RIP Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, announcer Harry Kalas

by mikev on Apr 13, 2009 3:27 PM PDT

Non A's related. So what.

ESPN link to Fidrych story: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4065778

USA Today link: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-04-13-fidrych-dead_N.htm

The 1976 Rookie Of The Year was found dead, apparently from an accident while working on his pickup truck on his farm in Northborough.

He was 54. RIP.

Also, Phillies announcer (and NFL Films voice) Harry Kalas was found passed out in the broadcast booth before Monday's game. USAToday link: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/phillies/2009-04-13-kalas-phillies_N.htm

What a horrible week for baseball.

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Marilyn Chambers as well

Enjoy the game

by DCinWC on Apr 13, 2009 3:27 PM PDT reply actions

beat me to it.

Beat something anyhow…

ooooh, better than last years. Yeah, that should be the standard that lineups are judged against. --xbhaskarx

by Leopold Bloom on Apr 13, 2009 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, her too, but it wasn't baseball related.

Still sucks :(

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Apr 13, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Bat and Balls?

Enjoy the game

by DCinWC on Apr 13, 2009 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I wasn't gonna go there.

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Apr 13, 2009 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Dang

Fidrych is dead? I wasn’t alive when he pitched, but the retrospectives I’ve seen about him make him out to be a very compelling player.

Memo to everyone currently or formerly connected with major league baseball: Please stop dying. Thanks a million,

- Joey

I just remembered I love Eric Chavez.

by Joey C. on Apr 13, 2009 3:31 PM PDT reply actions

Nice recent interview with him on MLB TV

Maybe they’ll run it again this week. RIP.

by Mark H on Apr 13, 2009 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions

I only saw Fidrych pitch once

as part of a great weekend of pitching at the Coliseum in 1976.

In the Sunday game, Mike Torrez and Fidrych battled in a fine duel, with Gene Tenace finally driving in the winning run off Fidrych in the bottom of the 12th.

A’s 2, Tigers 1, 12 innings, 8-29-76

The previous day, Vida Blue had a no-hitter going with one out in the 9th, when Mickey Stanley hit a long home run to break it up.

A’s 5, Tigers 2, 8-28-76

by Soaker on Apr 13, 2009 5:03 PM PDT reply actions

What a character.

MLB network showed a classic game that he pitched. Talking to the baseballs and smiling ALL the time. Sad.

by fansince1980 on Apr 13, 2009 10:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Folks here in the Philly area are devastated about Kalas

He was the #1 PXP guy for Philadelphia’s only baseball team for nearly 40 years. He also happened to be very good at his job. He called Matt Stairs’s HR last night (Kalas’s last HR call), and came to the park today and collapsed in the announcers’ booth. I heard the last inning of the game on the radio tonight — the Phillies’ radio guys sounded like they’d been kicked in the gut, and barely held it together on the sign-off.

I remember how I felt when Bill King died, and that happened in the offseason. Imagine how it would have felt if Bill had died a few hours before a game.

And that’s very sad about Fidrych, too. He still had a lot of life in front of him.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 13, 2009 5:32 PM PDT reply actions

Geez. What a week.

:-(

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Apr 13, 2009 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions

When King died a was depressed for 3 days!

And I still get bummed when I think about it.

by fansince1980 on Apr 13, 2009 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Roger that, fansince1980.

Bill was one of the reasons I loved to listen to baseball (and subsequently ANY sport) on the radio rather than watch on television. He was one of my main reasons for getting into radio (it was originally going to be sports radio, but it actually became radio DJ grin). I was crestfallen when he passed away. Still think about him all the time (see my profile pic). And to top it off, almost a year to the day after he passed, I lost my Mom to cancer. She was a huge A’s fan and loved to take my brother and I to games all the time.

Let’s just say that the middle of October is not a happy time in my household. Unless our A’s can win the Series. :*)

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, doctor, and I'm happy to state that I've finally won out over it." -- Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart), "Harvey"

by Derwood13 on Apr 14, 2009 7:37 AM PDT up reply actions

Good point

about Bill King.

Gimme Steam!! - P Gabriel

by somebodyelse on Apr 13, 2009 11:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Former Cal football coach Bruce Snyder died, today, too

SFGate article.

Unbelievable.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Apr 13, 2009 5:55 PM PDT reply actions

What the hell is going on

Clear its radiance shine...

by ATarHeel on Apr 13, 2009 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Harry Kalas

I can’t help myself. I have to post something, somewhere, about Harry Kalas.

I’m not a Phillies fan. I’ve rooted for them somewhat recently because they had my favorite players for a couple years, but in general I have no attachment to that city or that franchise. But I’ll say this: Harry Kalas is the best baseball play-by-play man in the history of the sport. Harry Kalas on his worst day was better than Vin Scully could ever hope to be, and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration at all (of course, I’ve never understood why Scully is so popular, but that’s a topic for another day). Kalas had the quintessential sports voice, and this is a horrible loss for the sports world. This really, really saddens me.

I’ve said my piece. Time to fade back into the shadows.

by thejd44 on Apr 13, 2009 11:12 PM PDT reply actions

He had some serious pipes.

God- given to only a few. I had no idea he was the NFL Films guy.

Gimme Steam!! - P Gabriel

by somebodyelse on Apr 13, 2009 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions

I haven't heard Kalas, but I'll agree that I can't for the life of me

figure out why Vin Scully is considered to be “so-o-o good.”

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Apr 15, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions

mark. could be a generational thing. espn classic showed again last night ‘76 game fidrych beats yankees june tiger stadium complete game. had my 22 yr old son watch the fidrych pitched half innings. he didn’t see what the fuss was about… r.i.p. mark.

owner of a lonely tarp

by oakath on Apr 15, 2009 9:06 AM PDT reply actions