RIP - Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

[Rob L]

Man. Just listening to the Dodger game and they just reported that Fidrych died today. Rough week for baseball!!

[metsbats]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2009/04/fidrych_killed.html

Another accident related death too.

Truly a sad week for baseball.

[metsbats]

Just a little tribute to Mark "The Bird' Fidrych

I grew up in the 70's so I remember him well.

[dcrules01]

There was just a game on mlb network where he pitched a 1 hitter against the Yankees..Wow another shocker to the baseball world..

[Sincityson]

Can't believe the Bird is gone.. What a sad week..

[both-teams-played-hard]

Easily, one of the best sports stories of the 1970s.

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7756/fidrych.jpg

[33bird]

Loved this guy. The one year wonder that the whole world loved. RIP.
Greg

[skyking26]

I was a 6th grader at Holland Woods Middle School when The Bird did his thing in 76. Strange last week that I had a guy over talking baseball and we touched on Fidrych. Brief but iconic time period spent here in Detroit. He was extremely well liked and thought of.

Another true loss to the baseball world...

RK

[trsent]

In my brief career as a blackjack dealer - My longest client was The Bird.

Back in 1987 and 1988 I was spending summers on Cape Cod and my friend's wife was either the sister or cousin of Mark Fidrych. They owned a catering company, and at the end of each summer they would have a big Labor Day party at their home.

The owner of the catering company was a friend who I played poker with once a week and he asked me to deal blackjack at his end of summer party each year. To my surprise - The Bird would sit at my table and play for hours each year. He was such a funny guy and he was nice to everyone.

A short put very well publicized career - The Bird was a favorite of all in Detroit and beyond. His story made everyone happy and sad at the same time. In the end we all felt sad once again as The Bird passed well before his time.