Mark "The Bird" Fidrych RIP

[bobbyb]

Very sad news - the passing of "The Bird" .

I have fond memories of watching him pitch @ Tiger Stadium in the mid 70's. His gave of his time after the Tigers to help the Special Olympics in Michigan. Sad indeed............

Here's the coverage from home:

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ne...n-Northborough

bobby

[eastie]

a real shame. Mark was a great guy. The last time we spoke i told him that in the last 50 years he was the most liked player who stepped foot on the field. There are popular players and there are villains, but the bird wasn't just liked. The fans LOVED the bird. Not just tigers fans, everyone. He was real, not some phony. He loved baseball, pure and simple, the way we love horseracing. He pitched his heart out despite having a shredded rotator cuff that had him in a ton of pain and ended his career. back then they couldn't just scope you and make you better in a couple of months. Godspeed Mark.

[Overlay]

A true original, a fine pitcher, and a permanent part of baseball lore. I'm sorry to learn of his untimely passing.

[gopony]

Yep, that one gets me every time.

[BUD]

My Wife works for the DA in Worcester County---Man The Paper sugar coated how horrible the untimely passing was.

She sent it to me--Now I am a cop seen everything--I couldn't read it.

He did not deserve that!

Yes I knew him well enough.

[Run Nicholas Run]

when I was a kid seeing the BIRD pitch on ABC MNB
was a treat. Loved the wacky antics and he was a
winner to.