Mark "The Bird" Fidrych's Magical Season: 1976 Quiz

Answer: Mark earned a save in relief.

According to baseball-reference.com, Mark "The Bird" Fidrych first appeared in the bottom of the ninth inning on April 20, 1976 with the score tied 5-5 and runners on first and third. He faced Oakland's Don Baylor and gave up a single that ended the game in a Detroit Tiger loss, 6-5.

Answer: Mark was tagged with the loss.

Lucky Detroit fans were able to see Mark Fidrych's first start on Saturday, May 15, 1976 in Tiger Stadium because the local game was televised. Due to Major League restrictions, not many home games were televised in 1976. Saturday day games were exempt from the television ban. I personally watched the game.

The buzz around Detroit the following day was "Did you see that kid pitch yesterday?" Mark out-dueled the Indians' Pat Dobson. The Tigers won, 2-1, and both starting pitchers hurled a complete game. Mark carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

Answer: June

In 1976, Mark Fidrych pitched three complete games in his first three starts in the month of May. He beat Cleveland, 2-1 in his first start. He then lost his next start 2-0 on May 25th at Fenway Park in Boston, allowing a Carl Yastrzemski home run with Carlton Fisk on base.

The Red Sox were defending American League Champions and Fidrych's opponent that day was Luis Tiant who shut out Detroit and also pitched a complete game. On Memorial Day, May 31, Mark pitched a remarkable 11-inning complete game.

The Detroit Tigers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 11th to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4. So Mark's record when June began was two wins and one loss.

Answer: Mark Fidrych

"Bird" mania was starting to take hold in Detroit. 36,377 fans attended that game, the third largest crowd in Tiger Stadium up to that point. That game was the first time I saw Mark Fidrych pitch in person. Tiger fans loved his antics. Mark talked to himself and occasionally pointed the ball toward home plate prior to a pitch.

He personally groomed the area around the pitching rubber before beginning each inning, filling in the hole the opposing pitcher made. He displayed genuine exuberance for the game, and he congratulated teammates after good fielding plays. Once again, fans were rewarded with a walk-off victory as Alex Johnson singled home Ron LeFlore in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Answer: 19

In the four month span, June-July-August-September, Mark "The Bird" Fidrych recorded an astounding seventeen wins.

Answer: Big Bird from Sesame Street

The cover proclaimed "The Bird is Back." It was Mark's first appearance on a Sports Illustrated cover. He never appeared on a Sports Illustrated cover during his amazing 1976 season.

Answer: Mark won the American League Cy Young award in 1976.

Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds led off the 1976 All-Star game with a single to center off Mark Fidrych. Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers then hit a triple and Rose scored. Later that inning, Garvey would score on a George Foster ground out. Ultimately, the American lost the game 7-1. Mark was one of three Detroit Tigers who started the 1976 All-Star game. Teammates Ron LeFlore and Rusty Staub also started. Baltimore's Jim Palmer won the American League Cy Young award in 1976.

Answer: 24

In hindsight, many Detroit Tigers fans say manager Ralph Houk "over-pitched" Mark Fidrych. Nine times he pitched with only three days rest. Four times he pitched complete games that went into extra innings. I think it's safe to assume 24 complete games for a rookie pitcher aged 21 will never happen again in Major League baseball.

Answer: 12

The attendance at Tiger Stadium to see Mark "The Bird" Fidrych was phenomenal. Here are some sample dates and paid attendance figures for Fidrych starts:

June 28 .. . . 47,855
July 3 . . . . . 51,032
July 9 . . . . . 51,041
July 16 . . . . 45,905
July 29 . . . . 44,068
August 17 .. 51,822

Answer: 10

Mark tore a cartilage in his knee during spring training of 1977. Later that year he said he felt "his arm went dead." In 1985, that injury was diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff. He won six games in 1977, and two games in 1978. However, 1979 was a disastrous year for Mark, with no wins and a 10.43 ERA in four starts. His final year was 1980 when he won two and lost three.

In his final major league appearance, October 1, 1980, the Tigers jumped out to an 8-1 lead over Toronto. The Blue Jays started hitting the ball hard in the fifth inning, scoring 4 runs off Fidrych. Mark finished the fifth inning and left the game. The Tigers held on to beat Toronto 11-7, and Mark earned the win.