One of the biggest legends in Major League Baseball in the last 30 years were the exploits of former Detroit Tigers right hander Mark Fidrych who brought a style few others did the game. Nicknamed "The Bird" because of his resemblance to Sesame Street character Big Bird, his exploits on the mound sometimes looked like something out of a cartoon with him talking to the ball and grooming the mound with his hands. Fidrych, who only played in 58 games but will forever be a legend in baseball fans hearts, died at the young age of 54 yesterday in Massachusetts. Here is a video of an interview he gave in 1985 about his short lived career that showed flashes of brilliance before being derailed by untimely injuries.

Harry Kalas, a longtime broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies, died Monday after he was found in the broadcast booth ahead of a game against the Washington Nationals. He was 73.

Team president David Montgomery said:

“We lost our voice today. He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization.”

Kalas was found by the Phillies director of broadcasting around 12:30pm. He was taken to a local hospital. Earlier this year he had surgery for an undisclosed ailment described as "minor".

Kalas first joined the Phillies in 1971, replacing the fan favorite Bill Campbell. He joined the radio and television broadcast team the same year the team moved into their former home, Veterans Stadium. Prior to joining the Phillies, he was on the Houston Astros broadcast team from 1965-1970, and did voiceoverwork for NFL Films and commercials.

In 2002, he was given the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award for his contribution to the game.

Good news, Cleveland Indians fans. Manny Ramirez still loves the Tribe. The USA Today caught up with Ramirez who helped lead the Indians to two World Series appearances and he shared how wants to play in Cleveland before he hangs up the cleats. The 37 year old slugger for the Los Angeles Dodgers told the paper:

"I would like to play for Cleveland one more time, to go back where I started," said Ramirez, "I have so many good memories there, why not?"

The article says that Ramirez, who sources tell me has family still living in the western suburbs here in Cleveland, also is trying to lure Jim Thome back to the club. Both Thome and Ramirez could be free agents at the end of year. The USA Today quotes the big left handed first baseman as saying:

"Manny was very sincere when he brought that up to me," Thome said. "Manny was saying how special that would be for us to both go back together. He was very passionate. Baseball's such a weird thing. You never know what's going to happen."

The man that police say was drunk driving when he ran a red light and hit a car, killing Major League Baseball pitcher Nick Adenhart of the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim and two others, has been charged with murder.

According to the Orange County district attorney's office, Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, has been charged with three counts of murder, driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crime.

According to the district attorney's office, Gallo was driving a minivan at 65mph in a 35mph zone around 12:35am Thursday in Fullerton, CA. He was on probation and his license had been suspended after a previous DUI charge. Police say he ran a red light and hit the car that Adenhart was in, killing the pitcher, 20-year-old California State University student Courtney Stewart and law student Henry Pearson, 25.

A fourth victim, 24-year-old John Wilhite, a former California State baseball player, remained in critical condition Friday. A driver in a third car which was struck suffered only minor injuries.

Gallo fled the scene, and was captured by police about 30 minutes later.

Adenhart died at the UC Irvine Medical center after undergoing surgery.

According to police, Gallo's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to life in prison.

Rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was killed along with two other people on Thursday during a hit and run incident. According to police, a minivan ran a red light, striking their silver Mitsubishi sports car and another vehicle.

Adenhart, 22 of Silver Spring, Md., died after undergoing surgery at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. Two others died, and a fourth person remained hospitalized in critical condition.

Adenhart was in the sports car along with three others when they were struck just before 12:30am by a minivan which had run a red light and hit another vehicle. The sports car slammed into a light pole, killing three people in side.

Police Lt. Craig Brower said that the minivan driver fled the scene of the crash and was captured a short while later. The vehicles driver was arrested and booked for investigation of felony hit-and-run.

Tribe Falls to Texas in Opening Game of the Season

It seems that an issue near and dear to my heart is getting some major play by national publications. Forbes Magazine and the New York Daily News are calling for Major League Baseball to can Commissioner Bud Selig, who has run the sport into the ground since he took the helm in 1992. If you don't believe how bad of a job he has done, look at the television ratings for the World Series for a point of reference. 13,635,000 tuned into the marquee game last year. The year before Selig took the reigns, almost 36 Million people thought that the Fall Classic was must see TV. The graph of viewership, a good barometer of relevancy of what really matters in American pop culture, looks like a the stock exchange in recent months - plummeting to new low after new low.

Bud Selig is the George W Bush of Major League Baseball Commissioners. The ironic thing about that is that Selig beat out W for the post back then. Selig was just about as bad of an owner as has done as commish. The Milwaukee Brewers were perennial cellar dwellers when the Selig family owned the club, but the team's fate changed last season by making the playoffs after his daughter sold the club. Hardly surprising to baseball observers.

Rocker Kid Rock announced that he has purchased naming rights and will sell beer at his hometown Detroit Tigers games for the upcoming year. A message on his official website read:

It was announced today that Kid Rock has purchase the naming rights to the home of the Detroit Tigers for an undisclosed sum. Kid Rock and The Michigan Brewing Company, in a separate negotiation, are proud to announce that Kid Rock’s forthcoming new line of beer will become the official beer of the Detroit Tigers.

Says Kid Rock, “This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and with the banks in trouble it seemed like the right time for me to reach out to the fine people at Comerica Bank. Since they relocated to Dallas after opening the stadium here, they were very open to the idea of making this deal. I’ve never been more excited for opening day, and I’m proud to be able to add my name to the legacy of my favorite baseball team.”

Keep in mind that it is April 1st today, so odds are that this is all a big joke.