farewell Mark Fidrych

He was selected AL rookie of the year and finished second to hall of
famer Jim Palmer for the Cy Young award. He started 28 games and
completed 24.

Yet Fidrych is better remembered for a lighter side
unusual among baseball players. He gave pep talks to the ball, kneeled
to arrange the dirt on the pitcher's mound, sprinted to shake the hand
of a fielder that had made a good play.

Opponents wondered whether he was putting on a show, then recognized the childlike joy was genuine.

"The
guys that have fun when they play, they're rare," said Los Angeles
Dodgers coach Larry Bowa, who played against Fidrych in the 1976
all-star game. "We knew he wasn't trying to show anyone up. That was
just how he was..."