Fidrych had “a talent that was exceptional and an approach to his game that was both uninhibited and refreshing,” said author Donald Honig, noting that Fidrych “talked to the ball, shook hands with his infielders after good plays, cavorted with the pure joy and unrestrained enthusiasm of a Little Leaguer.” The 6’3″ righthander with flowing, blond curls was the talk of baseball in 1976, starting and losing the All-Star Game, and going 19-9 for the Tigers with 24 complete games and a 2.34 ERA – both AL-bests. Arm trouble limited him to just ten ML wins after his Rookie of the Year showing.
