Lawsuit Filed By MLB Pitcher Mark Fidrych's Widow Dismissed

NORTHBOROUGH, MA—Filed five years ago, an appeals court in Massachusetts dismissed a lawsuit filed by Major League pitcher Mark Fidrych's widow, according to reports.

Northborough native Fidrych died at 54 in 2009 when he got pinned under a dump truck he was working on. Widow Ann Pantazis filed the suit against the truck-makers, arguing that there weren't sufficient warnings regarding a spinning component on the truck.

Read the full report on WCVB-TV.

The death was ruled accidental, as reported on MLB.com in 2009, with findings presented to the Associated Press through the Worcester District Attorney's office. At the time of his death, Fidrych had been working on something underneath the truck when his clothes got tangled in the truck's power takeoff shaft, said the article. The driveshaft piece spun and Fidrych died by suffocating.

Fidrych used a 1987 10-wheel Mack dump truck, and Fidrych's widow—Ann E. Pantazis—filed a civil suit on April 11 in Worcester Superior Court against Mack Trucks of Greensboro, NC, Morse Mack Sales of Worcester and Ballard Mack Sales & Service, also located in Worcester, according to the Telegram.

The wrongful death suit alleged negligence, and seeks punitive damages.

"The Bird" Fidrych was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1975 and broke numerous records, earning "rookie of the year" that year. When he retired, he moved back to Northborough to his farm.

His daughter, Jessica, still owns and operates Chet's Diner in town.

The family continues his legacy through the Mark Fidrych Foundation, a charity that produces various fundraisers throughout the year. Its flagship event is the annual softball tournament. The Mark Fidrych Foundation continues the legacy of Mark Fidrych through charitable giving.

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