BOSTON — Mark “the Bird” Fidrych, the fun-loving pitcher who baffled hitters for one all-star season and entertained fans with his antics, was found dead Monday in an apparent accident at his farm. He was 54.
Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said a family friend found Fidrych about 2:30 p.m. Monday beneath a dump truck in Northborough, Mass., about 35 miles west of Boston. He appeared to have been working on the truck, Early said.
Joseph Amorello said he had stopped by the farm to chat with Fidrych when he found the body underneath the 10-wheel truck.
Amorello owns A.F. Amorello & Sons, a company that does road construction, and said he sometimes hired Fidrych to haul asphalt or gravel in the truck.
“It looked like he was doing some maintenance on (the truck),” Amorello said. “I found him under the truck. There’s not much more I can say. I dialed 911 and that’s all I could do.”
The district attorney’s office declined to release details of the accident or discovery of Fidrych’s body.
The right-hander was the American League rookie of the year in 1976 when he went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games. But injuries cut short his career, and he ended up spending only five seasons in the major leagues, all with the Detroit Tigers. He was 29-19 with a 3.10 ERA.
“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,” the team said.
Fidrych attempted a comeback in 1982 and 1983 in the Boston Red Sox organization. He pitched for their Triple-A team in Pawtucket, R.I., but he never pitched in the majors after 1980 and retired in July 1983.
He acquired the nickname “the Bird” because of his resemblance to the Big Bird character on the “Sesame Street” television show.
During games, he would bend down and groom the mound with his hands, talk to the baseball and slap five with teammates in the middle of the diamond.
“Baseball will miss him. . . . It’s just horrible,” former Orioles pitcher and Hall of Famer Jim Palmer said.
