Mark Fidrych
| Birthdate | 8/14/1954 |
| Death Date | 4/13/2009 |
| Debut Year | 1976 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Tigers |
| Position | Pitcher |
A non-roster invitee to Spring Training in 1976, Mark Fidrych started the All Star game, led the AL in ERA and CGs & was voted Rookie of the Year.
Leave a commentIn the collection:
Mark Fidrych captured the attention of the baseball world
Mark Fidrych captured the attention of the baseball world
Mark Fidrych came out of nowhere in 1976 to captivate the attention of baseball world. A non-roster invitee to Spring Training, “The Bird” made the club but did not get his first start until May 15th.
What a start it was — a two-hit complete game victory. Fidrych threw complete games in each of his first 15 starts including two extra-inning affairs that lasted 11 innings each. As the wins kept coming, so did the national attention.
By the All Star break all of baseball had its eyes on Fidrych. Named the starting pitcher for the American League club, Fidrych finished the season with 19 wins and was the junior circuit’s leader in ERA(2.34) and complete games (24).
The Tigers hurler finished with the highest WAR (9.6) in the American League. He earned the Rookie of the Year Award and was robbed of the Cy Young Award by Baltimore’s Jim Palmer.
Shown here is a pair Fidrych baseball cards adorned with the autograph of The Bird.
Bruce Kimm the personal catcher for Mark Fidrych
Bruce Kimm the personal catcher for Mark Fidrych
Bruce Kimm caught all 29 starts made by Mark Fidrych during his Rookie of the Year campaign of 1976. In the collection is this questionnaire filled out and signed by The Bird’s personal catcher.
The two teamed up in the minors in 1975 with Kimm catching Fidrych every fifth day. When Fidrych made the club in ’76 and Tiger catcher Milt May got injured, Kimm got his chance.
Here he writes his recollections on the two-time All Star. When asked what he remembers most about Fidrych, Kimm writes, “Good guy, best pitcher in 1976, great teammate, great son to his family”. The rest of Kimm’s answers provide insight into the memorable season when Mark “The Bird” Fidrych captured America’s attention.
Marty Springstead called balls and strikes for Mark Fidrych's first start
Marty Springstead called balls and strikes for Mark Fidrych's first start
The youngest umpire to serve as crew chief for a World Series, Marty Springstead officiated American League contests for 20 years from 1966-1985. Along the way Springstead was on the field for many memorable games including the first Major League start for Mark Fidrych.
In the collection is this questionnaire filled out and signed by Springstead who worked the plate that night. It’s easy to picture an umpire getting upset with Fidrych’s antics.
Luckily Springstead was forewarned. Asked what he remembers most about The Bird, Springstead wrote, “Was working with a AAA umpire & before the game he told me Mark isn’t talking to you, he’s talking to the B.B. otherwise I would think he was complaining about pitches.”
Springstead retired from field duties after the 1985 season and became the AL’s fourth Executive Director of Umpires the following season.
In 2000, when the umpiring staffs of the National League and Springstead’s American League were combined, he became a special assistant to Major League Baseball’s vice president for umpiring.
Dale Ford the third base ump for Mark Fidrych's 1st start
Dale Ford the third base ump for Mark Fidrych's 1st start
As an umpire from 1974-1999, Dale Ford participated in some of baseball’s most memorable games. He was behind the plate for Game 6 of the 1986 World Series when the ball skipped by Bill Buckner and once ejected Hall of Fame skipper Earl Weaver during the National Anthem.
Ford was also the third base umpire in Mark Fidrych’s first big league start. In the collection is a questionnaire filled out and signed by the former umpire.
Ford lends insight into The Bird as he writes, “He was a little nuts, but a good guy.” Were umpires upset by Fidrych’s antics? Ford answered that question in just the way fans would hope, writing, “No problem. He was good for the game.” Ford seems quite positive in the rest of his assessment of the pitcher in the questionnaire.
After leaving the game, Ford became a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing the 6th District from 2006-2012.
No batter hit Mark Fidrych like Mike Hegan
No batter hit Mark Fidrych like Mike Hegan
Mike Hegan comes from a family of catchers. His father Jim, a five-time All Star, played 17 years in the big leagues – and missed three more years due to WWII.
Four years after his father retired as a player in 1960, Mike debuted for the Yankees. During his own 12-year catching career the younger Hegan made the All Star team as a member of the Seattle Pilots in their inaugural season of 1969.
Though he was near the end of his playing career by the time Mark Fidrych debuted in ’76, he conjured up a stellar performance in the lone game he faced the right hander.
On a Friday night on September 3, 1976 Hegan disappointed the faithful at Tiger Stadium as he went 3-for-3 with nine total bases and six runs batted. It would be the worst start of Fidrych’s big league career. The Bird gave up a career-high 9 runs while recording only 11 outs. Hegan’s performance puts him at the top of the list when it comes to career RBI against the Tiger pitcher.
In the collection is a questionnaire filled out and signed by Hegan in which the catcher recalls Fidrych. Asked why he had such success against The Bird during his Rookie of the Year season, the humble Hegan writes, “I was a low ball hitter and fortunately he made a few mistakes against me.”
The rest of the questionnaire sheds more light on Mark Fidrych.
Mark Fidrych gave me one of my first autograph’s as a kid, something I’ll always remember. Also, I love the questionnaire approach and learned something new about Fidrych and Bruce Kimm working together, with Kimm as his personal catcher.