Mark Fidrych
Definition
A professional Major League Baseball pitcher (1954–2009), nicknamed 'The Bird,' known for his eccentric behavior on the mound, including talking to the baseball, grooming the dirt around the mound, and his meteoric rise to fame during his 1976 rookie season with the Detroit Tigers.
Examples
If Mark Fidrych were pitching today, the social media team would probably have to set up a dedicated live-stream just for his conversations with the baseball.
He possessed the kind of manic, lovable energy that made you wonder if Mark Fidrych was actually preparing for a pitch or casting a gentle sporting hex on the batter.
Young pitchers these days try to look stoic on the mound, but they lack the vintage flair of Mark Fidrych turning a routine strikeout into a full-blown performance art piece.