The Bird

With the slow start of the Detroit Tigers this season, I did some reminiscing on some of my former favorite Tigers teams and players. I don't think that anyone stands out in my mind more than Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. This guy was Rookie of the Year in 1976 and pulled the Tigers out of their 1975 league-worst record. But even more memorable was this dude's antics. He used to sweep the dirt around the mound and mold it with his hands, as well as talk to himself and the ball constantly in between pitches.
Check out this 1985 follow-up interview with The Bird well after his retirement. If you have the time, stay tuned until the end. Because just when you think that maybe the man is actually normal and he was just getting a bad rap, he starts going off about not being invited to be on Magnum P.I. with other Tigers star players. His bountiful Massachusetts accent is enough entertainment on it's own.

It's archived stuff like this that really makes YouTube incredible.