No one told me that Mark Fidrych had passed away back in 2009!!!

[LynneSin]

I had such a crush on him. Begged my dad to take me to Baltimore so I could see him pitch (I think the game was sold out).

What a freaky accident

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4065778

BOSTON -- Mark "the Bird" Fidrych, the fun-loving pitcher who baffled hitters for one All-Star season and entertained fans with his antics, was found dead Monday in an apparent accident at his farm. He was 54.

Worcester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said a family friend found Fidrych about 2:30 p.m. Monday beneath a dump truck in Northborough, Mass., about 35 miles west of Boston. He appeared to have been working on the truck, Early said.

Joseph Amorello said he had stopped by the farm to chat with Fidrych when he found the body underneath the 10-wheel truck. Amorello owns A.F. Amorello & Sons, a company that does road construction, and said he sometimes hired Fidrych to haul asphalt or gravel in the truck.

"We were just, in general, getting started for the season this week and it seems as though his truck was going to be needed. It looked like he was doing some maintenance on it," Amorello said in a telephone interview. "I found him under the truck. There's not much more I can say. I dialed 911 and that's all I could do."

<<<snip>>>

The curly haired right-hander was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1976, when he went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games. But injuries cut short his career, and he ended up spending only five seasons in the major leagues, all with the Detroit Tigers. He was 29-19 with a 3.10 ERA.

I had strange crushes when I was really young

[madinmaryland]

1. Wow! You need to visit the Sports Forum more often.

Sad wasn't it. RIP.

Oh, and Harry Morgan is still alive.

[LynneSin]

2. I value my life - I'll head to the Gundgeon first before the Sports forum

and Abe Vigoda is alive too

[madinmaryland]

3. Well, as an Eaglet fan who has never seen their team win a Super Bowl, I can see

why the Sports Forum might be a bit intimidating for you.

BTW, we do have Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and NY Jets fans that hang out there!

[LynneSin]

4. sounds like the house of losers to me

all loser teams just like the Cowsissies

[madinmaryland]

5. FIVE SUPER BOWL VICTORIES! End of discussion!

:evilgrin:

[LynneSin]

6. What only a millinium ago?

You sure you aren't republican? They like to live in the past too; remember the 'good old days' of way back when.

[MiddleFingerMom]

8. Seriously, I lost almost all interest in sports when the Raiders made the Eagles look like...

.
.
.
...a scared high school football team during the Super Bowl (81?).
.
.
.
That and Tex Cobb's fight -- both I and Howard Cosell quit after that one.
.
.
.

[KamaAina]

11. Not to mention O's and Pirates fans

talk about futility! :P

[LisaM]

15. And Lions!

Lotsa Lions fans there.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

13. Yogi Berra is still alive too.

[taterguy]

7. Loved the Bird, especially since he didn't take himself too seriously

This is one of my all-time favorite magazine covers:

[Rhythm]

9. You beat me to it, tater...

Best SI cover EVER...

[Rhythm]

10. Oops... dupe!

:blush:

[LynneSin]

12. It's a shame he only lasted 4 years but perhaps it kept the legend intact

RIP to The Bird

[taterguy]

14. The legend was mostly how much he meant to Detroit that magical summer

I don't know of many athletes that meant more to their city than Bird did.

He brought joy to a depressed area, something us mortals can only dream of doing.