Mark Fidyrich 1976 Game On ESPN Classic (5:00 pm 8/21/09)

**DaYooperASBDT** · 08-21-2009, 04:51 PM

Coming on in a few minutes, if the schedule is correct.

**Corky** · 08-21-2009, 04:57 PM

Thanks for the tip. DVR is set!

**Antrat** · 08-21-2009, 05:01 PM

I've seen this game several times in the last few months. I wish they'd show another one of his games from that year.

**Corky** · 08-21-2009, 05:04 PM

Wow. Eerie stuff. They have the players introduce themselves and say what their hometown is.

Billy Martin said, "Billy Martin. Born in Berkley, California. Died in New York."

Which he did.

**Antrat** · 08-21-2009, 05:09 PM

Love the "JUGS Velocity Machine".

heheh

**Corky** · 08-21-2009, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Antrat

Love the "JUGS Velocity Machine".

heheh

The Jugs gun was the standard of the industry in those days.

**Fearless Raccoon** · 08-21-2009, 05:14 PM

Thanks for letting us know about it! I'm TiVo-ing it as I type this. By the way, I was inspired to write a post on my Facebook page about this:

"RIGHT NOW - on ESPN Classic - is a rebroadcast of the Monday Night Baseball game where Mark "The Bird" Fidrych got his first taste of national exposure. You want to see pure unadulterated baseball joy? You want to, for a little while, drop your cynicism about steroids, ridiculous salaries and sports felons? Watch this game. I dare you not to grin, and maybe even shed a tear at the end."

**Corky** · 08-21-2009, 05:17 PM

Announcer commenting on how good-looking and single Rusty Staub is.

**Corky** · 08-21-2009, 05:19 PM

The good-looking redhead hits a 2-run homer!

**Antrat** · 08-21-2009, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by Fearless Raccoon

Thanks for letting us know about it! I'm TiVo-ing it as I type this. By the way, I was inspired to write a post on my Facebook page about this:

"RIGHT NOW - on ESPN Classic - is a rebroadcast of the Monday Night Baseball game where Mark "The Bird" Fidrych got his first taste of national exposure. You want to see pure unadulterated baseball joy? You want to, for a little while, drop your cynicism about steroids, ridiculous salaries and sports felons? Watch this game. I dare you not to grin, and maybe even shed a tear at the end."

I see that you have been a member for four years and have only 9 posts.

Is it nice having a life?

**DaYooperASBDT** · 08-21-2009, 05:19 PM

Rusty Staub!

**DaYooperASBDT** · 08-21-2009, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by Antrat

I see that you have been a member for four years and have only 9 posts.

Is it nice having a life?

LOL, I'd love to know myself.

**Fearless Raccoon** · 08-21-2009, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Antrat

I see that you have been a member for four years and have only 9 posts.

Is it nice having a life?

Yeah, I lurk. I read this forum almost daily, but living in Chicago, I don't see many games (that and a lovely 5 year old daughter that is great to send time with - and yes, she IS being indoctrinated).

I also build plastic airplane models as a hobby. There's a great forum for this hobby that I post on a lot more frequently. But I spend so much damn time *reading about* building airplane models, and very little time actually BUILDING them.

It's a form of insanity. Now what I mean?

**Corky** · 08-21-2009, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Fearless Raccoon

Yeah, I lurk. I read this forum almost daily, but living in Chicago, I don't see many games (that and a lovely 5 year old daughter that is great to send time with - and yes, she IS being indoctrinated).

I also build plastic airplane models as a hobby. There's a great forum for this hobby that I post on a lot more frequently. But I spend so much damn time *reading about* building airplane models, and very little time actually BUILDING them.

It's a form of insanity. Now what I mean?

But that's good. Keeps ya away from the glue fumes. I remember many a dizzy day as a kid building models . . .

**ToledoTigerFan** · 08-21-2009, 06:36 PM

I never had the aptitude to build models. Mom would buy them for me, but I could never get them together correctly. I'd always have a piece or pieces left over. I could put together a jigsaw puzzle, but I was lousy at building models.

**Bambino Lino** · 08-21-2009, 06:43 PM

I DVR'd this back when it was on the MLB Network in January. Awesome stuff. Every Tiger fan needs to watch this.

**Bambino Lino** · 08-21-2009, 06:47 PM

You should've done this in game thread format, but it's all good.

**Chaz** · 08-21-2009, 07:00 PM

What a great game!!! no walks and a complete game..anytime we beat the Yankees, it is all good!!! LOL on the encore

**Tyrus** · 08-21-2009, 07:03 PM

My son was in Jason Thompson's baseball school in Auburn Hills last year. Jason was great with the kids...but having gotten to know him as an old man, it's funny seeing him looking so young during his playing days. He's since put on a few pounds -- as have we all!

**Tyrus** · 08-21-2009, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by Corky

Announcer commenting on how good-looking and single Rusty Staub is.

You've heard the rumors about Rusty I take it?

**TigersFan81371** · 08-21-2009, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by Fearless Raccoon

You want to see pure unadulterated baseball joy?

Good description. I think my favorite moment is the curtain call and post-game interview. The look on The Bird's face is priceless. It's like he didn't realize that all those people had come to see him. It's like he wasn't yet aware just how deeply he'd affected the fans throughout that city and this state.

**Fearless Raccoon** · 08-21-2009, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by TigersFan81371

Good description. I think my favorite moment is the curtain call and post-game interview. The look on The Bird's face is priceless. It's like he didn't realize that all those people had come to see him. It's like he wasn't yet aware just how deeply he'd affected the fans throughout that city and this state.

That is my favorite moment too, and you nailed it. In fact, this is one of my all-time favorite baseball moments. Beating the Yankees in the 2006 playoffs at home, and the ensuing celebration, is also way up there on my list.

**Corky** · 08-21-2009, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by Tyrus

My son was in Jason Thompson's baseball school in Auburn Hills last year. Jason was great with the kids...but having gotten to know him as an old man, it's funny seeing him looking so young during his playing days. He's since put on a few pounds -- as have we all!

Originally Posted by Tyrus

You've heard the rumors about Rusty I take it?

I seem to recall some rumours about Jason T. in the late 70s and early 80s. Never could find out much but I heard people talking about it at the time.

Never heard any of that about Le Grande Orange.

**Tyrus** · 08-21-2009, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Corky

I seem to recall some rumours about Jason T. in the late 70s and early 80s. Never could find out much but I heard people talking about it at the time.

Never heard any of that about Le Grande Orange.

I'm not sure what rumor you heard about JT...the one that was going around about Rusty was that he was gay.

**ToledoTigerFan** · 08-21-2009, 08:43 PM

Well, Rusty was a gourmet cook and wanted to open his own restaurant. Not sure that makes him gay. I think he actually is a restaurant owner these days.

**lordstanley** · 08-21-2009, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by Corky

Announcer commenting on how good-looking and single Rusty Staub is.

Speaking of good looking and single, every time I watch the replay of this game I hope that the camera picked up a shot of me sitting in the lower deck in left. But we were there celebrating my 9th birthday, so likely my friends and I scared off the cameras because of the ice cream coming out of our noses and our wide open mouths stuffed with hot dogs.

**Eric Cioe** · 08-21-2009, 09:10 PM

Why would you ever post the year of a Fidyrich game? It's not like he had more than one good one.

**lordstanley** · 08-21-2009, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by Eric Cioe

Why would you ever post the year of a Fidyrich game? It's not like he had more than one good one.

There were some huge crowds and excitement in 1977 as well. He got off to a 6-2 start by July after a late start to the year due to the injury. I went to a few games that year with him on the mound in front of more than 45,000 fans.

**DaYooperASBDT** · 08-22-2009, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by lordstanley

There were some huge crowds and excitement in 1977 as well. He got off to a 6-2 start by July after a late start to the year due to the injury. I went to a few games that year with him on the mound in front of more than 45,000 fans.

Let him go, he's on a roll ......

**chasfh** · 08-22-2009, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by Antrat

Love the "JUGS Velocity Machine".

heheh

Probably named after this:

**lordstanley** · 08-22-2009, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by DaYooperASBDT

Let him go, he's on a roll ......

I don't think Fidrych was at Pearl Harbor.

**ToledoTigerFan** · 08-22-2009, 01:38 PM

Why was Raquel "Jugs"?

**DaYooperASBDT** · 08-22-2009, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by lordstanley

I don't think Fidrych was at Pearl Harbor.

The greatest thing of all about Mark Fidrych - he never changed one bit, maybe a bit older and wiser, but that wonderful personality, work ethic, and humility stayed with him until the end. During good times and bad, he still treated every day like a new gift from God. I truly loved that man.