Baseball Book Review: The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych
For those who remember him, Mark Fidrych is still that player who brings a smile to your face, the irresistibly likable pitcher whose sudden rise brightened the star-spangled season of 1976 and reminded us of the pure joy of the game.
Lanky, mop-topped, and nicknamed for his resemblance to Big Bird on Sesame Street, Fidrych exploded onto the national stage during the Bicentennial summer as a rookie with the Detroit Tigers. He won over fans nationwide with his wildly endearing antics such as talking to the ball - and throwing back the ones that "had hits in them"; getting down on his knees to "manicure" the mound of any cleat marks; and shaking hands with just about everyone from teammates to groundskeepers to cops during and after games. Female fans tried to obtain locks of his hair from his barber and even named babies after him.
But The Bird was no mere sideshow. The non-roster invitee to spring training that year quickly emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game. Meanwhile, his boyish enthusiasm, his famously modest lifestyle, and his refusal to sign with an agent during the days of labor disputes and free agency made him such a breath of fresh air for fans that not only did attendance in Detroit increase - by tens of thousands - for games he pitched, opposing teams would specifically ask the Tigers to shuffle their rotation so Fidrych would pitch in their cities, too. A rare player who transcended pop culture, Fidrych was named starting pitcher in the All-Star Game as a rookie (the first of his two All-Star nods) and became the first athlete to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
Baseball researcher Doug Wilson delivers the first biography of this once-in-a-lifetime player. Through extensive interviews and meticulous research, the author recounts Fidrych's meteoric rise from Northborough, Massachusetts, to the big leagues, his heartbreaking fall after a torn knee ligament and then rotator cuff, his comeback attempts with the Tigers and in the Red Sox system, and one unforgettable night when The Bird pitched a swan song for the Pawtucket Red Sox against future star Dave Righetti in a game that remains part of local folklore. Finally, Wilson captures Fidrych's post-baseball life and his roles in the community, tragically culminating with his death in a freak accident in 2009.
"When you're a winner you're always happy, but if you're happy as a loser you'll always be a loser." -Mark Fidrych
The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych | |
| The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych | |
The history of baseball is filled with "characters." Worthy to take his place among the memorable isMark "The Bird" Fidrych (1954-2009). This splendid biography of "The Bird" brings him to life for a new generation by telling his incredible story and howFidrych's personality—and skills—brought big crowds into the stands whenever he pitched for theDetroit Tigers; and gained him the strong allegiance of thousands of fans. His nickname, of course, came from his tall, floppy-haired resemblance to "Big Bird," the beloved character in the TV series, "Sesame Street."Fidrych's activities on the mound included manicuring it to rid it of all cleat marks, "talking" to the baseball—and himself—before he pitched, and shaking hands with teammates after they made a good play. His jubilant, carefree personality endeared him to the nation of baseball fans when the 1976Rookie of the Year gave a needed dose of adrenalin to the game—and fun—at a time when that was vital for the game. His games always sold out the stands andTigers opposing managers would seek to haveFidrych appear in their cities, to insure a large crowd. Doug Wilson has madeFidrych come alive in unforgettable ways. Born in Northboro, Massachusetts, "Fid's" antics—or mannerisms on the pitching mound started early. He possessed growing pitching skills, an intense focus, and in his first game in Legion ball in 1972, pitched a no-hitter, while walking two and striking out fourteen. He did not think he would be drafted into the majors and when a friend announced the news, in this Vietnam era,Fid was afraid he was talking about the military draft. Moving through the minors with teams in Bristol, Lakeland, Montgomery, and Evansville,Fidrych played on three first-place teams in a row before being called up toDetroit, under managerRalph "The Major" Houk. Houk was familiar withFidrych and was sold on him even before he reported to spring training.Fidrych was overawed by what a major league clubhouse could afford. He said, "I walked into that big league clubhouse in Lakeland and went, "Wow! Free orange juice! Free chewing gum! Free chewing tobacco! I don't even chew tobacco, but I think I'm gonna start."" Fidrych made theTigers club, his "tendency to be hyperactive on the mound" being noted byRed Sox catcherCarlton Fisk.Sox coachDon Zimmer said he had never seen anything like "The Bird" in twenty-eight years in baseball. Houk believed inFidrych, told him he would get the ball every five days and that was that. The 1976 season was a fantastic ride for "The Bird" who wowed American League batters with his pitching as well as the crowds who flocked to see him pitch. In a televised spring training game against theCleveland Indians,Tiger announcerGeorge Kell commented toAl Kaline who was in the broadcast booth: "You knowAl, that guy is kind of goofy out there." When he first facedFidrych, Indians sluggerRico Carty was unnerved when the pitcher pointed the ball at him and talked to it, thinking "The Bird" was trying to hypnotize him. Speaking for theIndians dugout,Carty said, "How can you hit when you're laughing?" In a June 28, "Monday Night Baseball" game of the week,Fidrych pitched against theYankees before a national audience. The game was a sell-out andFidrych pitched brilliantly. All the while, the camera continually showed close-ups ofFid, lips moving while holding the ball in front of him. AnnouncerBob Uecker said, "He's talking, telling the ball where he wants it to go. That's got to bother the batter".Look at that young guy talk to himself. If that ball starts talking back, he's in trouble—.IfFidrych continues this success you're going to have an awful lot of Little Leaguers doing the same thing." After theTigers beat the Yankees 5-1, the crowd inDetroit didn't want the evening to end. They yelled: "We wantThe Bird".We wantThe Bird."Fidrych obliged, coming back out to wave to the crowd—and a new ritual which became normal; and the game madeFidrych "a national star". National attention swirled aroundFidrych for the rest of the season. He did not disappoint fans at the sold-out stadiums around the league.Fid's rookie record was 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA. And he was namedRookie of the Year. A campaign was organized by fans to try to get his salary raised. When the Tigers played on "The Bird's" twenty-second birthday, the scoreboard asked: "What baseball player's birthday is today?" The answer:Mark Fidrych. As Wilson notes, "the crowd roared. The only thing unusual about that was that it occurred on the road in Kansas City." Veteran White Sox managerPaul Richards said, "Babe Ruth didn't cause that much excitement in his brightest day." This was "Birdmania," as Wilson titles this chapter. While the future seemed bright and unlimited forMark Fidrych, this was not to be. In spring training the next year,Fidrych lunged for a fly ball in batting practice, landed straight-legged, and immediately started limping. When he returned to pitching, against Baltimore on the fourth of July 1977,Fidrych's arm went dead. The sad tale is that after numerous tries at a comeback and despite examinations and advice from the best doctors in the country,The Bird did not fly again to the same heights. Mark Fidrych tried everything but nothing worked. Stints in the minors and attempts to rehabilitate his arm were unsuccessful.The Bird told a group of high school players they should go on to school or learn a trade so if sports didn't work out, they would have something to fall back on to make a living. He said, "Look at me, "I had one good year and haven't done nothing since. Who knows? I might have to go back to pumpin' gas." In 1981, at the end, he was released by theTigers and after a stint with Pawtucket,The Bird was finished pitching.Ralph Houk said, "He just wasn't the same pitcher in 1982 and 1983. The arm just wasn't close to what it had been. The life wasn't there anymore. I loved that kid. I would have done anything for him. It really was hard to let him go." In later years,Fid's injury was diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff. He had surgery. But by then, it was too late for baseball. YetFidrych expressed no regrets. He considered himself a lucky man. Fidrych returned to his home in Northboro, Massachusetts. He got married in 1986 and later had a daughter. He helped out with his mother-in-law's diner in Northboro, and after a series of jobs, bought a farm, built a house, and purchased a truck to haul asphalt and gravel for construction companies. Always the most accommodating of players to fans, once when traffic was at a standstill because of construction and his truck was stopped near the downtown of a small town, Wilson recounts that "the owners of a local sporting goods store reported that they ran out of baseballs due to people running in to buy balls to take out for him to sign. They had to send an employee over to the nearest Wal-Mart to bring back some more." Fidrych came out with a children's coloring book,The Bird of Baseball: The Story of Mark Fidrych based on his 1976 season and got involved in charity work. The book concluded with the advice: "Whatever you do, just do it with joy." This was howThe Bird lived; and how he wanted others to live as well. On Monday, April 13, 2009, while doing repairs on his truck,Mark Fidrych was killed. The coroner ruled that a piece of his clothes got caught in a rotary part of the truck's engine. Despite his colorful personality, down deep, as Wilson makes clear, "Mark Fidrych never really wasThe Bird". He was alwaysFid. Regardless of the hype, the media exposure, the unimaginable fame, he remained—throughout his life—Fid from Northboro, the small-town guy.Fid went along with the gags, never seriously talking to baseballs. But he created excitement—and joy—and made baseball fun. Be sure to read this wonderful account of one of baseball's most colorful players. Despite the sadness ofFidrych's early death, the story of his life will revive and restore your joy in what the game of baseball can be. | |
The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych  Click For Ordering Information | The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych Author: Doug Wilson. |
| The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych | |
Did you know thatMark Fidrych led the majors with a 2.34 ERA in 1976, won the American LeagueRookie of the Year award, and finished with a 19-9 record?
On June 19, 2009, Jessica Fidrych honored her father at Comerica Park by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to manager Jim Leyland for the Tigers game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Prior to throwing the first pitch, Jessica "manicured the mound" just like her father. Ann Fidrych, widow of Mark Fidrych, was also present on the field for the ceremony.
Baseball anecdote: Inn one of Bill James' baseball books, he quoted the Yankees' Graig Nettles as telling about an at-bat againstFidrych, who, as usual, was talking to the ball before pitching to Nettles. Immediately Graig jumped out of the batter's box and started talking to his bat. He reportedly said, "Never mind what he says to the ball. You just hit it over the outfield fence!" Nettles struck out. "Damn," he said. "Japanese bat. Doesn't understand a word of English."
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