Say it ain't so, Mark "the Bird" Fidrych dead

[Dr. Jack]

Former All-Star pitcher Mark "the Bird" Fidrych was found dead Monday in an apparent accident at his farm. He was 54.

Worcester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. says a family friend found Fidrych about 2:30 p.m. Monday beneath a dump truck. He appeared to be working on the truck, Early said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4065778

[Windy City Irish]

Mark Fidrych, a Northborough native whose aw-shucks charm and on-the-mound antics helped make him a national phenomenon as a Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher in 1976, was killed in an accident in his hometown this afternoon while working on a dump truck. He was 54.

Fidrych, who won 19 games as a rookie before injuries derailed his career, was found dead on his 107-acre farm this afternoon, according to the office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. Fidrych was found by a family friend underneath the truck at about 2:30 p.m.

Fidrych was found by his friend Joseph Amorello beneath his 10-wheel truck at about 2:30 p.m. Fidrych, who worked in trucking and construction, had a job scheduled for yesterday morning, but the site wasn’t ready, so he returned home. Later in the day, Amorello, for whom Fidrych did some work, stopped by Fidrych’s home to say hello and discuss a future job, only to encounter a horrific scene.

Neither the district attorney’s office nor the Northborough Police Department would confirm further details of the accident beyond that he was killed while working on his truck. Reached via cell phone last night, Amorello said, ‘‘It was obvious there was nothing I could do at that time.’’

Fidrych’s baseball legacy is as one of the more enjoyable shooting stars in the sport’s history. In 1976 -- less than two full years after the Tigers selected the lanky righthander in the 10th round of the 1974 amateur draft out of Worcester Academy -- Fidrych made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster out of spring training as a non-roster invitee.

His first start of his rookie season did not come until May 15, but it was memorable: He did not allow the Indians a hit for the first six innings, finishing with a complete-game, two-hit, 2-1 victory.

Fidrych was on his way, and with his affable grin and unkempt curls -- he was nicknamed ‘‘The Bird,’’ after the Sesame Street character to whom he bore a resemblance -- it wasn’t long before the 21-year-old had an enormous following.

His unofficial star-making moment came June 28 against the New York Yankees. In a nationally televised game on ABC’s ‘‘Monday Night Baseball’’ and in front of a crowd of 47,855 at Tiger Stadium, Fidrych pitched a complete-game seven-hitter, allowing just one run in the Tigers’ 5-1 victory. Strutting around the mound, talking to the baseball, and engaging the crowd, he received a prolonged ovation after the final out, eventually returning to the field to acknowledge the raucous cheers.

Fidrych’s starts became must-see events -- he appeared on the covers of ‘‘Sports Illustrated’’ (once with Big Bird) and ‘‘Rolling Stone,’’ among others. But his unexpected celebrity did not hinder him on the mound. He went 19-7 as a rookie, leading the league in earned-run average (2.34) and complete games (24). He was the starting pitcher for the American League in the All-Star Game, won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and finished second to the Orioles’ Jim Palmer in the AL Cy Young voting.

But he tore knee cartilage during spring training the following year and was placed on the disabled list until May 24. He sustained a shoulder injury in July 1977 and ended up pitching in just 58 games during his major league career.

Fidrych attempted a comeback in 1983 with the Boston Red Sox and went to their Triple A team in Pawtucket, R.I. But he never pitched in the majors after 1980 and retired in 1983.

[cman]

he captivated baseball...he is immortalized and he was never very good after his rookie year...but he was so entertaining


wde