The Bird Is Dead

Sludgedaddy · April-13-09, 06:21 PM

Truly a great loss for those who remember and love Detroit Baseball. Got to see The Bird pitch at the Corner back in the seventies. I remember some of Don Lobsinger's storm troopers handing out anti Coleman Young flyers stating: "A Breathe of Fresh Air has returned to Detroit with Mark Fydritch".

Players like The Bird and George Kell and their like showed much more class and love for the Game, unlike the multi-million dollar crybabies of today with their steroid enhancement. But , of course, let's not forget another drug enhanced performance when Bill "Spaceman" Lee pitched a no hitter while tripping on acid. There was joy in Mudville when the Mighty Casey Tripped Out.

RIP Mr. Fydritch

**Gannon** · April-13-09, 06:30 PM

I'm sure we went to all of his games that year, it was amazing how many of them went into eleven and twelve innings...that has to account for so many total pitches thrown by him.

What great memories of the first very public 'New Ager' in my young perceptions...RIP Bird.

**chitaku** · April-13-09, 06:35 PM

ironically enough I wore my vintage Fidrych "Bird is the Word" T-shirt. -RIP

**daddeeo** · April-13-09, 06:37 PM

For one year, Mark was superman. It was amazing to see
a team so crummy for three or four games could become world beaters when he pitched.
I still remember seeing Bob Uker down by the third base dugout after the game with the Yankees. Tiger Stadium was packed to the max and fans were going crazy. I'm glad to say I was actually there.

**Bloomfield Pills** · April-13-09, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Sludgedaddy

Truly a great loss for those who remember and love Detroit Baseball. Got to see The Bird pitch at the Corner back in the seventies. I remember some of Don Lobsinger's storm troopers handing out anti Coleman Young flyers stating: "A Breathe of Fresh Air has returned to Detroit with Mark Fydritch".

Players like The Bird and George Kell and their like showed much more class and love for the Game, unlike the multi-million dollar crybabies of today with their steroid enhancement. But , of course, let's not forget another drug enhanced performance when Bill "Spaceman" Lee pitched a no hitter while tripping on acid. There was joy in Mudville when the Mighty Casey Tripped Out.

RIP Mr. Fydritch

I agree with everything you said -- but it was Doc Ellis who pitched the no-no on acid, not Spaceman.

Although I'm sure Bill Lee dropped his share of acid himself.

**SMRJim** · April-14-09, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Sludgedaddy

But , of course, let's not forget another drug enhanced performance when Bill "Spaceman" Lee pitched a no hitter while tripping on acid. There was joy in Mudville when the Mighty Casey Tripped Out.

RIP Mr. Fydritch

Actually it was Doc Ellis who pitched a no hitter for the Pirates while on acid, I think in 1971. Bill Lee wasn't called spaceman because of drugs, just his overall goofball personality [[as far as I know anyway).

**Zimm** · April-14-09, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by SMRJim

Actually it was Doc Ellis who pitched a no hitter for the Pirates while on acid, I think in 1971. Bill Lee wasn't called spaceman because of drugs, just his overall goofball personality [[as far as I know anyway).

you're correct on the oddball personality being the cause of his nickname. but Bill Lee was and is a major pothead.

**Hornist9** · April-14-09, 01:47 PM

RIP, Mark. Thanks for all of the great times you so lovingly gave us while pitching for the Tigers. You'll be missed.

**ggores** · April-14-09, 07:01 PM

He come from nowhere and became a local, and then a worldwide, superstar. He had a mean-ass slider with fastball appearnaces, confounding most Major League batters. His injury problems were, and are still today, perplexing. Fidrych represented the last of a generation of complete-game pitchers, and is probably a significant reason why we now have to contend with the dull and boring "pitch count".

That brief time in Tiger Baseball history has been well documented here, and to me, those summer days still remain unchanged - thanks to his nutty antics on and off the mound, and the way in which the fans reacted to him. Mark Fidrych made baseball FUN to watch. He must have went straight to Heaven.

**kathinozarks** · April-14-09, 07:27 PM

What a loss for his family and friends. He should have been around for another 40 years.

My bedroom walls were plastered with newspaper pictures of Mark in 1976. I lurved him! An original. God Bless you Mark.

**Hamtragedy** · April-14-09, 09:53 PM

Aside from blowing his arm out, I read somewhere, years ago, that he was goofing around w/ a teammate in early 77 shagging flies [[playing 500, where fly balls are worth 100 pts, grounders 50 or less, often involves pushing someone out of the way to catch fly balls) out in right center, and tripped over the 4" cast iron stack, [[an inverted P-trap, of sorts) that used to stick out of the warning track. It wrenched his knee, which threw off his motion, and along with 250 innings, blew his shoulder. He didn't want to tell the manager [[was it Ralph Houk?) cuz he thought he would get in trouble for horsing around.

I'll never forget him swatting at bees with his mitt and running away from them while on the mound.

**Whaler** · April-14-09, 10:07 PM

I was sitting at a cafe in Puerto Rico..1976. [[Navy)..Monday Night Baseball was on..I watched that whole game..The Bird really was Detroit..RIP...Peace