"The Bird" Was The Word In '76, But "Frank" Wasn't

Thirty years ago this May, a gangly kid with blond, curly locks took the hill for the Tigers and shut down the Cleveland Indians. It was a relatively unimportant game, and hardly anyone knew the young right-hander -- before or after the contest.

Within a month, however, Mark Fidrych would -- with apologies to the Yardbirds -- turn the baseball world over, under, sideways, down. He played to packed houses, like a traveling pop show. Amazing what talking to a baseball and looking like Big Bird can do for a guy's career. Of course, the pitching itself was pretty darn good, too: 19-9, with a 2.34 ERA -- and 24 complete games. Nowadays, it takes pitchers four or five seasons to accumulate that many CGs.

But Fidrych wasn't the pitcher who the Tigers were counting on as being their prized rookie in 1976. The Bird came out of nowhere, really -- not making the 25-man roster until the final days of spring training. So when Fidrych became bigger than life, the team decided to see if lightning would strike twice -- with their "real" rookie ace in the hole.

Frank MacCormack was a 21 year-old righty out of Rutgers who was signed by the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1974. He was tall, like Fidrych -- 6'4" -- but that's where the similarities ended. Where Fidrych relied on mixing pitches and changing speeds, MacCormack was a fireballer who challenged hitters. Where Fidrych was unassuming with an "Aw, shucks" attitude, MacCormack was a wound-tight bull. Where Fidrych was a character, MacCormack was a button-downed businesman.

There was another difference: Fidrych was a winner.

The Tigers rushed MacCormack thru the system on the heels of Fidrych's success. He was advertised as Mark Fidrych II, for all intents and purposes.

"You think The Bird is something? Wait till you see this MacCormack kid," the Tigers basically told everyone -- especially the media and other such riff-raff.

Frank MacCormack made his Tigers debut on June 14, 1976. And he was out of the majors less than a year later.

Of course, Fidrych wouldn't be that far behind MacCormack in vanishing from baseball, but injuries contributed mightily to his downfall.

MacCormack started eight games for the Tigers in '76, going 0-5 with a 5.79 ERA. He walked 34 batters in 32 2/3 innings. The Tigers were hoping for some sort of "Godfather II" magic. Instead, what they got was the sequel to "Porky's."

MacCormack ended up with the expansion Seattle Mariners in 1977, and started three games for them. But Fidrych Lite only appeared in seven innings in those three starts because his wildness got the best of him. He walked 12 in those seven innings, giving him a career total of 46 in 39 2/3 innings.

Like a former scout said about Sandy Koufax, "Koufax would be a great pitcher -- if the plate was high and outside."

Koufax, though, corrected his problem -- corrected it into Hall of Fame greatness. Frank MacCormack faded and was done as a big leaguer by May 3, 1977.

This is why you should never get too greedy with the baseball gods, as the Tigers did in 1976.