The June 1976 game that Mark Fidrych pitched against the New York Yankees at Tiger Stadium has been aired dozens of times on MLB Network since the channel launched last year. But they never air the post-game interview with The Bird conducted by Bob Uecker. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen this interview until now.
Notice the organ music playing in the background at Tiger Stadium. Take a look around the old ballpark as a hazy fog seems to rise into night sky and through the light standards. You can practically feel the heat of a hot Michigan summer.
Notice the simplicity of the surroundings — including the auxiliary scoreboard and the press box. This video captures perfectly the era in which The Bird played — as well as the character of the man himself.
Cecilia
That was also the night of the Freedom Festival Fireworks on the Detroit River. I was at Cobo Hall that night, and there was one city worker who had a television with the game. It amazed me how fast that game went.