Yeah, I'm Talking to the Ball. What of It?

In 1976, Big Bird left Sesame Street for the comfort of  the mound where he often gave the ball a pep-talk before he sent it on its fast and nearly un-hittable path to the waiting catcher's mitt 60 feet and six inches away.

Mark Fidrych was known to many as simply, "The Bird," for his comical resemblance to our feathered friend from Sesame Street. Fidrych's tall, lanky frame was topped with a mop-like, blond pile of hair. He enjoyed just two complete seasons in the majors - and only one that was entirely successful - but left in indelible mark on the big leagues.

1977 Topps

Fidrych was selected in the fourth round of the 1974 by the Detroit Tigers and made his MLB debut in 1976 after the Tigers traded longtime ace, Mickey Lolich. What followed was a storybook season that isn't often seen in professional sports. In his rookie debut, The Bird as named to the American League All-Star team, was named the A.L. Rookie of the Year and finished second in A.L. Cy Young voting.

Along the way, Fidrych captured the hearts of the country with his unusual antics on the mound. He was known to get on his hands and knees and groom the mound, freeing it of cleat marks, before his was willing to pitch from it. He often talked to himself, looking the ball in its little seams before letting it fly. He often strutted around the mound after every out, talking to himself, the ball, the dirt. He was known to aim the ball at the catcher's mitt, like one aims a dart, and perhaps most interestingly, he often refused to you use certain balls because they "had hits in them." He demanded that those balls be removed from the field.

My dad wasn't a Tigers fan, but I can remember him laughing at the TV when Fidrych was on. The 1977 Topps card pictured at the right was one of the first "big find" cards that I pulled from a pack. I remember rushing in to show my "BIRD CARD" to my dad. You'd have thought I had stumbled upon the Holy Grail.

However, as storied as Fidrych's 1976 season was, it was not to last. During spring training the following year, he was shagging fly balls with some teammates when he injured his knee. Later that season, while pitching a game, he tore his rotator cuff, though it would not be diagnosed as such until years later. While pitching with a terribly injured arm, he stumbled to a 6-4 record in 1977, then struggled to even pitch in a big league game between 1978 and 1985. He spent much of that time in the Tigers and Red Sox farm leagues, trying to reclaim the potency of 1976 whirlwind season, but it was not to be.

Sports Illustrated, June 1977

Fidrych last appeared in a major league game in October 1980, finally retiring in 1985 at the age of 29. He finished his career with a modest 29-19 record, an ERA of 3.10 and 170 strikeouts - pedestrian numbers for a pitcher who for a year, captured the hearts of an entire country. Fans of Fidrych's called themselves "Bird Watchers" and to this day, Fidrych's retro jersey can be spotted on Tigers fans in Detroit's Comerica Park.

After hanging up his cleats, Fidrych lived in Northborough, MA where he worked as a contractor, hauling gravel and asphalt. He also worked weekends in his mother-in-law's diner.

Tragically, The Bird died April 13, 2009 while working on a dump truck used for his business. Authorities said it appears that Fidrych's clothing became tangled in the truck's power takeoff shaft, causing him to suffocate. He was 54.

About Fidrych's three key baseball cards:

• 1977 Topps, #265 (pictured above) - This is Fidrych's official rookie card and currently has a Beckett book value of $3.00, while the 1977 Topps cloth sticker equivalent comes in at just $5.00.
• 1978 Topps, #45 - This card has a current Beckett value of $2.50.
• 1979 Topps, #625 - This card has a current Beckett value of $2.50.

Dick "Crash" Allen Crushes the Long Ball

Dick Allen might not be a name that immediately comes to mind when thinking of the game's power hitters. He's been shamefully neglected by the Hall of Fame. He earned a reputation (unfairly, many believe) for being a malcontent.

1973 Topps Dick Allen

I, along with many others, think Allen's difficulties were spurred mostly by the anti-black sentiments of the 1960s. He was subjected to racial slurs and taunts from some Philadelphia fans while in the Phillies farm system, which only grew worse when he was called up to the Phillies. In fact, he earned his nickname, "Crash," because he wore his batting helmet - even when fielding - because some fans often pelted him with garbage during their ridiculous, racially-charged taunts. He even endured being called "Rich" and "Richie" instead of "Dick," as he preferred. Topps didn't get around to getting his name right on a baseball card until 1973.

Nevertheless, through all of that, Allen put up Hall of Fame numbers - better than those of some players already in Cooperstown. For reasons that escape me he has never taken his rightful place among the greats of the game.

1975 Topps Dick Allen

Crash is remembered for the booming - and I mean thunderous - shots he sent over fences around the league. Willie Mays even once remarked that Allen hit the ball harder than any other player he'd ever seen. Allen terrorized pitchers and made fans in the deep seats keep their eyes peeled when Allen stepped to the plate.

"Allen was scary at the plate," said Mickey Lolich, former Tigers and Mets pitcher. "When he came up there, he had your attention. I want to forget a couple of line drives he hit off me, but I can’t because they almost killed me."

Allen was a 7-time all-star, was the league's MVP in 1972 and and was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1964. He retired with 351 total home runs, 1,119 RBIs and a lifetime batting average of .292. He led the AL twice in slugging percentage; he led the NL once in slugging percentage.

The debate over whether Allen belongs in the HOF has gotten more heated as Allen's years of eligibility have piled up. In fact, one excellent blogger has devoted a blog to the enshrinement of Allen in the HOF. Check out Dick Allen Hall of Fame.

June 12, 1972 Sports Illustrated cover

For fun, you should also check out the June 12, 1972 cover of Sports Illustrated. In it, Allen is smoking a cigarette while juggling baseballs near the team dugout. This cover certainly didn't help Allen's bad boy image. Seeing this cover made me laugh for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that it shows a professional athlete smoking on the field. We won't ever see that again.
Specific details about the cards featured here:

• The 1973 Topps Dick Allen is #310 out of a set of 660 cards. Given Allen's snubbing by the HOF and his polarizing personality, his cards have never commanded high prices among collectors. This card books at best for $1.50. 
• The 1975 Topps Dick Allen is #400 out of a set of 660 cards. It, too, has a paltry book value of just about 2 bucks.

Allen retired in 1977 after playing 15 seasons, the bulk of those with the Phillies (two stints) and with the White Sox. He also played for the Cards, Dodgers and A's before hanging up his cleats.