mark fidrych dead

Mark Fidrych, an eccentric All-Star pitcher nicknamed "The Bird" whose career was shortened by injuries, 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 at his Northborough, Mass., farm. He appeared to be working on the truck, Early said.

The curly-haired 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. He spent all five of his major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, compiling a 29-19 record and a 3.10 ERA.

Fidrych, who worked in trucking and construction since his baseball career ended in 1983, had a job scheduled for yesterday morning, but the site wasn’t ready, so he returned home. Later in the day, Amorello, the owner of the A.F. Amorello & Sons construction company for which Fidrych often worked, stopped by Fidrych’s home to say hello and discuss an upcoming job, only to encounter a gruesome scene.

Neither the district attorney’s office nor the Northborough Police Department would confirm further details of the accident. Reached via cell phone last night, Amorello said, ‘‘It was obvious there was nothing I could do at that time.’’

Fidrych’s baseball legacy is as one of its more memorable and enjoyable shooting stars in the sport’s history. In 1976 -- less than two full years after the Tigers selected the lanky righthander in the 10th round of the 1974 amateur draft out of Worcester Academy -- Fidrych made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster out of spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Fidrych 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.

Fidrych’s starts soon became must-see events -- he appeared on the covers of ‘‘Sports Illustrated’’ (once with Big Bird) and ‘‘Rolling Stone,’’ among others. But his newfound celebrity did not hinder him on the mound.
He marrying his wife, Ann, in 1986. He lived on a 107-acre farm, and owned his own trucking company for a time. Friends say he remained as beloved in his hometown as he was in Detroit during the heady summer of ’76.

‘‘Mark was still very popular everywhere,’’ Amorello said. ‘‘We rented his truck from time to time, and he would work on our crews [at our contruction] company. People would still stop him all the time asking for an autograph or picture, and he was always patient, nice and humble.

‘‘You’d never have known he was an ex-ballplayer by the way he carried himself. The guy had a million friends.’’

Sometimes, Amorello said, his past profession would have an impact on his present one.
‘‘He did a ton of charity work. Every once in a while he’d have to ask for day off to go to some event, always for some good cause here or there. We’d give him a hard time about him losing his spot [on the work crew], that we were putting him at the bottom of the pecking order, but it was all in good fun.’’

Sometimes the fun was at Fidrych’s expense -- particularly when he was on the dance floor. Amorello and his wife, Nancy, both laughed at the recollection of their friend doing what they dubbed ‘‘The Fidrych Dance’’ at a wedding.

‘‘Oh, he thought he was dancing, but it was horrible,’’ said Nancy Amorello recalled. ‘‘He’s be flailing his legs, limbs flying everywhere, leaving five or six people with a bruise.

‘‘That was Mark Fidrych, though. The life of the party. A hell of a guy.’’

State police detectives are investigating the circumstances of his death, Early said.

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