\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cuando eres un ganador siempre est\u00c3\u00a1s feliz, pero si eres feliz cuando pierdes, siempre ser\u00c3\u00a1s un perdedor.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Mark Fidrych.<\/p>\n
El joven que trabajaba en una gasolinera antes de jugar b\u00c3\u00a9isbol profesional, el que galvaniz\u00c3\u00b3 las Grandes Ligas en 1976 con sus conversaciones con la pelota, y un repertorio que mareaba a los bateadores, fue hallado muerto este lunes 13 de abril de 2009 debajo de su camioneta en su finca de Northborough, Massachusetts. Al parecer hab\u00c3\u00ada estado reparando la camioneta.<\/p>\n
Aquella tarde de mediados de mayo de 1976 cada tecla que marcaba sonaba como un disparo sobre el papel. Pap\u00c3\u00a1 entr\u00c3\u00b3 a la oficina justo cuando prend\u00c3\u00ada el radio en la esquina del aire acondicionado. Ju\u00c3\u00a1n Ven\u00c3\u00a9 saludaba desde el Tiger Stadium. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Salud fan\u00c3\u00a1ticos. El deporte vuelve a unirnos\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
__Voy a necesitar tu ayuda para ajustar la hora del anuncio publicitario. Todav\u00c3\u00ada no, voy a comer y vengo.<\/p>\n
Varias veces mis manos dejaron de tocar las teclas. Ven\u00c3\u00a9 hablaba de un pitcher a qui\u00c3\u00a9n llamaban el p\u00c3\u00a1jaro. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Que personaje este Mark Fidrych, le habla a la pelota en cada lanzamiento, se arrodilla en el mont\u00c3\u00adculo para hacer marcas en la caja de lanzar, y da vueltas en el mont\u00c3\u00adculo cada vez que hace un out. Todo eso parece funcionar porque tiene a los Indios de Cleveland sin hits ni carreras en 6 innings\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
Cuando iba por la mitad del trabajo de Historia de Venezuela son\u00c3\u00b3 un trueno que cambi\u00c3\u00b3 el juego de pelota por un chisporroteo de interferencias. Las ganas de saber si Fidrych segu\u00c3\u00ada lanzando no hit no run me hicieron subir al techo de la casa para volver a sintonizar el juego. Cuando volv\u00c3\u00ad a escuchar la voz de Juan Ven\u00c3\u00a9, Pap\u00c3\u00a1 grit\u00c3\u00b3 desde la calle.<\/p>\n
__Alfonso \u00c2\u00bfQu\u00c3\u00a9 te hiciste?<\/p>\n
Le di todo el volumen al radio y baj\u00c3\u00a9 por la pared de bloques de dibujos. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Buddy Bell conecta l\u00c3\u00adnea de hit a la izquierda\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Mientras sosten\u00c3\u00ada la escalera de aluminio para que Pap\u00c3\u00a1 ajustara la hora en que deb\u00c3\u00ada encender la publicidad, estiraba el cuello para ver si escuchaba el radio. Lo \u00c3\u00banico que o\u00c3\u00ada era la sinfon\u00c3\u00ada de los grillos y las ranas.<\/p>\n
Cuando regres\u00c3\u00a9 al techo estaban en los comentarios finales. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Los Tigres se llevan la victoria 2-1 con trabajo excelente de Mark Fidrych, un pitcher que no hab\u00c3\u00ada abierto un juego desde el comienzo de la temporada y hoy lo hace porque se enferm\u00c3\u00b3 el pitcher que estaba programado. Me parece que al menos se gan\u00c3\u00b3 la oportunidad de abrir otro juego\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
A principios de junio sub\u00c3\u00ad al techo bajo el lienzo anaranjado del atardecer. Ten\u00c3\u00ada que estudiar para los examenes finales de tercer a\u00c3\u00b1o de bachillerato. Me llev\u00c3\u00a9 el radio en el bolsillo del pantal\u00c3\u00b3n. Bajo la luz del poste m\u00c3\u00a1s de una vez interrump\u00c3\u00ad las reacciones qu\u00c3\u00admicas o las factorizaciones. El radio humeaba. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tremendo duelo de pitcheo se\u00c3\u00b1ores, vamos a extrainning con el juego igualado a 2 carreras. Bert Blyleven por los Rangers de Texas y el P\u00c3\u00a1jaro Fidrych por los Tigres de Detroit se han fajado como los buenos\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
Los Tigres ganaron el juego 3-2 en 11 episodios. Ambos pitchers lanzaron completo. Cuando Fidrych domin\u00c3\u00b3 a Mike Hargrove con elevado al jard\u00c3\u00adn derecho, corri\u00c3\u00b3 hacia all\u00c3\u00a1 para estrechar la mano de Rusty Staub.<\/p>\n
A mediados de julio en medio de la intensidad de los examenes finales entr\u00c3\u00a9 un mediod\u00c3\u00ada a la oficina. Ven\u00c3\u00ada de presentar matem\u00c3\u00a1ticas y necesitaba olvidarme de todos esos n\u00c3\u00bameros. Agarr\u00c3\u00a9 la p\u00c3\u00a1gina deportiva del peri\u00c3\u00b3dico. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Detroit 1 Oakland 0. El P\u00c3\u00a1jaro Fidrych volvi\u00c3\u00b3 a lanzar 11 innings y se apunt\u00c3\u00b3 su d\u00c3\u00a9cima victoria\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
Aquella temporada de 1976 Fidrych termin\u00c3\u00b3 con marca de 19-9 en 31 juegos, abri\u00c3\u00b3 29, complet\u00c3\u00b3 24 (l\u00c3\u00adder), 4 blanqueos, 250.1 innings, 217 hits, 12 jonrones, 65 carreras limpias, 53 boletos, 97 ponches, 2.34 de efectividad (l\u00c3\u00adder). Lanz\u00c3\u00b3 3 juegos de 11 o m\u00c3\u00a1s innings. Gan\u00c3\u00b3 el premio Novato del A\u00c3\u00b1o.<\/p>\n
Fidrych se lesion\u00c3\u00b3 el cart\u00c3\u00adlago de la rodilla mientras retozaba en los jardines en los entrenamientos primaverales de 1977. Regres\u00c3\u00b3 luego de recuperarse de la lesi\u00c3\u00b3n pero seis semanas despu\u00c3\u00a9s declar\u00c3\u00b3 que sent\u00c3\u00ada el brazo muerto. Era una lesi\u00c3\u00b3n del manguito rotador pero esta no fue diagnosticada hasta 1985.<\/p>\n
El P\u00c3\u00a1jaro jug\u00c3\u00b3 sus 5 campa\u00c3\u00b1as en Grandes Ligas (1976-1980) con los Tigres de Detroit.<\/p>\n
Su apodo se lo puso uno de sus entrenadores en las ligas menores, proviene de su parecido con \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Big Bird\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (P\u00c3\u00a1jaro grande) el personaje de Plaza S\u00c3\u00a9samo.<\/p>\n
Al momento de su muerte Fidrych contaba 54 a\u00c3\u00b1os. Viv\u00c3\u00ada con su esposa Ann y su hija Jessica.<\/p>\n
English Translation<\/strong><\/p>\n “When you’re a winner you’re always happy, but if you’re happy as a loser you’ll always be a loser.” Mark Fidrych<\/p>\n The guy who worked in a gas station before playing professional baseball, the one that galvanized major league baseball with his talks to the ball, and a stuff that paralyzed the batters, was found dead this Monday April 13th beneath his pickup truck at his farm in Northborough, Massachusetts. He appeared to be working on the truck.<\/p>\n That mid May 1976 evening each button of the typewriter I pushed sounded like a shot over the paper. Dad came into the office when I turned on the transistor radio. Juan Ven\u00c3\u00a9 made his greetings from Tiger Stadium. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153God bless you fans. Sports brings us together again.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n __I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to need your help for adjusting the clock of the publicity ligh. Not yet. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to eat at first.<\/p>\n I stopped hitting the typewriter buttons many times. Ven\u00c3\u00a9 talked about a pitcher who was called the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bird.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What a character is this Mark Fidrych. He talks to the ball in each delivery, he crouch down on the pitcher’s mound and fix cleat marks, he struts around the mound after every out. All of this seems to give good results because he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s beating the Cleveland Indians with a no hitter in 6 innings.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n When I had half the History of Venezuela homework done, a thunder broke the heaven and the ballgame broacast got changed by an interference. My curiosity to know if Fidrych kept hurling a no hitter made me climb to the roof to connect again with the ballgame. When I finally listened again Juan Ven\u00c3\u00a9\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice in the radio, Dad shouted from the street.<\/p>\n __Alfonso Where are you?<\/p>\n I raised the radio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s volume and came down through the wall. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Buddy Bell hits a base hit to the left field…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n While I hold the metalic ladder for Dad to adjust the time when the publicty should light on, I stretched my neck to see if I could listen to the game. All that I heard was the crickets and frogs symphony.<\/p>\n When I got back to the roof they were making the final comment. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Tigers win 2-1 with an excellent job by Mark Fidrich, a pitcher who hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t started a game in the whole season and he did it today because the guy supposed to start today got the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcflu. I think that at least he won another chance to start a game.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n At the beginning of June I climbed to the roof under the orange kanvas of the sunset. I had to study for the final examinations of high school\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s third year. I took the radio in the pocket of my pants. Under the street lights I interrupted the chemistry reactions or the math problems. The radio fumed everywhere. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a great pitching duel. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to extrainning with the game tied 2-2. Bert Blyleven for the Texas Rangers and Mark Fidrych for the Detroit Tigers are performing very well.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n The Tigers won 3-2 in eleven innings. Both pitchers hurled the distance. When Fidrych made the first out in the bottom of the eleventh inning with a Mike Hargrove\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s popup to the right field. Fidrych ran to the outfield to shake Rusty Staub\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand.<\/p>\n At mid July, in the middle of the final examinations, I went into the office at noon. I came from the math examination and needed to forget about all those numbers. I got the sports section of the paper. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Detroit 1 Oakland 0. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Fidrych the Bird hurled 11 innings again and got his tenth victory\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n That 1976 season Fidrych finished with record of 19 wins and 9 losses, 31 games, 29 starts, 24 complete games (leader), 4 shutouts, 250.1 innings, 217 hits, 12 home runs, 65 earned runs, 63 walks, 97 struckouts, 2.34 ERA (leader). He threw 3 games of 11 or more innings. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in the American League.<\/p>\n Fidrych tore the cartilage in his knee fooling around in the outfield during spring training in 1977. He picked up where he left off after his return from the injury, but about six weeks after his return, during a game against Baltimore, he felt his arm just, in his words, “go dead.” It was a torn rotator cuff, but it would not be diagnosed until 1985.<\/p>\n The Bird played his 5 seasons in MLB (1976-1980) with the Detroit Tigers.<\/p>\n In the minor leagues one of his coaches dubbed the lanky right-handed pitcher “The Bird” because of his resemblance to “Big Bird” of the Sesame Street television program.<\/p>\n At the moment of his death Fidrych was 54 years old. He lived with his wife Ann and his daughter Jessica.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1146\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}