Northborough: Plaque to be dedicated to Mark Fidrych

By Jonathan Phelps 

Posted Aug 23, 2017 at 3:16 PMUpdated Aug 23, 2017 at 3:16 PM

    

NORTHBOROUGH — During the 7th annual Make Your Mark Softball Tournament on Saturday, the Northborough Historical Society will dedicate a historic plaque to Mark Fidrych.

Fidrych, who grew up in Northborough, became a baseball sensation playing for the Detroit Tigers in 1976. It was his striking resemblance to Big Bird of “Sesame Street,” the lanky, 6-foot-3-inch, curly-haired kid from Northborough that earned Fidrych “The Bird” nickname. The 21-year-old right-hander took the country by storm as a rookie pitcher for the Detroit Tigers during the summer of 1976, even becoming the first baseball player to land on the cover of Rolling Stone.

The marker will be placed at Memorial Field on East Main Street, where Fidrych once played. The dedication will take place at noon.

The tournament benefits the Mark Fidrych Foundation, which continues the legacy of Mark Fidrych through charitable giving.

Last year, Major League Baseball celebrated 40 years since Fidrych’s debut.

Fidrych died in an accident at his farm April 13, 2009. Fidrych, who was 54, owned a trucking company in addition to operating his farm.

As published in the MetroWest Daily News