That's true?

According to my sister

That's Belleville mi.. he lived on the I 94 service Dr. Where diamondbacks is located but I remember it happened downtown but true.lived here 54 years was a cook made him a corned beef sandwich

to be honest i assumed it was Diamondbacks... but it could have been downtown... i will have to ask my sister...

Wrong. Fidrych's career was ruined because of an undiagnosed tear in his rotator cuff. None of the Tiger's doctors or trainers could diagnose this during his 5 years of rehabilitation and attempts at comebacks. Finally the legendary Sports Orthopedic surgeon repaired his rotator cuff in 1982 after he left baseball. The Tigers brought him to surgeons and doctors all over the US trying to diagnose his condition. Technology like MRI's didn't exist in 1976 that could have easily diagnosed this now common sports injury. He also was extremely overused in the Summer of 1976 when he pitched more complete games than some pitchers pitched in a career. He was a cash cow for the Tigers. He filled Tiger Stadium and stadiums on the road consistently. In fact during a last attempt at a come back with the Red Sox Triple A team in Pawtucket he regularly filled the Minor League stadiums too. All of the claims made that he talked to the ball and acted odd could easily be explained as attempts to deal with anxiety, nervousness etc. to calm himself down. Had he stayed healthy and pitched more years I doubt his nervousness and anxiety would have persisted. How exactly would most young men react when 50,000 people are chanting "We want the bird" until he does a curtain call? He was eccentric, funny but always genuine and generous with his time and talents to fans and his team. I took the time to read an extensive biography on Fidrych a few years ago where the writer travelled to his hometown of Northborough Mass. near Boston. He interviewed anyone and everyone who knew him, which was everyone in town. It is very likely that Fidrych had learning disabilities throughout his life. Early on he repeated a few grades and struggled with classes which did not have hands on learning such as technical shops, automotive. The crack about a ten cent brain was simply crass. Fidrych had an amazing life before and after baseball when he married, became a father and started his own trucking company. by the 1980's teachers and others who worked with children knew much more about learning disabilities. Before that these kids were called "bad students." Sadly he died in an accident involving his truck in 2009. He was 54. Today he would have been 69. At 54 he was a husband, a father a business man and a former professional ball player. Not bad. He is still loved by people who saw him pitch, grew up with him and mourned him. It is said not to speak ill of the dead. He did so much good in his life for so many others. How many men and women of his age do stupid things in bars that they later regret. Even if any part of your story is true, you would be hard pressed to find a young adult who hasn't done regrettable things in a bar.

No excuse but the pitcher was obviously aiming for his feet.

@@moby628 that's why Bert threw bat.. hello

That's awesome! Wish I had done more of this.

They worked him just like Lasorda overworked Fernando Valenzuela. Faurrk!

@@fernandomartinez5812 Fidrych had 24 complete games as a 21/22 year old. That's way too much for a young pitcher, or any pitcher for that matter. I agree with Lasorda and Valenzuela, with the heavy innings pitched in his early years,

#21 should be retired for Yankees great Paul O'Neill.

They didn’t own any buildings. They “leased”.

And wasn't Willie Horton great, too? And Freehan, Rodriguez, Cash, Northrup, Kaline, Lolich and all those guys I watched play. And so wished I could be like them. Will ALWAYS love my Detroit Tigers.