On this day, August 14, 1954, Mark Fidrych was born.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Mark Fidrych


Born: August 14, 1954; Worcester, Massachusetts
Died: April 13, 2009 (aged 54); Northborough, Massachusetts
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut: April 20, 1976, for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance: October 1, 1980, for the Detroit Tigers

Mark Steven Fidrych (/ˈfɪdrɪtʃ/ FID-rich;[1] August 14, 1954 – April 13, 2009), nicknamed "The Bird", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) baseball pitcher. He pitched his entire career for the Detroit Tigers (1976–1980).

Known for his quirky antics on the mound, Fidrych led the major leagues with a 2.34 ERA in 1976, won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year award, and finished with a 19–9 record. Shortly thereafter, however, injuries derailed his career, which ended after just five seasons in the major leagues.

{snip}

[multigraincracker]

1. Watched that first game on tv.

Mind blowing performance and a fan after that.

[LisaM]

2. I got to see him pitch once.

Opening day in 1977. There had been a rainout so there were lots of extra tickets, so a friend and I caught a bus from Ann Arbor to Detroit on a whim and got a pair of box seats at the ticket office. It was a great day and I am glad we did it.