You step away for a day and all hell breaks loose...

First of all, Mark Fidrych died yesterday. Hard to believe now, but for one summer back in 1976, he was the best thing going in baseball. "The Bird" was 21 and he pitched for the Tigers and was Rookie of the Year. As you probably guessed it was his first major league start against the Indians (who else?) that put him on the map.

He talked to the baseball. Manicured the mound by hand and shook hands with everyone. Including teammates after a good defensive play and even the ground crew after that first win. It was something to see. Remember, this was before ESPN and the Internet. So, you would hear or read about him before you actually saw him.

His passing allows us to reflect on how different baseball was back then. Fernando Valenzuela and Fernando Mania came a few years after Fidrych, and Wally Joyner with "Wally World" took place a few years after Fernando. Those were great happenings in baseball that we'll never see again. By the time Ken Griffey, Jr. made the majors only a short while after Joyner, you knew everything about him before he even took a swing.

But Fidrych was a joy to watch and it's a shame he flamed out so quickly. His career was effectively over a short 14 months after that first win against the Indians. Joe Posnanski, a northeast Ohio native who saw Fidrych as a kid, points out in a 30-day stretch in '76, he threw 73 1/3 innings! Seven complete games in a month. Johan Santana has 9 complete games for his career! No wonder his arm was shot. Pitch counts, what are those?

The thing with Fidrych is if someone did that stuff today, they'd be mocked or ridiculed for "not respecting the game". All I can say is, at that time, no one cared about that crap and he's a pitcher I'll never forget.

Meal of Links

Oscar de la Hoya retired today. Boxing's best box office guy. When he boxed, people paid to see him. And women would actually show up. Stumbled rather badly at the end of his career, but at the lower weights, man, he was unquestionably one of the best. Now it's off to promoting where he can make even more money.

Harry Kalas died yesterday. He was the voice of the Phillies and also did the voiceover work for NFL Films. Had a friend in college who always used to imitate him with "Rob Carpenter grinds out three yards of real estate".

It's National Grilled Cheese Month. When done right, that is a damn good sammie.

Exercise Yard

Lord Football took up much of the airwaves tonight. The reason? It was the "Reading of the Schedule". Only the NFL could turn this into an event.

Here is the Browns schedule Wow, this is a doozy. Hey, Sunday at 1:00 welcomes the Browns back with a big bear hug, as 12 Browns games get that timeslot once again.

The Lows? 5 of the first 8 and 7 of the first 11 games are on the road. That means 4 of the last 5 games are at home when it's cold. Including a Thursday nighter against the Steelers on December 10. Plus a 4:00 start against the Chargers at home in December. That means for those games, it's cold AND dark. Sadly with two home games after Christmas, we may not care well before that point.

The Highs? I guess getting 2 primetimers at home is unexpected, but pretty good. Both divisional games, I might add. That Steelers game and a Monday nighter against the Ravens on November 16 (after a bye week which worked last year). And the Browns divisional games are spread throughout the schedule instead of that customary three losses by October stuff we've had to put up with lately. And both preseason home games are on Saturday.

Still have not sent in my check yet, but I will before May 1.

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