Mark "The Bird" Fidrych is still worth remembering

It's been nearly 2 years since Mark Fidrych died and as a baseball fan, it still makes me sad knowing he is no longer around.

We may never see another unlikely and insanely bizarre success story like The Bird ever again, but I truly hope we do.

We need more FUN stars. We need more players on the field who are awesome and cool and that we can point to and say "if I had a decent pitch, that could be me."

I am convinced that is why Fernando Valenzuela is still a God at Chavez Ravine. Every Mexican American who watched him pitch thought "Hey that looks like me!" or "that looks like my buddy!" and felt they were only a screwball away from being a World Series hero.

The Bird was a goof ball from Massachusetts who just happened to have the ability to get batters out.

Gee whiz, I wonder why he is so loved by THIS goofball from Massachusetts!

Watch this video and enjoy the Bird. And while you are at it, baseball... find a new Bird.

The Bird!

I realize on my Rest in Peace post for Mark Fidrych I used a picture of him on the cover of S.I.

Now there have been a lot of baseball players on the cover of S.I. But Fidrych was the first ever athlete to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone.

Not Joe Namath.

Not Ali.

Not Arthur Ashe.

Not Billie Jean King.

Not Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Not Bruce Jenner.

It was the Bird.

If THAT isn't a sign of how loved and cool he was, then I can't think of a better barometer.

I was originally going to change the picture on the Rest in Peace post. But then I figured the Bird was worth two posts!

Rest in Peace Mark Fidrych

I included Mark Fidrych in my All Time Home Grown vs. Acquired Team for the Tigers. Some people thought it was a strange pick but I stand by a statement I made:

I am convinced that if he didn't get injured (his rotator cuff injury was diagnosed until he was out of baseball) he would have been one of the biggest and most beloved stars in the history of baseball.

As it is, his tragic death is still front page news on the sports section.

He made baseball fun, goofy and 33 years later, the idea of him talking to the ball on the mound can make any baseball fan smile.

Baseball needs more players like The Bird.

Rest in Peace.