Mark "The Bird" Fidrych: 1954-2009

Below is a cool Mark Fidrych story from another board that Cooch and I wanted to post to the diary:


Every once in a while, somebody touches your life. Mark Fidrych touched mine. In 1996 Mark attended the Red Sox Fantasy Camp. It was to my knowledge, the only time he attended. We had met each other in passing early in the week, but on Wednesday that week, Mark Fidrych and I got (really) drunk together.

There was this character at the camp that year who owned a bar in downtown Ft. Myers. His name was Louie something. Wednesday night is the normal "off night" at the camp. So this Louie character, seeking to promote his bar, declared an event would be held at his joint for all the people at the camp with free food, drink specials, and a "surprise." The name of his place was "Screwy Louie's."

Having nothing to do, I wandered over to Screwy Louie's to see what might be up. There was nobody around, so I bellied up to the bar and ordered a scotch. I'm sitting there a while and this guy plops down next to me and says, "I got the next round. What are you drinking?" It's Fidrych.

So Fidrych starts chatting up the bartender, a very, very desirable young blonde, and tells her a story about how he and I are old friends and just ran into each other that night. She bites and provides the round free. "Smooth move," I say to Fidrych.

"Ya just gutta know people," he says. He has a thick Mass accent.

We get to chatting. He says he's from Northboro. I mention I played in and won a Little League tournament there in 1972. I mention I remember it was the first field I ever saw with advertising on the outfield fence. I mention a few of the establishments I remember in the ads. One in particular was the "Tip 'a Can Trash Removal Company." Fidryich goes nuts. He knows the owners. Uses the company for some of his business on the farm, etc. Says to me, "I'm buying all night and you're not going to argue with me..."

"If you say so Mark. Not necessary though. I'm happy to get my share.

"I say so," he says.

We spent the next four maybe five hours drinking and bullshitting. He tells me how happy he is just working his farm in Northboro. Tells me stories from Detroit and Pawtucket I can't repeat. Just on and on. One of the trainers from the Red Sox staff eventually sat with us. We began to notice the blonde bartender fox more and more as the evening went on (of course). She was wearing very tight shorts which accentuated the specific anatomical details of her, um, parts...

Picture three guys sitting at a crap bar in downtown Fort Myers for three or four hours, having a contest to come up with all the euphemisms to describe this young lady's parts... All I can remember is the laughing. Laughing for the sake of laughing and learning several euphemisms I'd not heard before. We got together a couple of times later in the week but after it was over, I never saw him again.

Mark Fidrych was a gem guys. I felt a little for Adenhart. I felt a little more for Kalas. I feel this one. Fidrych was nuts but he was a great kind of nuts. He was the happiest-go-luckiest guy I ever met. And I'm glad I got the chance, really glad.

Take care Mark. Thanks for the drinks. Thanks for the memory. At least you were doing what you loved to do when your time came. Camel Toes Forever man...