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→Major leagues: adde a little more
Players, reporters, critics referred to him as a "flake". "He's not as flaky as they say," said manager Ralph Houk. "When he's on the mound, he doesn't know there's anyone else around. He talks to himself to help his concentration. And as a rule, we play good in the field behind him. Players like to play behind a guy who throws strikes." And during 1976, it was other teams that called the Tigers' front desk, asking the organization to rearrange the schedule so that the Bird would play before ''their'' fans whenever the Tigers came to ''their'' towns. [http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=5]
Players, reporters, critics referred to him as a "flake". "He's not as flaky as they say," said manager Ralph Houk. "When he's on the mound, he doesn't know there's anyone else around. He talks to himself to help his concentration. And as a rule, we play good in the field behind him. Players like to play behind a guy who throws strikes." And during 1976, it was other teams that called the Tigers' front desk, asking the organization to rearrange the schedule so that the Bird would play before ''their'' fans whenever the Tigers came to ''their'' towns. [http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=5]
During the remainder of July, the Tigers won four of five games in which Fidrych started, including a memorable one in Minneapolis on the 20th in which the Twins released 13 pigeons in "honor" of the Bird's 13th start, in which Fidrych and the Tigers thought was meant to blow his concentration. The Tigers won that game anyway, 8-3.
The remainder of the 1976 season had the Bird getting six more wins against the Indians, Rangers, White Sox, Yankees, and the Brewers, to sell-out crowds. "Bird-Mania" was limited to the presence of the Bird playing; without him fan attendence was below average. On September 22, only 3,616 fans showed up at Tiger Stadium to watch the Indian beat the Tigers, 3-0...without the Bird on the mound.
==Retirement and death==
==Retirement and death==