TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 13, 2009, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych passes away.

As a virtually unknown rookie in 1976, Mark Fidrych posted a league leading 2.34 ERA and won 19 games despite spending the first month of the season in the minor leagues. "The Bird" became a media darling because of his crazy antics, such as talking to himself and aiming the ball, insisting that balls that had "hits in them" be taken out of the game, and smoothing cleat marks on the mound. He began the 1977 season where he left off, but injured his arm when he continued to pitch with a knee problem. For seven years he tried to make a comeback but he never could regain his old form. In 1985, it was revealed that he had torn his rotator cuff nearly all the way through.

Big League Debut:

April 20, 1976 Fidrych relieved with the winning run on third base against the A's. Facing his first major league batter, Fidrych allowed a single to Don Baylor, as the Tigers lost, 6-5. His celebrated first start came on May 15, against the Indians at Tiger Stadium. Baffling hitters with his low fastball and antics on the mound, Fidrych took a perfect game into the 5th inning, and allowed his first hit to Buddy Bell to lead off the 7th frame. He finished with a two-hit, 2-1 win and the phenomenon was born.

Feats: 

In his brief career, Fidrych started 56 games, and completed 34 of them (61%)... Five times he pitched into extra innings, winning games that he pitched into the 11th inning three times... Fidrych pitched a two-hitter, one three-hitter, one four-hitter, and seven five-hitters, among his 34 career complete games.

Bird Fever

Fidrych so captured the imagination of Detroit fans in 1976 that at least one baby was named after him. Anmother manifestation of the mania Fidrych created in the city was that female fans raided barber shops he frequented in an effort to obtain souvenir locks of his curly hair. Other girls asked their hairdressers to make their coifs look like his. Even a model copied his hairdo, calling it her "Fidrych Frizzies." Check out his commercial

No Frills Fidrych

Fidrych was a simple man. Even at the height of his popularity he wore blue jeans, drove a beat-up old pickup truck, and claimed he had three dishes: a plate, a knife, and a fork.

Tiger Rookies

In 1976 Fidrych became the second Tiger to be named Rookie of the Year (Harvey Kuenn, 1953). In 1977 Detroit added another fine rookie pitcher in Dave Rozema (who finished 4th in ROY voting). In '78 Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, and Lance Parrish formed a rookie trio, with "Sweet Lou" taking the AL Rookie of the Year honor.

Passing

According to the Worcester County district attorney's office, family friend Joseph Amorello found Fidrych dead beneath his ten-wheel dump truck at his Northborough home at around 2:30 p.m. on April 13, 2009. Fidrych appeared to have been working on the truck at the time of the accident. Amorello later said: "We were just, in general, getting started for the [road-building] season this week and it seems as though his truck was going to be needed. It looked like he was doing some maintenance on it. I found him under the truck. There's not much more I can say. I dialed 911 and that's all I could do." Authorities concluded that Fidrych had suffocated after his clothes had become entangled with a spinning power takeoff shaft on the truck. The Massachusetts medical examiner ruled the death an accident. Fidrych was cremated and a memorial service was held in his honor that was attended by thousands.

April 13, 1913 — In a game which features President Woodrow Wilson throwing out the first pitch, Washington’s Walter Johnson gives up an unearned run in the first inning of the home opener, but the ‘Big Train’ will not yield another tally for 56 innings. The Senators beat the team now known as the Yankees, 2-1, switching from the Highlanders, the nickname the team had used since the franchise moved from Baltimore to New York for the 1903 season.

April 13, 1922 – – At age 31, pitcher Dazzy Vance makes his Brooklyn Robins debut and loses to Phil Douglas and the New York Giants, 4 – 3. In 1915, when Vance made one start for the Pirates, it was Douglas who beat him.  Despite his late start, Vance will win 197 games in a 16-season career and a place in the Hall of Fame in 1955.

April 13, 1926, one of the greatest Opening Day pitchers’ duels ever occurs, 25,000 fans filled Griffith Stadium to see, 38-year-old Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators battle Eddie Rommel and the Philadelphia Athletics. Johnson the aging future Hall of Famer was playing in his second to last season. Johnson and Rommel matched goose eggs for 14 innings, in the 15th after Johnson retired the side in order for the 9th time, the Senators were able to get back to back hits from Bucky Harris and Goose Goslin, then Joe Harris singled to left and Harris scores the winning run.

Here is the Box Score

April 13, 1954, future Hall of Famer Hank Aaron makes his major league debut for the Milwaukee Braves. The rookie left fielder goes 0-for-5 in a 9-8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Another Hall of Famer, third baseman Eddie Mathews, hits a pair of home runs for the Braves. Jim Greengrass of Cincinnati hits four doubles in his debut to tie an Opening Day record.

April 13, 1967, future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver makes his major league debut for the New York Mets. The 22-year-old right-hander allows six hits in five and a third innings and picks up a no-decision in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

April 13, 1975 — The Astros retire Don Wilson’s number 40 posthumously in tribute to the right-hander, who was found dead of asphyxiation by carbon monoxide in the garage of his family’s home in January. The 29 year-old fireballer, the author of an 18 strikeout game that tied a major league record, spent nine seasons with Houston, compiling a record of 104-92 along with an ERA of 3.15.

April 13, 1984, Pete Rose collects the 4,000th hit of his major league career. The Montreal Expos first baseman achieves the milestone by doubling against Jerry Koosman of the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose receives a three-minute standing ovation from the fans at Olympic Stadium. He joins Ty Cobb as the only major leaguers to reach 4,000 career hits. The hit comes exactly 21 years after Rose delivered his first hit.

April 13, 1985, future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers breaks the record for most saves in American League history. The Milwaukee Brewers’ relief ace notches his 217th save in the AL, surpassing the mark established by former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees reliever Sparky Lyle.

Plus much more . . . .

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Who was Mark Fidrych's personal catcher in 1976?

IF you think you know the answer and bonus points for how many respond with details and if you are right I will give you a shut out! No Googling!

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 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA: Who was the first draft pick in 1968 of the Seattle Pilots?

Answer:

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