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Farewell Bird - Mark Fydrich Passes Away
Wow - sadly, writing the Baseball Boss blog is starting to feel like writing the obituary section. Many of you have already heard by now that Mark “The Bird” Fydrich passed away yesterday at the much too young age of 54. Apparently he had an accident on his Massachusetts farm.
As a young kid in the 1970s who was just discovering baseball - Bird was just plain cool. He was an out of nowhere rookie sensation - he was Fernandomania before Fernando. He made the club as a non-roster invitee in ‘76. He talked to the ball while he was on the bump. He did workmanlike groundskeeping on the mound without the benefit of a rake. It was clear that Fydrich was a guy who was just happy to play a kid’s game for a living.
And he was good. There are plenty of places where you can read about his stats and his remarkable debut season, so I won’t bore you with that here. Like so many promising young careers cut short by injuries, you wonder what might have been. It’s said that pitching a baseball is one of the most violent things you can do to your body in all of sport. Perhaps his 250 IP in 1976 was just more than his young arm could handle.
Thanks for making me feel like a kid again, Bird. Take a step back in time with this classic SI cover.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:39 am
In 1976 I was a 10 year old baseball freak! I can remember being at the lake cabin naming all of the Royals that I had memorized off of the signed pennent I had. One night the Royals were playing the Tigers and this guy was talking to the ball. The annoncers were joking about how weird he was, and how all of his antics were funny. I remember soon after the whole baseball world loved him and he became my favorite player. I have tried to keep up with his life throughout the years as I’m sure a lot of us Baseball freaks do with certain players!
When I saw the ticker flash across the screen last night during the Royals game I had to sit down. I rewinded the DVR to make sure I read it properly and was struck with great saddness. The world needs more Mark Fydrich’s in it. It sucks when we lose people who were great role models. I miss him as a fan of baseball, as an American, and as a 10 year old child who saw something one summer night that added to the joy the game brings!
R.I.P. BIRD!
April 14th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Sad…….one of the most supersticous players you’ll ever see. I hate to see him og like that.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
As some of you know, Mark was my aunt Paula’s brother. He was a very nice guy who did a lot for a lot of people. In his retirement from the game he did many things from farming to driving big rigs to pass his time. Not that he needed to but, he felt he had to put in a days work just like everyone else. For what its worth, he loved working on his trucks. That was what he was doing when he passed. He was working on his dump truck when a jack gave way and the truck rolled over. He died doing something he love. Don’t take any day for granted an remember its a short time that we are here on this earth. Take advantage of every opportunity you have to do the things you love and make the most of every day. That was Mark’s motto and it eases some of the pain to know he did just that.
April 16th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Wasn’t Mark the first sports athlete on the cover on the Rolling Stone? I think he was…any help?
April 16th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
My step-brother played for the Richmond Braves in 1982 when Pawtucket signed Mark to a minor league contract. We drove up from Connecticut for Mark’s debut against the Braves. As I recall, he got pounded pretty good. The thing that impressed me the most was after the game. As we waited for my step-brother, he came out of the locker room and signed autographs for everyone that wanted one. When he finished he talked with us for a while. Later that year we went to Richmond to see my step-brother play. As luck would have it Pawtucket was the visiting team. We ran into Mark on the elevator in the hotel and he remembered us from the game in Pawtucket! We have a picture of Mark with our daughters. This man was a class act. All I know is that heaven just got one heck of a pitcher. God bless you Mark.
May 25th, 2009 at 5:57 am
I am not much of a baseball fan these days, however, as a kid growing up in Smalltown, Michigan I loved the Tigers. So when our little town had its annual parade with the announcement that a Tiger team member may show up, I HAD to go. I had broken my arm a week or so before the big day and sat on the curb with it casted and in a sling. The local news station came rounding the corner and much to my delight, there on the back sat Mark Fydrich! He was my favorite! He stepped off the car and walked over to me asking about my arm and he signed my cast. He was wonderful (and I believe my first crush).
A few weeks after the parade, my parents finally gave in and bought me the parakeet I had been asking for. Of course, I named him “Fydrich”. I wrote a letter to Mark and told him about MY bird. I told him about how he had made my day at the parade. And you know what? He wrote me back! How many sports idols would do that these days? He sent me autographed pictures, signed by the entire team. He sent me a baseball that he himself had signed. I was overjoyed and carried these things around with me for the entire summer, showing anyone and everyone. And by the fall, when I started junior high, I was an immediate hit with the boys. They all envied my collection and my story of the wonderful Mark Fydrich.
Because I am not so much into baseball, I didn’t hear of the horrible accident that had taken such a beautiful person away from us. My sister called me to tell me she had heard the news and asked me if I was okay. She remembered how he had made such an impact on me as a little girl. It seemed odd at first that the news would cause such an emotion in me as to evoke tears, but then again, why wouldn’t it? Mark gave me something so special. He gave me a perfect summer and a lifelong memory that I will always cherish.
Thank you, Mark…I’ll miss you.