(I don't know about you, but I'm quite happy that the baseball season is beginning in April again. Starting baseball in March doesn't seem right, especially to someone here in the Northeast. So I'm appreciating a season opener in April -- it's Opening Night Eve! And I'm appreciating another edition of Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 25th in a series):
I was reading the sports wire this evening, and I stumbled across a New York Times story about Josh Wilker and Cardboard Gods. You can read about it here. But if you're still the "I need a newspaper in my hands" type (and God bless you if you are), then you can read about it in Sunday's Times.
It's quite the interesting story about a blog that I like a lot. I consider my Cardboard Appreciaton posts the closest that I get to anything that's on Cardboard Gods. Mr. Wilker and I are about the same age and began collecting at about the same time. And as a writer myself, I could probably do a close approximation of Josh's writing style and perspective. But I couldn't do it nearly as well or nearly as often. He truly has a unique outlook.
Mark Fidrych is the first Cardboard God ever featured on Mr. Wilker's site. It wasn't the card featured above. It was Fidrych's 1980 Topps card. But I'm showing the 1977 card because I'd like to remember the happiest of times for Fidrych.
This card has been written about a lot. For people who grew up in the '70s, it is one of the quintessential cards of the era. People who were born in the late '70s or '80s probably are sick of hearing about The Bird, but that's only because they feel like they missed out on one fantastic show (or at least that's what I hope they're feeling).
Fidrych was an absolute sensation in 1976. This was long before the era of media saturation and sensationalism. But you could not help but hear about the guy. He was happy. He was flaky. He could pitch. I loved reading about Fidrych. And when he appeared on Monday Night Baseball in June of '76, I begged my mother to let me stay up to watch it (I think I got to see the first three innings).
Fidrych was electric in the most spastic way possible. Yes, he talked to the ball. Yes, he got down on his knees to smooth the mound. Yes, he went around and shook teammates' hands while on the field. He was buzzing all the time. And he made the fans buzz. Hell, I felt like I ate a pound of sugar just watching him in my living room.
Even when he actually got down to pitching, you were on the edge of your bean bag chair. Because even though he wasn't wild, he always seemed on the verge of being wild.
The most surprising thing to me though was that Fidrych wasn't a lefty. Left-handers own that schtick. Maybe that's why Mark never suceeded beyond his rookie year. He was a right-hander trying to be a lefty.
For those of you who weren't around in '76, the '77 Topps card captures just about everything you wanted to know about Fidrych. The joy. The wackiness. The hair. The excellence (an All-Star bar AND a rookie cup!).
I really must upgrade this card. But even in its tired state, it remains a card worth appreciating. And Fidrych is a player who will never be forgotten or go unappreciated.
I was reading the sports wire this evening, and I stumbled across a New York Times story about Josh Wilker and Cardboard Gods. You can read about it here. But if you're still the "I need a newspaper in my hands" type (and God bless you if you are), then you can read about it in Sunday's Times.It's quite the interesting story about a blog that I like a lot. I consider my Cardboard Appreciaton posts the closest that I get to anything that's on Cardboard Gods. Mr. Wilker and I are about the same age and began collecting at about the same time. And as a writer myself, I could probably do a close approximation of Josh's writing style and perspective. But I couldn't do it nearly as well or nearly as often. He truly has a unique outlook.
Mark Fidrych is the first Cardboard God ever featured on Mr. Wilker's site. It wasn't the card featured above. It was Fidrych's 1980 Topps card. But I'm showing the 1977 card because I'd like to remember the happiest of times for Fidrych.
This card has been written about a lot. For people who grew up in the '70s, it is one of the quintessential cards of the era. People who were born in the late '70s or '80s probably are sick of hearing about The Bird, but that's only because they feel like they missed out on one fantastic show (or at least that's what I hope they're feeling).
Fidrych was an absolute sensation in 1976. This was long before the era of media saturation and sensationalism. But you could not help but hear about the guy. He was happy. He was flaky. He could pitch. I loved reading about Fidrych. And when he appeared on Monday Night Baseball in June of '76, I begged my mother to let me stay up to watch it (I think I got to see the first three innings).
Fidrych was electric in the most spastic way possible. Yes, he talked to the ball. Yes, he got down on his knees to smooth the mound. Yes, he went around and shook teammates' hands while on the field. He was buzzing all the time. And he made the fans buzz. Hell, I felt like I ate a pound of sugar just watching him in my living room.
Even when he actually got down to pitching, you were on the edge of your bean bag chair. Because even though he wasn't wild, he always seemed on the verge of being wild.
The most surprising thing to me though was that Fidrych wasn't a lefty. Left-handers own that schtick. Maybe that's why Mark never suceeded beyond his rookie year. He was a right-hander trying to be a lefty.
For those of you who weren't around in '76, the '77 Topps card captures just about everything you wanted to know about Fidrych. The joy. The wackiness. The hair. The excellence (an All-Star bar AND a rookie cup!).
I really must upgrade this card. But even in its tired state, it remains a card worth appreciating. And Fidrych is a player who will never be forgotten or go unappreciated.
Comments
I was born in 74 and you're right, I do feel like I missed out on a fantastic show. I'm not sick of hearing about the Bird, though. I doubt I ever will be.
I was so struck by that game I even wrote a post about it. Mr. Wilker was kind enough to leave me a comment. Made my day.