Friend of the Fungo Justin Weeks (a.k.a. “Justin in Grand Rapids” on the podcast) sent along these two photos taken near Comerica Park and Grand Rapids, respectively.
Thanks, Justin!

I once had a Mark “The Bird” Fidrych mood ring. For the life of me, I can’t find it and I’ve also scoured my parents’ house for it. (Even an eBay search came up empty.)
The only living proof that I have of it is a photo from my oldest sister’s wedding in which I was [...]

A 1985 interview with Mark Fidrych on the TV show “Once a Star”, hosted by Jack Brickhouse, Steve Stone and former Pistons guard and TV color analyst John “Crash” Mengelt.

An Appreciation of The Bird from former Free Press Writer Joe Lapointe in The New York Times.
Obits:

The New York Times (with quotes by Ernie Harwell).
The Boston Globe

The Los Angeles Times (with quotes from former Tigers’ second baseman Gary Sutherland) — and a JPEG of a 1976 Times article on The Bird.
The Washington Post

When it comes to topics like the death of Mark Fidrych, I tend to be reflective — and that usually means several hours (or even a day) can pass before I post something about it.
I’ll certainly have more on The Bird this week, but I will share my single memory of Fidrych and his magical [...]

Mark Fidrych died today at the age of 54. That news brings out a lot of different emotions: sadness and sympathy for his family and friends; nostalgia for the time his memory evokes (and my own lost youth); surprise at the fact that he was 54, although since I’m 43, it shouldn’t have surprised me. [...]

I’m intrigued by this Kenny Rogers-may-return storyline. Based on his last few appearances in 2008 I can’t imagine there’s anything left in the tank. But then I watched the postseason and saw the Phillies’ Jamie Moyer get it done…more or less — against the Rays if not the Brewers or Dodgers.
This year, at 45, Moyer [...]

1926 – Ty Cobb resigned as Tigers manager after leading the team to a 79-75 record and a sixth-place finish. And how’s this for odd? Umpire and former Tigers infielder George Moriarty replaced Cobb. Moriarty is the first man to hold baseball’s four principal jobs: player, umpire, scout and manager. Cobb signed with the Philadelphia [...]

I was in Portland, Ore., meeting with clients this week but was able to sneak away for my first visit to Powell’s Books flagship store. (One word: Wow.)While I was waiting in line to buy three baseball books — including the hard-to-find “No Big Deal” by Mark Fidrych and Tom Clark — I snapped [...]

11-5-07 Update: In Monday morning’s Free Press, columnist Drew Sharp has a similar piece on the Fidrych/Zumaya comparison.
Thirty years ago, Tigers fans held out hope that the knee injury suffered by Mark “The Bird” Fidrych in spring training was merely a moment of turbulence on his career’s soaring trajectory. Unfortunately, Fidrych’s career — which showed [...]