The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych
Mark (The Bird) Fidrych burst on the baseball world in the summer of 1976, pitching for the Detroit Tigers. His big shock of blond, curly hair generated comparisons to Big Bird, hence the nickname. He won 19 games and finished second in the Cy Young balloting for baseball’s best American League pitcher. Fidrych’s success was stunning, but his eccentricity made him an overnight folk hero. Fidrych would groom the pitcher’s mound very carefully, openly chatter to himself, give the ball verbal instructions, and reject balls that he felt had hits in them. It was wonderful theater but had a short run. Fidrych developed shoulder trouble in his second year and quickly faded from baseball. Sadly, he died in 2009 in a mishap while fixing his truck. Wilson interviewed many former teammates, managers, friends, and family members in the course of researching this biography of the ballplayer and the man. Though Fidrych was disappointed with the brevity of his career, he never wallowed in self-pity. A compassionate, engaging biography of a player whose star shone brightly if briefly. --Wes Lukowsky