First George Kell, and today Mark “The Bird” Fidrych has passed away. This was really my first favorite Tiger, one that I could claim as my own, not of my father’s time. I remember going to see him during that 1976 season, the stadium and city of Detroit both humming with excitement.
They had guys dressed up like Seseame Street’s Big Birds walking up and down the steps of the ol’ stadium. Us kids could get iron on newsprint out of the Sunday papers to put on t-shirts. I have no idea what the record of the team was that year, I know it wasn’t good, but I remember loving to watch baseball that summer.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=fidryma01
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=5
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090413/SPORTS0104/904130435/1129/Fun+followed+Fidrych
http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS0104