. CoAmerica is a beautiful stadium, but the sight lines nowhere near as good as Tiger Stadium
I was born in 1979 in the city of Detroit. Even though mark retired in 1980 I grew up watching "the bird" his behavior and performance always amazed me. I always wished I would have seen him pitch in person. The man is a legend
In June of 1976 he gave a press conference for high school news paper journalists...only! Can you believe it? It didn’t make a journalist, but had a lifetime respect for him. A first class guy, too bad he flamed out young. Better to flame out, than fade away! RIP Bird!
I just read _Stars and Strikes,_ a book about the 1976 baseball season. It's incredible how much of a national force The Bird was. Excellent synopsis, Fico.
The Bird was such a huge phenomenon when I was a young boy. I copied everything about him. I studied his pitching. What made him so effective, and something you really don't see today, is the movement he got on his pitches down in the strike zone. It's easy to get movement up in the zone, but The Bird had such a sinking action and run on all his pitches. Very hard to square up. Man I miss him and the game. It ain't the same.
Thanks for this. I saw Bird pitch when I was a teenager. So colorful & so effective, he brought a magic routine to the mound. When he talked to the ball It made kids & adults alike smile & wonder. Thanks for posting, you made me smile again. ☆☆☆☆☆
Had the pleasure of sitting across the aisle from Mark & Luis Tiant on a flight from Ft Myers to Boston. As a baseball fan it was quite a flight talking pitching, baseball and all things Boston with them both. As an aside, I joked with him about The Who is Richie Hebner? Mark knew exactly who Richie was...another Massachusetts guy who made it to the bigs. Mark said he made that comment on purpose, as a dig to Hebner. Hebner had sent Fydrich a telegram ( look that one up kids) after his first win congratulating him. Luis Tiant and Mark became friends over the years and were flying back to Boston after having attended an event together in Fla.
I had forgotten about him. I am so glad and thankful this video brought back the memories of watching his one of a kind style of pitching. It was obvious how much he loved the game and tried to put on a good show for the fans. Too bad there aren t more like him.
I loved his style, he wasn't impeded by his unusual style he was like rock and roll he was laughed at but later as time went on he was different which he used to his advantage with his antics and it worked for him he was a winner.
The bird!!! I wish I was alive when he was in his prime! That looked so exciting! Go watch the Yankees vs Tigers telecast of that game on RUclips. I get goosebumps watching him come back out for the curtain call. It’s worth a watch!
![UCF Professor Richard Quinn accuses class of cheating [Original]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rbzJTTDO9f4/mqdefault.jpg)
I was privileged to have seen Mark pitch. I drove from Toronto to Detroit to see him pitch the first game of a doubleheader. Al Kaline was being honoured between games. I watched the ceremony then drove home listening to Ernie Harrell call the second game on the radio. I miss Mark and Tiger Stadium
Great account, thanks. How long a drive is it from Toronto to Detroit?
@@johnboehmer6683 It's about 3 and a half hours drive time, I was a big fan if the Bird in those days and went to as many games as I could when he was pitching. Became a Blue Jays Fan when I moved to Alberta in '83. Typically the Tigers won the Series in '84. Unforgivable!
@@albertawildcat3164 He was amazing. I wonder how many other athletes inspired people to drive 7 hours to see them play? I was 9 in '76, about 25 minutes away from Tiger Stadium, and absolutely idolized him, but never was able to see him.
Was there ever a time in the 84 season you were like, "c'mon Blue Jays, c'mon Blue Jays... c'mon Jays........ c'mon Tigers, go Tigers!😁 Toronto was really good that year, too. I remember after the Tigers started to cool down after that 35 - 5 start, the Blue Jays had not fallen that far away, and for a little while were still right on our heels. Then '87 happened, double ouch! Toronto did get their championship too though.
@@johnboehmer6683 The Bird was by far the best/most entertaining pitcher I ever saw. I remember when he first came up and alot of people belittled his on field antics but I loved it. He made the game fun again!
And yes, '84 was a real heartbreaking year for me, glad the Tigers won the series...disappointed my team didn't. I was beginning to feel like a Red Sox fan!
@@albertawildcat3164 Thank you, any recollections about Fidrych are gold to me, take care.
the part when the family goes to the mound to manicure it is tearjerking as hell...
I'm glad I was not the only one that thought so.
Read this comment and had the heads up before it came.... Still got a little emotional.
Damn..... you're a freaking wus bro.....
Dude only pitched like 3 yrs in the majors...
@@haroldfrets5468 how many years did you pitch in the majors? oh right
It destroyed me and it came from nowhere.
It’s the genuineness of the Bird that made him special. Nothing was contrived. It was all real.
Baseball needs more Fidrych types...guys who know how to make the game FUN! He was such a wonderful character.
Born & raised in Detroit & playing little league during the Birds entire career. It was electric, special, legendary etc.. It was no act or done for attention. It was his love of baseball that literally took over MLB. I'm blessed to have seen him pitch in person at a sold out Tiger stadium. 54,000 roaring fans all the while a pretty horrible team. Those were my golden days of baseball ⚾⚾⚾⚾
A true & unique person & great pitcher.
R.I.P. MARK
When he was called up to Detroit
Jim Leyland was his AAA manager in Evansville Indiana and bought him a suit to wear
Wish I was alive to see baseball irl in the 70s. Something about the wacky uniform and general style of play that does it for me.
It was a crazy time, I'm grateful I got to be there.
Don't forget about the brawls!
The end made me cry when I saw it live and again 😭 now
I was born in 62--8 to 18 in the 70s. It was an exciting time to be a teen
and the heart! dude still pitch after tearing his R. Cuff!
The year after The Year of the Bird, the Tigers got its most important rookie class of all time with Alan Trammel, Jack Morris, and Lou Whitaker.
Trammel was in the background @ 8:47
Yes I grew up in that era. I was actually at the winning game of the 84 world series. I still have the mini bat they gave kids at the game.
Also Lance Parrish, one of the best catchers in the game for 10 years.
Fidrych, Trammel and Whitaker came thru Bristol Tigers organization. Unfortunately the Appalachian League was done away with in 2020. Thanks to the MLB! 👎
@@mikehickman3635 my dad told me a story when he was in the navy his ship was in the Philippines and since we are Michiganders and huge tigers fans, he actually volunteered (you don’t ever volunteer to do something in the military accepted for joining lol) to clean the tv room on his ship so he could watch the game by himself while cleaning
Fidrych tore his cartilage while shagging flies in Spring Training. Rusty Staub was standing next to him and had just finished telling the young pitcher to calm down and stop doing things that could get him injured, when Fidrych, ignoring the advice, leaped to catch a screaming liner over his head, came down and injured his leg. That injury affected his pitching motion which probably caused the rotator cuff injury that effectively ended his career.
@capacitance-rca1981
Well, all the goofball stuff doesn't take away from the fact that he was a damned good pitcher when he was healthy. Back then, it happened a couple of times that a young pitcher came into the league a became a sensation and big drawing card. It happened with Vida Blue in 1971. He even made the cover of Time magazine, when that still meant something. Then there was Fernandomania, which was a lot of overblown hype, even though he was also very good. It hasn't happened in a long time because now, the minute a pitcher shows he has something, he becomes too valuable to use, and they cover him in bubble wrap and stick him in the closet like he was made out of crystal, and you never get to see him again.
@capacitance-rca1981
Well, we won't know what Fidrych would have been because he got hurt, but he won 19 games with the 1976 TIgers and they weren't a very good team, as I remember. Bill James, the analytics guru, had some interesting stuff to say about Fidrych-mainly, if he didn't get hurt, he still wouldn't have had a long career because even as a young pitcher he was a very low strike out guy, and those type pitchers just don't have long careers. If you don't have a good fast ball as a young guy, you're not going to have a better one as you get older, and if you don't have a good fastball, you just don't last in the major leagues. You can get by on junk for a while, or if you're a knuckle ball specialist (and even the best of those guys, like Phil Niekro, get a lot of strike outs), but not for long. In other words, a healthy Fidrych wouldn't have lasted much longer than an injured Fidrych.
I remember a pitcher from way back (I'm old) named Jim Nash. He came up with the A's, I think when they were still in KC. He won his first 10 games on a lousy team and ended up going something like 14-2 as a rookie, and, after that, nothing. I don't remember if he got hurt or if he was just a Fidrych type, but it happens with pitchers (or used to)-great as a rookie, but if you don't have great stuff, the hitters will figure you out.
Not to mention he threw more innings and started more games than any pitcher would today. The Bird was the only thing to cheer about in a otherwise forgettable season.
Yes I remember that , to bad the kid had good stuff.
@@RRaquello Do you really want to say that "you can get by on junk but not for long" in the same sentence with Phil Niekro who retired at age 48?
Imagine he talks to himself the whole game in 2020 with no crowd to block him out
looked like he was talking to the ball before he threw to 1st lol
Working the 3rd phase of a triple shift I would talk to myself to remind me what the heck I was doing there. Haha.
Yeah, but think of the hostile crowd of cardboard cut-outs he would've had to contend with....Jeez!!!
You just described Zack Greinke
It’s hard to grasp how much of a sensation he was. I remember it well. I’ve never seen anyone who had so much fun playing baseball…
Thank you for this so much. When I was a kid, a pitcher myself, I had the same unusual relwase as Mark. I remember the first time I saw himbpitch on tv, my mom was watvhing the game and she called me in to see this crazy, odd pitcher. But then I was blown away by his performance. I soon became a Tigers fan. Back then it was baseball 24/7 for me and I followed his career closely as I was keeping my own stats that year in our family league. I ended up hoing 19 and 9 the year aftdr Mark. Once when my school had a Book Day, I came across a book written about him right after his first season. I was so excited to see the book, but I didn't have the money to buy it. So I ran all the way home, and grabbed a big handful of coins that was our lunch money, all nickels for some reason, and ran all the way back with my pockets packed with those nickels. I ran into the library praying nobody else had bought the book, and slammed all the coins dosnbon the cojnter wigh my sweaty hands and got the book. I was so happy. And I still have that book t[ this day. Sadly I didn't hear about his passing until just recently. In fact, I haven't heard his name in mainstream media in over 30 years. He disappeared from my consciousness at some point, and I even stopped playing baseball myself as I grew up. Just one day a few years ago he popped back into my head and I looked up his eikipedia page and was heartbtoken to find he had passed. Not sure why he inspired me so much, but I was obsessed with him for many years, almost as much as I was obsessed with baseball itself. RIP Bird.
I read this entire thing man and it was touching. He really was a ome of a kind guy.
I remember that book, he was my absolute hero for that brief moment in time, and handled the injury and career loss so unbelievably well.
Detroiter here... I remember, and love Mark Fidrych! I was only 12 in 1976, but, EVERYONE knew The Bird! =)
I worked with him off &on in construction in the early 2000's. Fun guy. I made the mistake of throwing a snowball at him one early spring day. It still stings here & there.
He was my pitching coach at the ALL-STAR camp I played in. He made it fun. Awesome personality. Really enjoyed his fun- loving attitude!
"Have fun lip-reading, Jomboy" 🤣🤣🤣
About the talking while pitching thing, I guess Greinke took some of that from him lol. I mean idk if the bird also told the batters the signs but he seems like that kind of person to do such a thing.
Jordan Romero from the Jay's does the same thing
When I grew up, my dad told me stories of the "Bird." As a young pitcher without the internet, images of Fidrych kept me inspired. He still does...
I was fortunate to watch Mark pitch at Tiger Stadium one night in 1976. I do not recall who the opossing team was. I don't remember the game's outcome. What I do remember was a young pitcher who let it all hang out. I was born to be a Detroit Tigers fan. The "Bird" did not disappoint. We Tigers fans certainly got our moneys worth that evening. There was a feeling that we were watching history being made. The Tigers were not a great team that year. Mark did not get a lot of run support. He pitched so many complete, extra innings game. We sensed that the Tiger management used the Bird up. I was not aware of how he injured himself while goofing around pre-game. None-the-less, I still feel that for the few years he wore the Detroit uniform, he brought a lot of fans to the ballpark. This young pitcher gave us something to cheer about during tough times.
Never watched baseball back then and very little now. However, this story of this amazingly unique player, was simply captivating! He reminded me of a unique pitcher that my son grew up playing with for over 10 years. Thank you for sharing g this Baseball treasure!❤😊
I went to every home game he pitched in 1976. I was 13 and bought 2 tickets to each game with my paper route money. I'd beg my 2 job dad or my brother to take me. When they wouldn't or couldn't take me I'd take the bus downtown with a friend. The excitement of those games and the fun I had that year will always stay with me. 40-50 thousand people chanting and no one leaving until he came out was amazing. I was at the Wings Stanley Cup final win in 1997 and the Tigers World Series final win in 1984. I'd say the year of the Bird was the best. All great memories for this old man. RIP Mark! Thank you for the memories! I just wish the Lions would win 1 Super Bowl before I die. I might even be satisfied if they just make it to 1, lol. I'm not rich but I'd pay whatever I had to for a ticket.
Bless you, Bird, for proving that talking to yourself can be productive.
My Dad worked Construction with The Bird in Central Massachusetts. When I was 15 in 1988 he had Fydrich sign my baseball glove :) I should have stored it in a safe place. Cause I friggin lost it about 15 years ago :( I wish I had appreciated more what this guy meant to the nation in the Summer of 76 when I was a kid. I mean to have an autographed glove from one of the greatest baseball characters and stories of all time would be special. For that 1 summer he was about as big as it gets. Must have been a fun summer in Detroit :) And of course RIP to the man who took the time to sign my glove - even if my dumb irresponsible ass lost it !!! Thanks Bird !!
My dad took me to my first MLB game when I was 11. Fenway Park. Detroit (dad's team) vs the Sox (my team). June 24th 1976. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych threw a complete game and won , and I came *this* close to catching a foul ball (guy next to me stood up at the last second and caught it). I was a big fan of Mark's after that. Years later I was working (for Raytheon) in Northborough MA and happened to bump into Mark at a store. Just a nice guy, chatted with me for a bit. I told him the story of him pitching that 1st game and he smiled.
Awesome. Thanks for posting. A fixture at every coffee place along Rts. 110,62,70. RIP
Thanks for this. Well done! My Mom's from Detroit. Her brother, my uncle, was an MLB Umpire at Tiger Stadium in the 1950's - 60's. Retired when we were kids he'd bring us to games. Just a few years before The Bird came up. He knew everybody. We watched Aurelio Rodriguez crack a bat at home plate. My uncle excused himself for 20 min. or so. Came back with Aurelio's broken bat, a ball signed by Mickey Lolich, & brand new Official Tiger road hats for all of us. Back in the '40's he played Detroit city ball with his good friend Willie Horton. Hell of a guy. Sad he struggled with depression & booze. We miss him. We miss The Bird & Chi Chi. All left us too early.
My dad used to love this guy and love to watch him pitch. Told me Fidrych would talk to the ball and tell it what to do and the ball would listen lol. At like 5 years old i was amazed and would watch with him. Good memories
I was at Tiger Stadium for his first start ever in front of maybe 15,000 people, and then I was back there in July right in the middle of Birdmania amidst a crowd of 52,000. That July game, you could feel the electiricity in the air. We all knew we were watching a one in a lifetime thing, something beyond greatness and beyond words. The affect this wonderful guy had on fans of all kinds.... just wow. I still hold fast to the belief that this man had the biggest single-season impact on the game and nation in MLB's 120 years.
Grew up in Detroit with the Bird . Had the T-shirt and everything loved the guy. God bless you Mark
Mark Fidrych was the show to watch. His pitching talent coupled with his mound rituals and sheer presence ruled the day. Everyone tuned in to watch him pitch. His unique star quality was also shared by Dontrell Willis beginning in 2003 when Willis played for the Marlins. These guys were just fun to watch.
Mark was a good dude....I got a hitchhiking story with mark.... broke everyone’s heart , here in Michigan when his jack collapsed, and his truck fell.... we still remember going to the games in 1976.
My brother played with Mark in ‘74 on the Bristol Tigers, the year they were drafted. My family was visiting in Bristol and Mark came over to our hotel room and my dad asked him if he was from back east and Mark said “No, I’m from Massachusetts.” Then he leaned over the second floor railing too far and almost fell over but my dad caught him.
Every kid in the neighborhood loved watching you pitch and thought you were awesome... and you were!! RIP Mark.
I was born in 1950, Los Angeles. NY Yankees fan since '57. Bob Gibson all time favorite pitcher. Favorite reliever Al " The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky, why? Intensity & antics. "The Bird" a favorite too, same reason.
Summer of 76" bicentennial year. When he would pitch on the road they would sell out. No one player ever did that he got me hooked on baseball. He was wonderful to kids!
The best part of the closing ceremony for Tiger Stadium in 1999 was Mark running to the mound, dropping to his knees and manicuring it one last time. One thing this video doesn't show much of is Mark's enthusiasm and appreciation to his teammates after every win - he would run around the whole field and shake everyone's hand and thank them 7:56. For the Richie Hebner part - Richie was another Massachusetts boy who spent every off season as a gravedigger.
Great job with this piece. I starting watching baseball in 1976 and Fidrych was an absolute phenomenon.
Very nice tribute to one of my childhood heroes. Thank you.
It's insane that he made 16 more starts over the next 3 years, with 3 complete games and a 5.70 ERA. He was performing as well as most 5th starters do today, with a torn rotator cuff. I was only 8 when he debuted, but his name is indelibly planted in my memory. I never realized until today, however, just how insane his rookie year was - he was clearly the best starter in baseball that year, and not just a hype machine created phenomena.
It's very sad his rotator cuff wasn't properly diagnosed right away. He his career might have been a long one and he might even still be with us.🥲
I remember watching "The Bird" when I was younger. I can still see him talking to the baseball. He was a phenomenal pitcher and one I will never forget. RIP Mark........you were one of a kind and I mean that in a truly great way!!!!!
Thanks for this. He was a phenomenon. I saw his first start for the Tigers on TV where he gave up only one run. Lots of rookies have a good first outing and then slow down. Not the Bird. His control was phenomenal, consistently keeping his ball, along with its incredible movement, low in the strike zone where he was nearly unhittable.
He signed what many thought was a foolish 3 year contract with the Tigers after his rookie year: $50,000 in 1977, $100,000 for 1978, and $150,000 for 1979. Who knew then injury would make it turn out to be a very good deal for Fidrych after all.
I saw him pitch live in a 1979 exhibition game in Cincinnati against the Reds where he got absolutely rocked. He'd been injured and this no count game was to be his debut start of the season. After giving up 3 or 4 massive line drives in a row in the first, one by Champ Summers that may have been the hardest hit baseball I've ever seen in person, it was obvious he didn't have it so he got pulled - and I think those ten or fifteen pitches may have been the last he ever threw for the Tigers.
I grew up in Detroit and just 2 miles from the ball park. I saw him pitch live. So I remember the hype around this guy.
I had so many of his cards and remember watching him vs the Yanks. Never knew his full story. Thank you for doing this. More importantly, thank you for how respectful the ending was. It truly brought a tear to my eye. I remember when sports brought people together. God bless.
LOVED THE BIRD MAN..... MISS THOSE GREAT BASEBALL DAYS IN THE 70'S
I remember growing up in Cleveland and listening to The Birds first start and how excited the radio announcers were describing what they were seeing on the mound...He was The Story in baseball that year, him and the Big Red Machine...RIP Joe Morgan
I got to see Mark pitch in ‘76. Greatest game I’ve ever went to.
I was living in Detroit back in 76. Bird was bigger than life, and he was impossible not to love. It was awesome.
Mark truly was an unforgettable individual. I was blessed to see him pitch twice.
Mark died on April 13th, 2009, on my birthday. My dad always told me about him when I was growing up, and said that everyone told my dad that he pitched like him, just pitching style. I remember I pitched a game in Natchez, MS against Porter's Chapel on that day. For some reason, I always pitched on my birthday. I pitched the entire game, and threw pretty well even though we did lose, that was my junior year of highschool. I remember driving back, and we were outside of Monroe, LA, me and my mom in the car, my dad had a golf tournament he was coaching and couldn't be there, and thats when we heard the news he passed away on the radio. It's such a vivid memory.
I was fortunate enough to work for the City of Lakeland, Florida Recreation Dept, in 1976. This is the spring training home of the Tigers. Fidrych was a bit eccentric, but not really more than most major leaguers with their superstitions and rituals. I remember Mark drove this yellow VW Beetle when he arrived in camp. A group of other players (who I think included Alan Trammel & Lou Whitaker) picked up Mark's VW and wedged it between several palm trees, leaving no escape. Seeing this after practice, Mark simply walked up to the head groundskeeper, Paul Dash, and asked to borrow a chainsaw. We got a group of guys together and extricated his car from palm tree "jail", and away he went.
Mark Fidrych was a nice, kind and affable guy, I hated to see his knee and arm injuries end his career in his prime.
He kept it low in the zone with late movement. He was a natural talent.
I seriously teared up at the end. Great video. Thank you.
Not only is his name synonymous with mine but we miss him. Mark Fidrych was just plain fun and the corner at Michigan & Trumbull was always packed to catch a glimpse of him. If you had a ticket when he pitched...? OMG. I'll close now before I get choked up.
I will never forget that Monday night game against Yankees. In little league when I pitched I had his baseball card in my back pocket. I was 9 in 76 and man I loved the Bird!
Saw a lot of his games at Tiger stadium. His ability to keeping the ball down in the strike zone was amazing. Lots of ground balls very few pop ups.
Tiger Stadium was the best place in the world to watch a baseball game, especially on a Friday night. We would get the bus to the games, and the bleachers were only a Dollar ( yeah, $ 1 ) to sit in. We played with beach balls, got a contact buzz from all the weed being smoked, and got to see a game too.
Wow this is amazing I remember reading about him. You put this together very well man, good job.
My Uncle used to do this snowmobile marathon every winter in Alaska with his "buddy". Well his buddy was The Bird, and while he always spoke highly of him, he would always say that they were bonded strongly because they saw something horrific together. While on the marathon, they were riding and were trailing behind someone they met along the way. It was getting dark and the visibility provided by the snowmobile lights do not shine very high when going on sloped terrain uphill. At around 50 miles an hour the man in front of them fell off the snowmobile shortly after his severed head hit the ground. A chain between two trees to mark a property line had been strung up, and the high speed impact cut his head off. So now whenever I think of Mark Fidrych, I think of a bloody head in the snow... After typing this I'm not sure if this is a good story (lol) but if you found it interesting that's a win for me!
I was lucky to have been able to watch Fidrych when I was a kid. It was his second season, and by then, the shoulder injury was wearing on him. He was lit up by the Milwaukee Brewers and removed after about 4 innings.
But his first season...THAT... was nothing short of pure beauty.
Even though I never saw him shine, at least I saw him play.
He lived a couple blocks away from me in Southgate, Michigan that year. You would see him out and about just like a regular guys that incredible Summer.
I was born and raised in Pontiac and grew up (and still do) follow the Tigers. I remember when Mark joined the team, and the excitement that he brought. It was a shame that management wasted such talent simply by just burning him out. It was sad to hear of his death on his farm. A picture of him still hangs in my office. RIP Bird...
After the horrendous season the Detroit Tigers had in 1975, Mark Fidrych was exactly what Detroit fans needed to rejuvenate & revitalize interest in the team. He did just that! Thank you Mark Fidrych for being a part of my childhood!
thank you for this glimpse into baseball history. you are keeping his name alive and i think that is great
Nicely done sir keep them coming. Amazing how many innings they pitched back then and how little they were compensated.
What a great story and tribute to the Bird! I remember watching him play on tv.
This was a great segment on Mark. New follower!
What a great video and tribute to one of my all time favorite players. Thanks so very much for this.
As a lifelong Tiger fan, thank you for making this video. Fidrych's story deserves to be remembered.
All those complete games. Nowadays pitchers are so pampered they're praised if they throw 6 innings.
It's all about pitch count. That's what makes efficient pitchers like Mark Buhrle so good. He had a quick setup and threw a low pitch count.
He had something like 26 complete games that year, unreal! A rookie no less, who didn't get his first start til midnight May.
Todays pitchers are made of miao. "Workhorses" that only go 6 innings max. Horrible.
I just love footage of Tiger Stadium. The Detroit Tigers and grand old Tiger Stadium were pure magic to me as a kid. The sights, the sounds, the smells. The undeniable, throbbing pulse of a coliseum filled to the top with excited fans for a game, even on a weeknight in July.
The pageantry of the event would start a block away with people singing Motown, playing instruments, selling souvenirs and street foods and just build with more Tiger pride as you would approach the gates at Michigan and Trumble. Comerica park is nice but the soul is just not the same.
I just missed the bird but I got all the Trammel, Sweet Lou Whittaker, Jack Morris and Great Gibby (and more) a boy could handle. Not to mention a world series win!!!!!
We're all behind our baseball team, Go Get 'em Tigers!
I remember going my 1st Tiger game at CoAmerica park.. I asked my buddy that had already went to one earlier that year how it was.. He said beautiful stadium, but how many times did you see a hitter foul a pitch back, and it would go over the roof and out of the park.. I replied almost every game I went to.. he then said count how many foul balls that make it to the upper deck.. the answer was none.. that is because instead of the decks stacked like at Tiger Stadium, the 2nd deck at CoAmerica doesn’t start till 100 yards behind the 1st row of the lower deck.. that said it all.. no matter where you sat at Tiger Stadium you were always close to the field.. CoAmerica is a beautiful stadium, but the sight lines nowhere near as good as Tiger Stadium
I was born in 1979 in the city of Detroit. Even though mark retired in 1980 I grew up watching "the bird" his behavior and performance always amazed me. I always wished I would have seen him pitch in person. The man is a legend
In June of 1976 he gave a press conference for high school news paper journalists...only! Can you believe it? It didn’t make a journalist, but had a lifetime respect for him. A first class guy, too bad he flamed out young. Better to flame out, than fade away! RIP Bird!
Thank you. These are some of my best childhood memories
Long Live The Bird, He was the talk of the town in 76. Outstanding personalities with talent always make the game better. RIP
Met him at a golf tournament in CT and he was very humble and easy to talk to. Sad what happened to him.
What a weird freak accident.
What a legend, he was slinging that thing at extreme velocity, nice video 🤙
I just read _Stars and Strikes,_ a book about the 1976 baseball season. It's incredible how much of a national force The Bird was.
Excellent synopsis, Fico.
The Bird was such a huge phenomenon when I was a young boy. I copied everything about him. I studied his pitching. What made him so effective, and something you really don't see today, is the movement he got on his pitches down in the strike zone. It's easy to get movement up in the zone, but The Bird had such a sinking action and run on all his pitches. Very hard to square up. Man I miss him and the game. It ain't the same.
You told that story very well, because I about cried at the end.
dude this one got me emotional, he sounds like a special person to be around and to watch play
All players should have his spirit and gratitude.
Thanks for this. I saw Bird pitch when I was a teenager. So colorful & so effective, he brought a magic routine to the mound. When he talked to the ball
It made kids & adults alike smile & wonder. Thanks for posting, you made me smile again. ☆☆☆☆☆
He played and had fun for the love of baseball. Such a rarity in today's self centered pampered poodles.
Had the pleasure of sitting across the aisle from Mark & Luis Tiant on a flight from Ft Myers to Boston.
As a baseball fan it was quite a flight talking pitching, baseball and all things Boston with them both.
As an aside, I joked with him about The Who is Richie Hebner? Mark knew exactly who Richie was...another Massachusetts guy who made it to the bigs.
Mark said he made that comment on purpose, as a dig to Hebner. Hebner had sent Fydrich a telegram ( look that one up kids) after his first win congratulating him.
Luis Tiant and Mark became friends over the years and were flying back to Boston after having attended an event together in Fla.
My sister was living in Windsor at the time so I got to experience some of the birdmania. Man he was loved in the Motor City--and as you say, beyond,
Watched him play in the old tiger stadium. One of my favorite pitchers.
I had forgotten about him. I am so glad and thankful this video brought back the memories of watching his one of a kind style of pitching. It was obvious how much he loved the game and tried to put on a good show for the fans. Too bad there aren t more like him.
He was truly one of a kind.
RIP my friend.
This was very well done, mate...thank you
I remember Fidrych very well. A pity his career ended so soon.
And life too
They overworked his arm.
Man great job!!! Thanks Mark RIP
I was a pitcher in the 70s, and i looked like Fidrych, everyone called me Bird and I was verrrrry proud of that!!!
Yesss!!! Omg I watched one of his gamesOn MLB network during quarantine. Absolutely entertaining!
Nice work Fico. Thank you.
Well done sir. Great video about a great Tiger! Thank you.
Loved him ! We’ll never forget him ...
I loved his style, he wasn't impeded by his unusual style he was like rock and roll he was laughed at but later as time went on he was different which he used to his advantage with his antics and it worked for him he was a winner.
Always good to know a legend's history!
The bird!!! I wish I was alive when he was in his prime! That looked so exciting! Go watch the Yankees vs Tigers telecast of that game on RUclips. I get goosebumps watching him come back out for the curtain call. It’s worth a watch!
tears rolled in the end nice video great job really showed the importance of the bird