MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1977 TOPPS MARK FIDRYCH

 

 

            As had become customary over the previous few years, the 1977 Topps base set contained 660 cards. In this installment, the production team added a Turn Back the Clock subset showcasing pivotal moments in baseball history. There is also a Big League Brothers subset that includes four pairs of siblings, including George and Ken Brett. Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Bruce Sutter made their Topps debuts along with Braves’ great Dale Murphy, but the card most kids in my age group were chasing that year was Mark Fidrych.

            Fidrych burst upon the scene in 1976 with the Tigers. He was seldom-used until May 15, when he tossed a complete game two-hitter against Cleveland. During this exceptional performance, he drew a great deal of attention to himself with his unusual behaviors. The 21-year-old hurler compulsively walked in a circle around the mound, groomed the dirt with his bare hands, and talked to the baseball as if commanding it to do what he wanted. It was an eccentric display few fans had seen the likes of before.

Fidrych finished the season with an AL-best 2.34 ERA and a 19-9 record—numbers good enough to claim Rookie of the Year honors. Asked about his conversations with baseballs, he told a reporter that he wasn’t actually talking to the ball, he was just trying to “keep his head in the game.” Tall and lanky with curly locks, Fidrych (a right-hander) had received the nickname “The Bird” from a minor league coach who believed that he bore a resemblance to a popular Sesame Street character. The name stuck with him throughout his brief career. Fidrych’s high energy level and quirky personality endeared him to teammates in Detroit. “There’s nothing contrived about him and that’s what makes him a beautiful person,” said slugger Rusty Staub. “There’s an electricity that he brings out in everyone, players and fans. He’s different.”

By 1977, Fidrych had become a national sensation, gracing the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (the first ballplayer to make such an appearance). A staff writer asserted that he was “the embodiment of Rock-and-Roll baseball.” But misfortune struck early in the year. While shagging flies in spring training, he injured his knee and underwent surgery. He returned in late-May and won six straight games. He was off to a 6-2 start when he felt his arm give out in a game against the Orioles. He was never the same. After logging two complete-game victories in 1978, he ended up being sidelined again. Comeback attempts in 1979 and 1980 were unsuccessful. He retired in June of 1983, having appeared in just 58 major league games. A post-career medical diagnosis revealed that he had suffered a torn rotator cuff.

In April of 2009, Fidrych died in a freak accident that occurred while he was working on a dump truck that he owned. He apparently suffocated beneath the vehicle after his clothing got caught in one of the engine’s moving parts. The Tigers honored him with a moment of silence at Comerica Park.

Fidrych’s 1977 Topps issue is unusual in that it features both the gold All-Star Rookie cup and the American League All-Star designation. It remains a popular card among collectors. There are currently less than 20 Gem Mint PSA-graded examples, which carry an estimated value of $1,350. One copy sold at auction for more than twice that much. Cards evaluated in mid-grade condition can fetch close to $100 while raw copies average $10-$20 on eBay depending on how roughly they have been handled.