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De Detroit Tigers zijn in het seizoen 1976 geen goede ploeg. Toch kent het seizoen, waarin de ploeg liefst 24 wedstrijden eindigt achter divisie-winnaar de New York Yankees, één groot lichtpunt; de opmerkelijke rookie Mark Fidrych. De twintigjarige pitcher zorgt met zijn opmerkelijke acties op het veld, zijn aanstekelijke enthousiasme in de beoefening van zijn sport en zijn open persoonlijkheid voor een enorme toeloop aan toeschouwers. Iedereen wil van dichtbij aanschouwen hoe Fidrych praat tegen de honkbal en op handen en knieën zijn pitchersheuvel bewerkt.

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Bron: “ Mark Fidrych ghost” by Jim Harper – Under Creative Commons license

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Mark Fidrych, gedraft in de tiende ronde van de 1974 MLB draft door de Detroit Tigers, maakt op 20 april 1976 zijn debuut op het Major League niveau. In het voorgaande jaar is hij razendsnel opgeklommen van het Rookie League team van de Tigers naar het Triple-A team. In zijn korte periode in de minor leagues laat Fidrych zien dat hij, ondanks een laag SO/9, weinig runs opgeeft. Onderweg pikt hij, dankzij minor league coach Jeff Hogan die de jonge pitcher een gelijkenis vindt hebben met Pino uit Sesamstraat, de bijnaam ‘The Bird’ op.

De jonge Fidrych begint het seizoen in de bullpen, maar door ziekte van zijn teamgenoot Joe Coleman mag hij op 15 mei 1976 voor het eerst een wedstrijd starten in de Majors. Het wordt een avond om nooit te vergeten en één die de opmaak is tot een uiterst memorabel seizoen. In zijn debuut wedstrijd pitcht hij alle negen innings en hij geeft slechts twee hits op en één run. Na afloop zorgt niet alleen zijn goede prestatie voor aandacht, ook zijn gedrag op het veld maakt de tongen los

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Bron: MLB.com

Birdmania

Mark Fidrych ontpopt zich als een pitcher die niemand ooit heeft gezien. De rookie praat tegen de bal voor hij pitcht, wijst met zijn armen richting de plaat welke koers de bal moet volgen, hij loopt rondjes om de pitchersheuvel na elke gesneuvelde slagman, hij juicht uitgebreid voor elke defensieve actie van zijn ploeggenoten en hij straalt een ongelooflijke energie uit als hij aan het pitchen is. Het ongekende enthousiasme van Fidrych werkt aanstekkelijk en al snel is heel Detroit en Amerika in de ban van Birdmania.

Desgevraagd reageert Fidrych zelf opvallend nonchalant over het waarom van zijn, in de ogen van velen, vreemde gedrag op het honkbalveld:

“Ik weet eigenlijks niet wat ik allemaal doe op het veld. Dit is gewoon mijn manier om mijn concentratie vast te houden en om mij op het spel te kunnen focussen.”

Het absolute hoogtepunt in de carrière van Fidrych is een maandagavond wedstrijd tegen de New York Yankees die live is uitgezonden op de Amerikaanse televisie. Vanaf de tribunes klinkt de gehele wedstrijd “Go Bird Go” en met zijn rare capriolen op de pitchersheuvel verovert Fidrych de harten van Amerika. Zijn Tigers winnen de wedstijd met 5-1 en Fidrych vestigt zijn naam als pitcher en als cultfiguur. Na afloop van de wedstrijd verlieten de fans het stadion niet en onder luid gezang vroegen zij constant om een nieuw ererondje van Fidrych.

Na afloop van de iconische wedstrijd waren de Yankee-spelers gefrustreerd. Verschillende spelers verklaren in interviews dat Fidrych zulke capriolen beter niet in New York kan vertonen. Yankees-speler Willie Randolp vertelt zo afgeleid te zijn geweest door het gedrag van de pitcher dat hij het liefst de bal recht in het gezicht van Fidrych had teruggeslagen.

Tigers manager Rusty Staub is lyrisch over zijn jonge pitcher.

“Het is absoluut geen act. Er is niks gemaakt aan hem en dat is hetgeen hem zo’n mooi persoon maakt. Hij brengt een enthousiasme bij iedereen naar boven, in zowel de spelers als de fans. Hij is anders. Hij is een 21 jarige jongen met een groot enthousiasme waar iedereen van houdt. Hij heeft een jeugdig enthousiasme.”

In zijn debuutseizoen noteerde Fidrych een ERA van 2.34 met een winst-verlies record van 19-9. Van alle Major league pitchers gooide hij de meeste complete wedstrijden, 24. Hij won overtuigend de Rookie-of-the-year verkiezing en eindigde tweede in de Cy Young verkiezing voor beste pitcher in de American League. Een ongekend successeizoen voor de excentrieke jongeling.

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“Mark told reporters why he always threw the ball back to the umpire to exchange for a new one after a base hit. “That ball has a hit in it,” he explained. “I want that ball to get back in the ball bag and goof around with the other balls. I want him to talk to the other balls. I want the other balls to beat him up. Maybe that’ll smarten him up so when he comes out the next time, he’ll pop up.” ― Doug Wilson

Blessures en verval

Het seizoen 1977 begint niet goed voor Fidrych. Een knieblessure zorgt ervoor dat hij de start van het seizoen mist. Bij zijn terugkeer op 27 mei 1977 lijkt alles als vanouds. De terugkeer van ‘The Bird’ is genoeg voor het muziek magazine Rolling Stones om hem op de voorpagina te plaatsen. Hij beloont het enthousiasme en de massale opkomst van de fans met een overtuigende prestatie, ondanks dat hij er niet voor kan zorgen dat zijn Tigers de wedstrijd winnen. Fidrych lijkt de lijn door te trekken van 1976 en pitcht veel en dominant. In 7 van zijn 8 eerste wedstrijden pitcht hij de volledige wedstrijd.

Op 4 juli slaat het noodlot toe. In een wedstrijd tegen de Orioles geeft hij zes runs op in vijf innings. Achteraf geeft ‘The Bird‘ aan dat hij zijn arm gevoelloos voelde worden tijdens de wedstrijd. Ondanks deze blessure pitcht hij nog twee wedstrijden in 1977. Na de tweede wedstrijd wordt Fidrych op de geblesseerden lijst gezet en is zijn seizoen voorbij. Fidrych zou nimmer meer de dominante pitcher zijn van 1976 en begin 1977.

In 1978 wist hij slechts drie wedstrijden te pitchen alvorens hij wederom geblesseerd moest afhaken. in 1979 was de magie volledig weg. In 4 wedstrijden noteert hij een erbarmelijke 10.43 ERA. Zijn laatste wedstrijd op het Major league niveau gooide Fidrych in 1980. Ondanks dat hij in dit jaar met 9 wedstrijden meer wedstrijden pitchte dan in de voorgaande twee jaren bleef hij qua prestatie’s kwakkelen. Uiteindelijk degraderen de Tigers hem naar de Minor Leagues en pitcht hij daar het restant van het 1980 seizoen en het gehele seizoen 1981.

Na het seizoen 1981 ontbinden de Tigers het contract van de cultpitcher . Hij vindt snel onderdak bij de Red Soxs, waar hij zich mag bewijzen in de minors. Het mocht echter niet zo zijn. Ook in de twee jaar die hij nog pitcht in het minor league systeem van de Red Soxs presteert hij ondermaats. Fidrych geeft teveel vrije lopen op en hij slaagt er niet in om zijn vorm van weleer terug te vinden. Op 29 juni 1983 hangt Fidrych zijn handschoen aan de wilgen en stopt hij met honkbal.

Fidrych kocht een boerderij en werd boer. Na zijn carrière had hij nog enkele operaties aan zijn schouder, maar een comeback zat niet in het vat. Ondanks zijn korte carrière behoort ‘The Bird’ tot één van de meest iconische spelers in de Amerikaanse honkbalgeschiedenis. Met zijn excentrieke gedrag heeft hij zich een positie verworven in het collectieve geheugen van de Amerikaanse honkbalfan. Geliefd en bewonderd door velen.

Bronnen:

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mark-fidrych/

MLB.com

Baseball_reference.com

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Mark Fidrych: Cultheld op de pitchersheuvel

Birdmania

Blessures en verval

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