Tigers legend Fidrych passes away

[Front Office]

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/13/09 7:24 PM ET
DETROIT -- Former All-Star pitcher Mark Fidrych, whose incredible rookie season with the 1976 Tigers made him a national sensation, passed away Monday in an apparent accident on his Massachusetts farm at age 54.

Worchester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. told the Associated Press that a family friend found Fidrych at about 2:30 p.m. ET under a dump truck that he appeared to have been working on. He was on the same farm he bought more than 30 years ago with his bonus money when he became a professional pitcher, signed out of Northborough, Mass.

It was an abrupt and tragic end for someone who had suddenly endeared himself to Detroit and the rest of the baseball world seemingly out of nowhere.

"The entire Detroit Tigers organization was saddened to learn of the passing of former player Mark Fidrych today," the team said in a statement Monday evening. "Mark was beloved by Tigers fans, and he was a special person with a unique personality. The Tigers send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends."

Fidrych was the last player to make the Tigers roster in 1976, a wiry 21-year-old right-hander tucked away on the back of the roster. He made two brief relief appearances in Detroit's first 23 games that season before the Tigers placed him in the rotation. He pitched a two-hitter against the Indians in his first start, and the rest was history.

Fidrych won seven straight games during a 9-1 start that landed him on the American League All-Star team. Among his feats were back-to-back 11-inning complete games in his third and fourth Major League starts, an 11-inning shutout of the Oakland A's coming out of the All-Star break in July, and six consecutive complete games in August of that year.

Not only did Fidrych win 19 games that year, his 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games led the Major Leagues. Just as incredible as his performance, however, was his persona. A 6-foot-3 New England farm kid with bushy blond hair seeming trying to escape from his cap, his genuine personality and unforgettable mound demeanor -- including talking to himself as well as the baseball on occasion, while also pacing around the mound -- quickly landed him on sports pages and nationally televised games.

Just as sudden as his rise to fame, however, was his struggle to repeat it. He suffered torn knee cartilage during Spring Training in 1977, costing him more than a month. He returned seemingly the same pitcher, racking up six straight complete-game victories in June, before his arm essentially gave out in a July game.

Fidrych started just 16 more games for the Tigers from 1978-80, including his final big league appearance at age 25, before the Tigers released him in 1981. He then pitched in the Minors for the Red Sox until 1983. He officially retired before the age of 30 and went back to his farm.

Fidrych remained a beloved figure in Detroit, and became a more visible part of the organization in recent years. He often visited the Tigers when the schedule brought them to Boston, and he took part in several Tigers fantasy camps. Instead of lamenting his sudden fall, he remained an upbeat, positive person, true to the traits that made him so popular during his incredible season.

"He reminds me of that line of [poet] Rudyard Kipling: 'He could meet triumph and disaster and treat them the same way,'" Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell said.

Fidrych is survived by his wife, Ann, and daughter Jessica.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.