Detroit Tigers: 5 Best Late Round Picks in Team History

Mark Fidrych

Without a doubt the most exciting, electric and memorable player the Tigers have picked up in the 10th or later, Mark ‘The Bird’ Fidrych was a skinny right-handed pitcher that Detroit plugged from a high school in Virginia in the tenth round of the 1974 MLB Draft. No one knew quite what to expect, but few could have anticipated the influence Fidrych would have on the Tigers, and the game of baseball.

In 1976, the 21-year-old right-hander started the season out in Detroit’s rotation. He had one of, if not the most memorable rookie season by a Tigers player of all-time. Fidrych went 19-9 with a league-leading 2.34 ERA, 24 complete games and a 159 ERA+. He was an All-Star, a Rookie of the Year winner and finished second in Cy Young voting.

More than his performance were his antics on the field. Fidrych manicured the mound with his bare hands, talked to the ball, and displayed many other eccentricities that lead to him getting national attention. He earned the nickname ‘The Bird’ thanks to his resemblance to Sesame Street’s Big Bird character, a resemblance that landed him on one of Sports Illustrated’s most memorable covers.

Sadly, much like Zumaya, Fidrych’s career succumbed to injuries rather quickly. After his electric rookie season, Fidrych only made 27 more big league starts across the next four years. He was out of baseball by 25.

Fidrych’s baseball career wasn’t the only thing cut short, as he lost his life in a tragic tractor accident at his home in 2009.

Fidrych will forever be remembered in Detroit Tigers lore, and is without a doubt the best late round pick in Tigers history.

Perhaps Mike Gerber will be Detroit’s next great late-round pick. Maybe it will be Brock Deatherage. Maybe it will be someone none of us are thinking of. That’s the beauty of baseball.