Fidrych, Mark S.

Baseball

b. Aug. 14, 1954, Worcester, MA

For a season, Mark "The Bird" Fidrych was one of the most popular players in baseball. A right-handed pitcher, he joined the AL's Detroit Tigers in 1976. Although he didn't get his first start until the middle of May, he had 19-9 season with a league-leading 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games in 29 starts.

But it wasn't just his skill that made him popular. Fidrych was a free spirit, animated on the mound, who talked to the baseball before throwing it and often rushed over to shake hands with a teammate who had made a good defensive play behind him.

Unfortunately, he hurt his arm after going 6-4 in 1977. After unsuccessful comeback attempts the next three seasons, he retired with a 29-19 record and a 3.10 career ERA.