I'm fairly certain that when I was a kid collecting baseball cards, watching games, playing in little league I'd heard of Mark Fidrych. I may have even been able to tell you who he played for. But, nothing much more than that. I'd missed the boat so to speak.
Fast forward to about 8-12 months ago, I couldn't say for sure how long. I finally caught up with my baseball cards. I hit the internet and found blogs, among them Cardboard Gods. I read about Fidrych, the "all time single season leader in joy." Never again would someone speak of Fidrych and me not know who they were talking about.
About a month ago MLB Network replayed a game of his. It was so astounding, so awesome, so incredible that I immediately had to write this post. Mark Fidrych was better than I had ever known. I felt lucky to have seen it. It was a "now I get it" moment and it made me feel good to get it.
It made me happy to be a member of the Fidrych appreciator's club, no matter how late the to game I seemed to have been. And now this. Now it's like something is over before it even began (for me) and I'm just left here feeling sorry for myself. I know it's selfish and I don't care.
Take care on the other side Mark. We hardly knew ya.
This sucks.
This really fucking sucks.
I don't know if you feel the same way, but it almost makes me feel a little bit better that I just wrote about Mark a little while ago.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, kind of like, at least I was on record as noting what a great guy he was.
It's a small thing. But without it, all I think about is how too tragic and too soon this was for everyone.
I totally get that and I do feel better having written about him. I guess maybe it somehow makes me more entitled to my grief, if that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteToo soon is exactly right. It kind of felt like there was something more for him to do, if only because (in my narcisistic world) I would now be in a position to appreciated it.
All too often we take so many people and things for granted,then we turn around and they're gone.Just like in "Abraham, Martin and John".I remember his pitching antics on the mound in Cleveland.A little different approach,but he sure could fling the 'ole horsehide.
ReplyDeleteThey replayed the Tigers / Yankees game this weekend. I watched the whole thing in absolute wonder. Sad.
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