MLB’s One-Season Wonders: Mark Fidrych and 1976
Tigers fans, you may want to cover your eyes for this one. Mark Fidrych is a story of triumph followed by almost immediate despair. Oh, what could have been for this young fireballer.
Before 1976
A lot of hype surrounded the curly-haired blonde as Fidrych shot through the minor leagues quickly. Originally drafted in 1974, he appeared in rookie ball and absolutely dominated.
The following season, Fidrych shot up through three minor league levels, excelling at all of them. In 1975, he went 11-10 with a 3.21 ERA, and 1.257 WHIP. At the ripe young age of 20 years old, he was practically Major League ready.
1976
The Detroit Tigers decided to give young Fidrych a shot at Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. He didn’t make his Major League debut until April 20, while his first start came in early May when he took off.
He quickly became a fan favorite, and also one of the best pitchers in the American League. Fidrych made a trip to the All-Star game and was the second-ever rookie to start it.
He finished the year with a staggering 250 innings pitched, going 19-9 with an MLB-leading 2.34 ERA. Mark also led the league with a 159 ERA+. He finished runner-up in Cy Young voting behind Jim Palmer, although Fidrych arguably had better numbers. He did easily win Rookie of the Year, however.
Fidrych was known for some interesting antics on the mound. He would talk to the ball, telling it what to do. The fans coined the nickname, The Bird, due to his resemblance to the Sesame Street character, Big Bird.
After 1976
The following season, Mark Fidrych was hit with hardship almost instantaneously. While fooling around with fellow Tigers teammates in Spring Training, he tore the cartilage in his knee. Detroit sidelined him for six weeks, yet he seemed to pick up his 1976 magic once again upon his return.
Then, it went further downhill. During a game in June, he felt his arm go dead. This went undiagnosed for a number of years, before discovering he had a torn rotator cuff. Fidrych spent the rest of the year on the disabled list.
The next few years consisted of comeback attempts bouncing between AAA and the Tigers, yet never capturing that magic again (the torn rotator certainly didn’t make things easier). After his final appearance for Detroit in 1980, the Red Sox gave him a shot, yet never made it back to the MLB.
He hung up the cleats at the age of 29 in 1984. It makes you think about what his life might’ve been like had the torn rotator cuff been diagnosed sooner in his career. Sadly, he tragically died in a farming accident at the age of 54.
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