Changes

From June 11 to 24, the Tigers started Fidrych against the Rangers - where he bested opposing pitcher Nolan Ryan - the [[Kansas City Royals]], the [[Minnesota Twins]], and the Red Sox, where the Bird posted another complete game.  Already, "Bird-mania" had taken hold, with fans filling the stadiums to see the guy who "manicured the mound" and talked to the baseball; he would also curse the baseball - as if the baseball itself made a wrong decision - every time a batter got a base hit or a home run.  He would aim the baseball like a dart.  And he sometimes interrupted the umpire to toss an errant baseball to him, with the excuse "That ball had a hit in it, so I want to get it back in the ball bag and goof around with the other balls there. Maybe it'll learn some sense and come out as a popup next time." [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/090414&sportCat=mlb]  But his own professional start was phenominal; the Tigers manager at the time was Ralph Houk, who couldn't believe what he was seeing. "In all my years in baseball, I've never seen anything like it. I don't think even Walter Johnson started this fast." [http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/sports2000/players/170315.html]   

From June 11 to 24, the Tigers started Fidrych against the Rangers - where he bested opposing pitcher Nolan Ryan - the [[Kansas City Royals]], the [[Minnesota Twins]], and the Red Sox, where the Bird posted another complete game.  Already, "Bird-mania" had taken hold, with fans filling the stadiums to see the guy who "manicured the mound" and talked to the baseball; he would also curse the baseball - as if the baseball itself made a wrong decision - every time a batter got a base hit or a home run.  He would aim the baseball like a dart.  And he sometimes interrupted the umpire to toss an errant baseball to him, with the excuse "That ball had a hit in it, so I want to get it back in the ball bag and goof around with the other balls there. Maybe it'll learn some sense and come out as a popup next time." [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/090414&sportCat=mlb]  But his own professional start was phenominal; the Tigers manager at the time was Ralph Houk, who couldn't believe what he was seeing. "In all my years in baseball, I've never seen anything like it. I don't think even Walter Johnson started this fast." [http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/sports2000/players/170315.html]   

On national television, June 28, 1976 the Yankees were at Tiger Stadium before a crowd of 47,855, and the Bird didn't disappoint.  "That's not a member of the Detroit ground crew," shouted Warner Wolf of ABC's ''Monday Night Baseball'' as the country saw for the first time the gangly mop-topped kid arranging the mound. [http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=5] The Tigers won 5-1 in a game barely lasting two hours as the country watched the antics of the Bird, with fans in the stadium refusing to leave after the game was over unless and until the Bird popped out and tipped his cap, doing so after his teammates ''pushed'' him out.  Yankees pitcher Rusty Staub, who played in that game, said of Fidrych "There's an electricity that he brings out in everyone, the players and the fans. He's different. He's a 21-year-old kid with a great enthusiasm that everyone loves. He has an inner youth, an exuberance." [http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/06.28.html]

On national television, June 28, 1976 the Yankees were at Tiger Stadium before a crowd of 47,855, and the Bird didn't disappoint.  "That's not a member of the Detroit ground crew," shouted Warner Wolf of ABC's ''Monday Night Baseball'' as the country saw for the first time the gangly mop-topped kid arranging the mound. [http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=5] The Tigers won 5-1 in a game barely lasting two hours as the country watched the antics of the Bird, with fans in the stadium refusing to leave after the game was over unless and until the Bird popped out and tipped his cap, doing so after his teammates ''pushed'' him out.  Teammate Rusty Staub said of Fidrych "There's an electricity that he brings out in everyone, the players and the fans. He's different. He's a 21-year-old kid with a great enthusiasm that everyone loves. He has an inner youth, an exuberance." [http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/06.28.html]

[[File:Fidrych manicure.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Fidrych "manicuring the mound"]]

[[File:Fidrych manicure.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Fidrych "manicuring the mound"]]

The day before the nation's Bicentennial, the Bird shut out the [[Baltimore Orioles]] 4-0, giving up just four hits in front of over 51,000 fans at a sold-out Tiger Stadium, which was also sold out in a 1-0 loss to the Royals on July 9, Fidrych going for nine innings while giving up one run.  On July 13, he was selected as the first rookie in major league history to start the All Star Game, despite losing to the National League stars 7-1. [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/asgbox/yr1976as.shtml]

The day before the nation's Bicentennial, the Bird shut out the [[Baltimore Orioles]] 4-0, giving up just four hits in front of over 51,000 fans at a sold-out Tiger Stadium, which was also sold out in a 1-0 loss to the Royals on July 9, Fidrych going for nine innings while giving up one run.  On July 13, he was selected as the first rookie in major league history to start the All Star Game, despite losing to the National League stars 7-1. [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/asgbox/yr1976as.shtml]