Word: fidrych
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DIED One person referred to Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark Fidrych, 54, as having a "lunch-pail mentality" because of his simple, workaday approach to his job. The 1976 American League Rookie of the Year was nicknamed "the Bird" because of his quirky antics (talking to the baseball) and a curly blond mane that resembled that of Sesame Street's big yellow Muppet...
...Fidrych, Mark • passing...
...fundamentals flowing; the really heavy work falls to his legs, which are as thick as the rest of him is lithe. "Some pitchers who are overpowering," Tom Seaver says, "you can see the clock is ticking down on them. They just have terrible fundamentals. Gary Nolan, Don Gullett, Mark Fidrych, there's a whole list. Gooden's mechanics look outstanding: I figure him for a long run. Knowing his trade and his own heart, being able to adjust mentally when it comes time to adjust physically, those are always the tests of longevity, and they'll be his challenge someday...
...surprisingly, Feller's view is that two seasons are insufficient for comparison. "People are always wanting to know too soon what I think about a Willie Mays or a Joe Charboneau or a Mark Fidrych or a Dwight Gooden. Gooden seems like a hard worker, and he's off to a fine start. As far as I can tell, he's keeping his ducks in a row." By that, maybe he means Gooden doesn't brag much. "Only in the middle of 1946," Feller thinks back, "did I ever try to strike everybody out. I had a chance...
...swift rise and fall of Fidrych puts some in mind of Mexican Phenomenon Fernando Valenzuela, provider of about the only sweet note last season and about the only discordant one now. But even Fernando's holdout with Los Angeles has been kept a fairly light quarrel. Says Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda: "All last year we tried to teach him English, and the only word he learned was 'million.' " Softer, Lasorda says: "He was a big hero last year, but people are beginning to turn on him. It could hurt...