These Athletes Were On Hall Of Fame Paths Until Injuries Got In The Way

Mark Fidrych Was Must-Watch Baseball For Four Years

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Coming up through the Detroit Tigers minor league system, Mark Fidrych won 19 games his rookie season with a 2.34 ERA. Just 21 years old, it didn’t take long for the young champ to become a national phenomenon. It helped that he had some of the strangest in-game rituals the sport had ever seen.

Fidrych started just as hot during his second season until a knee injury sent him to the disabled list. In 1980, he was forced to retire after it was discovered he had been playing on an undiagnosed torn rotator cuff. Next up, the only Hall of Famer we’re allowing on this list!