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View Full Version : Mark Steven Fidrych "The Bird"

Crash Course
09-24-2006, 10:21 PM
He pitched in the major leagues from 1976 to 1980.
nyy26wc
09-24-2006, 11:53 PM
No way

38 career RSAA
38 RSAA in 1976, 0 the rest of his career
KCBOOMER
09-25-2006, 01:24 AM
The classic "15 minutes of fame" pitcher. One monster year, an arm injury, and nothing else.
Nuclear Dish
09-25-2006, 09:44 AM
This, to me, is a classic test case. I find Fidrych to be completely memorable. He had a flair that made him unique. He had an outstanding rookie season that justifiably won him the ROY award. And then he blew out his arm and was never the same.

I'd think there'd be even more of a case to vote for him if he had never pitched again after his injury. But even still, I am going to advocate voting for him based on the fact that he and his career are memorable.

You know, I wonder about this exercise some times. If we are trying to create a Shrine to those who are memorable, are we to include those who were memorably bad as well? I mean, Mario Mendoza has become synonymous with poor performance, and he has therefore been forever ensconced in baseball annals and its lexicon. Should he therefore be voted into NetShrine?

Fidrych does not belong based on his performance. He belongs based on his potential and based on his charisma. He belongs based on how bright his flame burned, how short a time it burned, and the degree to which it flamed out. Is that worthy of a vote?

I think Steve leaves it up to us, and obviously there are disagreements as to the answer. Personally, I think there are rare cases in which it is worthy. Fidrych, to me, is one of them.
Crash Course
09-25-2006, 10:47 AM
I think Steve leaves it up to us,

100% correct! :thumb:
captain_napalm
09-25-2006, 11:46 AM
It may have not been much of a career, but from what I've heard, he was quite memorable.
crazydiamond
09-25-2006, 09:31 PM
He was a flash-in-the-pan guy, really popular and quite a character in that one year
but one year doth not a career make
mainsr
09-30-2006, 09:28 PM
It may have not been much of a career, but from what I've heard, he was quite memorable.

Ouch. "From what I've heard?" I saw him pitch on TV...

That was one magical season, that '76. But as plenty of analysts have pointed out, he almost certainly would've flamed out without the injury, given is K/BB rate. And as Lee pointed out, it really was just one season.
captain_napalm
10-01-2006, 10:31 AM
Ouch. "From what I've heard?" I saw him pitch on TV...

Oh, so did I... On ESPN Classic Sports :loud:
LisaG
10-03-2006, 10:36 PM
cmon - he was a flaky guy who had exactly ONE good year. he didn't even have another decent year

it's not like in that one year he threw 5 nohitters or struck out all 27 batters in a perfect game or something
LoveTheGame
10-11-2006, 02:04 PM
This, to me, is a classic test case. I find Fidrych to be completely memorable. He had a flair that made him unique. He had an outstanding rookie season that justifiably won him the ROY award. And then he blew out his arm and was never the same.

Joe Charboneau was also memorable for his 1980 ROY season. Had a song written about him. Was a character what with opening beer bottle with his eye socket; and having his nose cartilage removed. Doesn't make him NetShrine material, either.