RIP Birdman (Mark Fidrych)

[Captain Ned]

http://wbztv.com/local/mark.Fidrych.dies.2.983934.html

Looks like he was working on his truck and it fell on him.

[ssidbroadcast]

I'll... take the case ?

[derFunkenstein]

That's too bad - while I'm too young to really remember him, it seems that along with Bill Lee he was one of baseball's true oddballs.

[PRIME1]

That's too bad - while I'm too young to really remember him, it seems that along with Bill Lee he was one of baseball's true oddballs.

I'm a bit young as well, but being from Detroit I still have heard a lot about him over the years.

Watched the tribute to him (& Kalas) on Sports Center yesterday.

[derFunkenstein]

MLB Network had a really great tribute to both of them last night on their MLB Tonight show, too.

random note: I <3 MLB Network.

[UberGerbil]

That's too bad - while I'm too young to really remember him, it seems that along with Bill Lee he was one of baseball's true oddballs.

Alas, he only really had one great year (which he started as an NRI in spring training), though that wasn't exactly his fault:

It’s impossible to look back at Fidrych’s remarkable 1976 — knowing what we know now about pitch counts and such things — and not cringe at the way manager Ralph Houk abused him. Of course, nobody was counting pitches in 1976, but even so it’s hard to believe a manager would allow a rookie to throw five extra-inning games. Five! Or how about this stretch: From July 29th to August 29th, The Bird threw a nine-inning game, a seven-inning game, a nine-inning game, another nine-inning game, another nine-inning game, a 10-inning game, a nine-inning game and an 11 1/3 inning game — each one on three-days rest. Imagine that: Fidrych threw 73 1/3 innings and seven complete games in a month.

To give you a comparison, K-Rod threw 68 1/3 innings all last year.

To give you a comparison, Johan Santana has thrown nine complete games in his career.

Fidrych threw 24 complete games that year (his rookie season, age 21), and compiled a 2.32 ERA, both leading the league, and he started the all-star game for the AL. He would start only another 27 games in his career.

He also had one of the best magazine cover shots ever.

[PRIME1]

Joe Posnanski - It’s impossible to look back at Fidrych’s remarkable 1976 — knowing what we know now about pitch counts and such things — and not cringe at the way manager Ralph Houk abused him. Of course, nobody was counting pitches in 1976, but even so it’s hard to believe a manager would allow a rookie to throw five extra-inning games. Five! Or how about this stretch: From July 29th to August 29th, The Bird threw a nine-inning game, a seven-inning game, a nine-inning game, another nine-inning game, another nine-inning game, a 10-inning game, a nine-inning game and an 11 1/3 inning game — each one on three-days rest. Imagine that: Fidrych threw 73 1/3 innings and seven complete games in a month.

To give you a comparison, K-Rod threw 68 1/3 innings all last year.

To give you a comparison, Johan Santana has thrown nine complete games in his career.

Fidrych threw 24 complete games that year (his rookie season, age 21), and compiled a 2.32 ERA, both leading the league, and he started the all-star game for the AL. He would start only another 27 games in his career.

He also had one of the best magazine cover shots ever.

No wonder he hurt his arm. His stats that first year were huge. Also started the All star game.

I'm not a much of a Baseball fan anymore, but I'm still a Tigers fan. Probably something I will never shake. One of these days I will have to pick up a 76 Fidrych card. Probably tripled in price now.

[derFunkenstein]

They were re-playing a pre-ASG 1976 game on MLB network this afternoon when I got home. I figured when I turned it on that the Tigers would win and that he'd go all 9, but watching him was a real treat. He talked to the baseball, making motions like "I want you to go this way or that way", and it was kinda weird.

The point of my little story, though, is that Bob Eucker was saying that teams were already - this game was his 8th win of the season - asking the Tigers to fiddle around their rotation so that Fidrych would pitch on the road at their parks. There were 50k people at Tiger Stadium for the game they were playing. It was obvious he was the next big thing.

But you can only throw 250+ innings in a year once, apparently, and that's too bad. They'd said after the replay was over that it wasn't until 1985 - 5 years after he finally retired - that he was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff.

[idchafee]

They'd said after the replay was over that it wasn't until 1985 - 5 years after he finally retired - that he was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff.

Now, he'd miss a year then come back throwing harder then before he got hurt

[UberGerbil]

They'd said after the replay was over that it wasn't until 1985 - 5 years after he finally retired - that he was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff.

Now, he'd miss a year then come back throwing harder then before he got hurt

No, that's Tommy John (elbow). They still don't have a surefire fix for torn rotator cuffs. They're better at diagnosing and treating than they were then, but shoulders are still a huge problems.

[PRIME1]

They'd said after the replay was over that it wasn't until 1985 - 5 years after he finally retired - that he was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff.

Now, he'd miss a year then come back throwing harder then before he got hurt

Well, now he would be a pampered bazillionaire who would not have to play as much.

[FroBozz_Inc]

My father would often talk about how amazing The Bird was to me when I was a little kid, and my bro-in-law said he was his favorite player when he was like, 10. My wife said she remebers him well, because she would always watch the games too. Said he got his name because he looked like Big Bird.

RIP