Unforgettable pitching sensation Mark Fidrych had one perfect year, 1976, and has appeared in “where are they now” sports stories ever since. Fidrych died in a truck-repair accident on his farm at age 54. (Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

 

NORTHBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Onetime Detroit Tigers pitching sensation Mark Fidrych died Monday on his farm here, apparently from an accident in which a truck he was working on fell onto him. Fidrych, known as “the Bird” for his resemblance to the Sesame Street character Big Bird, was 54.

Fidrych had one great season — 1976, in which he was named American Leauge Rookie of the Year and compiled a 2.34 ERA, best in the league. He was a major draw for crowds because of his performance but equally for his colorful pitching style, which involved talking to himself and tidying up the dirt on the mound between pitches.

Fidrych had only one great season, with 19 wins, before injury cut his career short. In fact, he did not pitch another full season after 1976 and eventually returned to his native Massachusetts to a farm he had bought with his baseball money.

A friend visiting him on his farm on Monday afternoon apparently made the gruesome discovery of Fidrych's body under his truck. Ironically, a 2001 Sports Illustrated feature on the pitcher, a “where are they now” story, refers to Fidrych's 10-wheel Mack dump truck, which it says he purchased in 1986 for $88,000, and quotes him as saying, “The truck has kept the [farm] goin' and kept my life goin'.”

The Tigers issued a statement Monday calling him “a special person with a unique personality.”

Inside Line says: A tragic end to a life that is unforgettable to anybody who saw him play in that one great season. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent