* May 31: Fidrych pitched 11 innings for a complete game, 5-4 win over the Brewers.

* June 5: Fidrych pitched his second straight 11-inning complete game, beating Bert Blyleven and the Texas Rangers, 3-2.

Fidrych pitched another complete game.

" Fidrych pitched another complete game and got his 11th win, 8-3.

Fidrych pitched his last MLB game on October 1, 1980 in Toronto, going five innings and giving up four earned runs, while picking up the win in a 11-7 Tigers victory which was televised in Detroit.

* May 15: Fidrych won his first major league start by pitching a complete game, allowing two hits in a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

* July 29: Fidrych took a loss despite pitching a six-hit complete game and not allowing an earned run.

* August 7: Fidrych got his 12th win against the Indians, a complete game six-hitter, by a score of 6-1.

Fidrych responded by throwing six no-hit innings, ending the game with a 2-1 victory in which he gave up only two hits.

Mark Fidrych also was known for shaking everyone's hands after a game.

After a game filled with " Bird " antics in which he and his team handily defeated the Yankees, Fidrych became a national celebrity.

Fidrych drew attention for talking to the ball during the game ‚ and patting down the mound each inning.

After the game, Rico Carty of the Indians said he thought Fidrych " was trying to hypnotize them.

A crowd of 36, 377 attended the Friday night game, as Fidrych faced Nolan Ryan.

* June 16: The Tigers drew 21, 659 on a Wednesday night to watch Fidrych win his fifth game.

* June 24: Fidrych drew 26, 293 fans to Fenway Park for a Thursday night game, as the Tigers won, 6-3.

After the game, the crowd would not leave the park until Fidrych came out of the dugout to tip his cap.

* July 16: Fidrych won his 10th game, a 1-0 victory over the A's with 45, 905 in attendance at Tiger Stadium.

After the game, Fidrych was interviewed on live television, and a small controversy arose when Fidrych said " B. S.

Rookie Fidrych held the White Sox to five hits in a game that lasted only one hour and 48 minutes.

* October 2: In his last start of the 1976 season, Fidrych got his 19th win, beating the Brewers, 4-1, giving up five hits in a game that lasted 1 hour and 46 minutes.

On April 15, 2009, the Tigers paid tribute to Fidrych at Comerica Park with a moment of silence and a video before their game against the Chicago White Sox.

On June 19, 2009, Jessica Fidrych honored her father at Comerica Park by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to manager Jim Leyland for the Tigers game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Fidrych also drew attention for the simple, bachelor lifestyle he led in spite of his fame, driving a green subcompact car, living in a small Detroit apartment, wondering aloud if he could afford to answer all of his fan mail on his league-minimum $ 16, 500 salary, and telling people that if he hadn't been a pitcher, he'd work pumping gas in Northborough.

* September 3: The Tigers lost to the Brewers, 11-2, as Fidrych had the worst outing of his young career, and Mike Hegan hit for the cycle for Milwaukee.

* September 18: The Tigers beat the Indians, and Fidrych held the Indians to five hits for his 18th win.

For the 1976 season, Fidrych was nominated for several awards and ranked among baseball's leaders in multiple categories.

Still on the disabled list toward the end of the season, Fidrych worked as a guest color analyst on a Monday Night Baseball telecast for ABC ; he was subsequently criticized for his lack of preparation, as when play-by-play partner Al Michaels tried talking with him about Philadelphia Phillies player Richie Hebner and Fidrych responded, " Who's Richie Hebner?

At the end of the season, Detroit gave Fidrych his outright release and he signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox, playing for one of their minor league teams.

" Fidrych made 27 starts for Leyland ’ s Triple-A teams in 1980 and 1981.

Ann Fidrych, widow of Mark Fidrych, was also present on the field for the ceremony.

) Prior to the expansion, the notable single-game record occurred on July 1, 1982, when 9, 389 showed up for the pitching match-up of Mark Fidrych versus Dave Righetti.

* August 11: The Tigers beat the Rangers, 4-3, as Fidrych notched his 13th win over Gaylord Perry.

* 1954 – Mark Fidrych, American baseball player ( d. 2009 )

Mark Steven Fidrych (; August 14, 1954 – April 13, 2009 ), nicknamed " The Bird ", was a Major League Baseball pitcher.

In 1976, Fidrych led the major leagues with a 2. 34 ERA, won the AL Rookie of the Year award, and finished with a 19-9 record.

The son of an assistant school principal, Fidrych played baseball at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, Massachusetts, and at Worcester Academy, a day and boarding school in central Massachusetts.

Fidrych made the Tigers as a non-roster invitee out of the spring training, not making his major-league debut until April 20, and not making his first start until mid-May.

In the process Fidrych also captured the imagination of fans with his antics on the field.

Teams started asking Detroit to change its pitching rotation so Fidrych could pitch in their ballparks, and he appeared on the cover of numerous magazines, such as Sports Illustrated ( twice, including once with Sesame Street character Big Bird ), and The Sporting News.

In one week, Fidrych turned away five people who wanted to be his agent, saying, " Only I know my real value and can negotiate it.

Economists estimated that the extra attendance Fidrych generated around the league in 1976 was worth more than $ 1 million.

Fidrych also did an Aqua Velva television commercial after the 1976 season.

* May 25: In his second start, Fidrych held the Boston Red Sox to six hits and two runs, but the Tigers were shut out, 2-0, by Luis Tiant.

Pitching in his home town, Fidrych gave up a home run to Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski.

When asked how it felt to give up a home run to Yaz, Fidrych said: " It blew my mind.

Fidrych gave up only one earned run, and the Tigers won 4-3.