8 days later
And former Phillie, he pitched briefly for the Phillies in 1994. I remember vividly the Phillies being the first team to beat him after he started his career with something like 14 straight wins. Schmidt took him deep and Bystrom and Reed blanked the Dodgers and the Phillies won 4-0.
Valenzuela's delivery was as distinctive as Luis Tiant's--that glance to the heavens right before he threw.
While Doug Bird's 1 season in Philadelphia [1979] was certainly forgettable, his one lone start as a Phillie certainly wasn't. It occurred on Aug. 31,1979 and was the very first game managed by Dallas Green. The team, in the first year of Pete Rose's 5 year career as a Phillie, had been an absolutely injury ravaged, under performing team under Danny Ozark and he was fired the day before with a 65-67 record.
Albeit in a rain shortened game, Bird tossed a 5.1 inning complete game in a 6-2 win in Atlanta and from that day forward, the Phils had nearly unparalleled success, a 19-11 finish in 1979, the teams first World Championship in 1980 and what appeared to be an even stronger season in 1981 before the strike destroyed the Phillie momentum.
Unfortunately, Green left for the Cubs after the '81 season when Bob Carpenter sold the team to Bill Giles, and except for 1983 and a few late season months in 1986, the team embarked on a terrible downhill spiral that really wouldn't end until they signed Jim Thome.
So, while Bird's 1979 season as a Phillie was forgettable, what occurred following his one and only start as a Phillie certainly wasn't.
RIP Doug Bird.
CD, there is something really strange with your memory. 
. Usually your memories are of a low and outside pitch in 1964 that was called a strike and your still annoyed.
I GUARANTEE no one else remembers that he had 1 start. Good memory, I hope mine is half as good at your age.
Dallas Green might’ve remembered Bird’s start. Doug was the first pitcher Green’s Cubs used, starting on Opening Day in 1982. He pitched seven strong innings to get the win in a game that was called after eight innings. Bird was backed by three former Phillies, including Ryne Sandberg’s Cub debut (at 3B). Keith Moreland hit a homer. Future Phillie Willie Hernandez got the save, relieving a young Lee Smith with two on and two outs.
(I didn’t remember this; I looked it up 
.)
