23 picks went by in the first round. I was sure that Mark Fidrych wouldn't be picked in the first round. The reigning National League champion Dodgers were on the clock for the 24th pick. I was sure that they wouldn't need a pitcher like The Bird. But then, MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn walked up to the podium to announce the Dodgers pick:
"With the last pick of the first round of the 1973 Major League First-Year Player Draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers select
Mark Fidrych, a pitcher from Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts."
I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. In real life, The Bird was picked in the 10th round by the Tigers. So now Fidrych is now a part of the Dodgers organization. He is immediately assigned to their Advanced Rookie League affiliate, the Ogden Spikers of the Pioneer League. Here is his picture and ratings on draft day:
I have a feeling he won't be with that team for long. Lastly, here's how the rest of the first round panned out:
On to the offseason!