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Friday, April 20, 2018

And this bird you cannot change: My Mark Fidrych PC


I recently made a couple more minor league-heavy orders online, so expect to see a bunch of them on the blog over the next couple weeks. Included was what I believe to be a complete run of Mark Fidrych's minor league cards (for a great price, too). I'd be tempted to nickname them "Baby Bird" cards, but in fact they are post-MLB cards (not pre-), so that doesn't really fly [pun].







Love old school minor league cards!





This pair is from 1997.


And as long as I'm showing these minor league Fidryches, I thought I might as well turn this post into a "PC post" and include everything else I've got from him. For such a big character in 70s baseball history, he doesn't have all that many cards out there (thanks to the very short peak, I suppose), so being a Mark Fidrych supercollector probably wouldn't really be all that hard.


As far as his playing-days MLB cards, I've got most of them. Well, the mainstream ones, anyways. He's got some oddballs I need (1977 Kellogg's, 1977/78 MSA Discs [and variations], 1978 Sportscasters, and all his OPC cards). Also need his 1977 Topps ERA Leaders card shared with John Denny. And surprisingly I need all his 1981 cards (Topps, Donruss, Fleer). I guess I don't technically have "most" of his mainstream cards after all.


I've got some post-career cards, though I'm sure there are plenty I'm missing.


I don't have a certified autograph of his (yet), but I do have a signed 1978 Topps card I got in a package from Tony L. two or three years ago. I believe it was a TTM success from when Tony was young. Love this card! Mr. Fidrych tragically passed several years ago at the age of 54 in a farming accident.
Rest in Peace, Bird.


Enjoy your weekend, everybody!

17 comments:

  1. Great post and beautiful cards. Who doesn't PC the Bird? You have to.

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  2. I went to the game in a Pawtucket when Fidrych made his comeback. The place was sold out. Unbelievable atmosphere that night.

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  3. This makes me so relieved that The Bird wasn't around for the Bowman treatment. Can you imagine the overkill? Sometimes it's good to have a limited number of cards available. It keeps the legend intact.

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    1. On the other hand, it must've sucked for you kids in 1976 during his big season and there were zero cards of his out there for ya'll.

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    2. Eh, it wasn't even a thought in our heads. Different time. If anything, we thought "can't wait for next year to get a Fidrych card!"

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  4. Beckett count on the Bird is 190. Love the Pawtucket signing cards.

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    1. 190 seems very "doable" compared to other notable players of his ilk. And yeah, gotta love signing shots.

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  5. Nice collection, I like the 2003 Topps Retired card in particular. Didn't know he pitched for the PawSox. Hooray for minor league issues!

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    1. My "white whale" Bird card is his 2003 Topps Retired refractor auto. There's one on eBay right now, but priced too high.

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  6. I still need to add those Pawtuckets to my collection. I almost never see them in the first place, and even when I do they usually go for way more than I want to pay.

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    1. I got them for $2.25 each which I think is very fair.

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  7. I love the Bird in a Pawtucket pill-hat!

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  8. Awesome collection! Those post-career minor league cards are really cool. Whenever I think of the term fan favorite, he's always one of the first guys who come to mind.

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  9. looks like i need to pursue the minor cards. Mark was such a good guy, a good man. it still stinks that he's gone. thanks for sharing these Gav!

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