Mark Fidrych burst onto the scene in 1976, going 19-9 for the Detroit Tigers. Though he only won 29 games in his entire career, the Massachusetts kid's quirky personality and mound histrionics in his dazzling rookie season made him one of the most memorable and beloved figures in Detroit sports history and earned him the nickname "The Bird."
As WFAN host Richard Neer brought up last night, "The Bird" was one of baseballs last great nicknamed players. Nicknames used to be synonymous with the game, and while there will be an occasional a good one, they seem to be a mostly thing of the past. Dice-K and A-Rod are not good nicknames, they are abbreviations.
On June 28, 1976 when the fifth place Detroit Tigers faced the New York Yankees on nationally televised Monday Night Baseball, 47,855 fans crammed into the old Tiger Stadium to watch "The Bird" pitch. Not one of those 47,855 people paid $2,500 for a seat. The average ticket price was $3.45. There were no four-star restaurants in the ballpark, swimming pools or replica Wiffleball stadiums for children to play in during the game. The 47,855 people did not come for these amenities, they came to sit and watch baseball and perhaps enjoy a hot dog and a beer, and they were rewarded.
"The Bird" defeated the Yankees 5-1. Time of game was one hour and 51 minutes. No reliever closed out the game, he finished it, as he did 23 other games that season. After getting the 27th out, he was called back onto the field because none of the 47,855 would leave without him coming out to tip his cap. When Fidrych came out beaming, he oozed a genuine and humble youthfulness that can't exist today.
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