Breaking News: Mark Fidrych dead

[jaybird2001wi]

Mark "the Bird" Fydrich has reportedly died at his home, according to a Breaking News on www.cnnsi.com

They say these things tend to happen in threes. First Adenhart, now Kalas and Fydrich within 24 hours. I always read Fydrich was an eccentric. Sad to see such a colorful guy like him go.

EDIT: The Boston Globe just indicated he was tragically killed on his farm working on his pickup truck.

[RyDogg66]

Someday I'll be the one to edit the death date on a famous person's wiki page. Someday...

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

Sad sad day.. those of you who didn't see him pitch 1976 really have missed out on a true phenom. He captivated the baseball world that year with his antics of talking to the baseball and getting down on his knee's to clean up the pitching mound and was named ROY. He was one of those players a true baseball fan wants on his team and will never forget.

[Invader3K]

Wow, just saw one of his games on MLB Network this past Saturday morning (game where he dominated the Yankees). Too bad.

[jaybird2001wi]

I wasn't born when he was a Rookie of the Year winner. But I always watched old videos on ESPN or other sports outlets and he always seemed to be an eccentric guy that everyone liked and got along with.

There was a Sports Illustrated Issue of "Where are they now" and it showed him candidly pictured next to Big Bird. It seemed like he ran with the nickname when it was coined and never looked back. In this day of baseball, he would have been one of those great guys Mothers and Fathers would not mind having as their kids role model.

[RU Rah Rah]

Wow, if they come in three's, who is going to the third baseball death today?

[FidoMcCokefiend]

I was 6 during his rookie year and I do have memories of my dad watching him, and I specifically remember the All Star Game that year. What a bummer.

 

 

I spent some time looking at his 1976 year, holy cow... 5 games where he threw 10+ innings. 24 complete games. Wonder how many pitches he threw in those 10+ inning games...

[RyDogg66]

Wow, if they come in three's, who is going to the third baseball death today?

I think Adenhart qualifies as the third in this old urban legend, I believe there is like a 5 day window or something like that.

[GormanHarvey]

He was just on the MLBN the other day talking with Harold Reynolds and Dan Plesac. Looked to be in great health. How sad for him to die so tragically

[RU Rah Rah]

Wow, if they come in three's, who is going to the third baseball death today?

I think Adenhart qualifies as the third in this old urban legend, I believe there is like a 5 day window or something like that.

Yeah, what was I thinking? That's three already.

[Cracked Bat Collector]

Harry Kalas would be the other of the 3 besides Mark and Adenhart. Sad to see a few names like these pass in a short time span.

[davego]

I was 8 in '76. I think I remember that Monday Night Game, but I know I saw him throw in the all-star game. Sad day. When you read about Fidrych, what comes to mind for me is here is a top-notch athlete that lost his career and still made a pretty nice life for himself.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

The only rookie I can think of in my baseball fan lifetime that made a bigger splash was Fernando-mania...maybe Ichiro was close. He was THE story that year.

[Mass Haas]

I was 13 in '76 and immersed in all things baseball. Mark was a Massachusetts kid, and I was captivated, like the rest of the nation.

 

Read about the attendance-related items in Jim Caple's ESPN remembrance.

 

America took a break from fixating on this kid for a little something called the Bicentennial. But that was about the only thing that diverted our attention.

 

It was amazing, and wonderful, and an important part of my baseball childhood. Thanks, Mark. God Bless.

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

No matter who you rooted for, you were a Mark Fidrych fan in 1976. I can't think of anybody in any sport at any time who was quite like the Bird. He was a clown who just happened to be the best pitcher in baseball in 1976. He was an original. I have often thought how fans were robbed by Fidrych's short career. He should have been on the Tigers World Series team in 1984.