Mark Fidrych

Mark Fidrych real name is Mark Steven also known as “The Bird”.

Mark is the son of an assistant school principal he was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on 14th August, 1954. He made his debut on 20th April, 1976 by played Baseball for the Detroit Tigers as a Major League Baseball player.

Mark started playing baseball in a day boarding school in Central Massachusetts at “Algonquin Regional High School” in “Northborough, Massachusetts”. Mark was selected in the 10th round of an amateur draft out of Worcester Academy by Detroit Tigers in 1974. Mark has the resemblance with this television program character “Big Bird” from “Sesame Street” and due to this his coaches from minor leagues started calling him “The Bird”.

In 1976 spring training session Mark Fidrych made the Tigers as a non-roster invitee. Mark did not make his major league until April 20, 1976. Due to scheduled starting pitcher’s flu Mark get the chance to fill the place. In the season Mark threw seven no-hit innings, and ended the game with a 2-1 win in which he only gave up 2 hits. After that performance there was no stopping back for Mark he wins a total of 19 games for “Detroit Tigers”. He went 19-7 as a rookie, leading the league in earned-run average “ERA” (2.34) and complete games (24). In less than two years Mark won the American League Rookie of the Year Award, and finished second in voting for the “Cy Young Award”.

Mark pitched against the New York Yankees in a nationally televised game on ABC dated June 28, 1976 the “Detroit Tigers” won the game 5-1. Mark instantly becomes national celebrity after winning the game from “Yankees” a game which is full of his clowning acts.

After a huge success of “The Bird” Teams started asking Detroit Tigers to change its pitching rotation so he could pitch in their ballparks. Mark appeared on the cover of several magazines, such as Sports Illustrated. At the end of his rookie season, the Tigers gave him a bonus of $25,000. Detroit Tigers also signed him to a three-year contract worth $255,000.

Mark who won 19 games as a rookie in the streak of 1976 but had his pitching career shortened by injuries was killed in an accident while working on his dump truck at his Northborough farm.

Mark was found dead on April 13, 2009 by his friend Joseph Amorello beneath his 10-wheel truck at about 2:30 p.m. Worcester Country District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., that the state police detectives are investigating the circumstances of the accident.

Mark was 53 years Old.

Mark Fidrych

Mark Fidrych

Mark Fidrych

Mark Fidrych