Legendary Detroit Tigers Baseball pitcher Mickey Lolich died at the age of 85, Newsweek reported. Lolich was 1968 world series MVP and a three-time American League All-Star, with 13 of his 16 Major League Baseball seasons with the Detroit Tigers between 1963 and 1975.
Lolich, however, finished his career with the New York Mets in 1976 and later with the San Diego Padres from 1978 to 1979. The left- handed pitching maverick ended his MLB career with a staggering 217 wins, 191 losses, and a 3.44 earned run average (ERA). In 1971, Lolich finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting, missing out on the top spot.
Mickey Lolich 1971 season
During the 1971 season, he started 45 games and finished 29 games. He won 25 games and lost 14 games. This shows he played a lot and helped his team many times. Lolich also threw 376 innings that year, the most in the league. This proved he was very strong and could play for long hours without getting tired.
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Another pitcher from that season, Wilbur Wood, finished third in the 1971 Cy Young Award voting. He sadly passed away on January 18. Lolich holds many Detroit Tigers records. He started the most games (459), threw the most shutouts (39), and got the most strikeouts (2,679) in team history. His 308 strikeouts in 1971 are still the Tigers’ record for one season.In the 1968 World Series, Lolich pitched complete games in Games 2, 5, and 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Game 7 was especially special because he pitched it on just two days of rest, helping the Tigers win the championship. His amazing World Series performance earned him the Series MVP award, which is rare for pitchers. Mickey Lolich life storyIn 2018, Lolich co-wrote a memoir called “Joy in Tigertown” with sports writer Tom Gage. Lolich said he decided to write the book so his daughters and grandsons could understand his baseball life, he told WDET. “They didn’t really know what I did during my career,” Lolich explained. Lolich was born in Portland, Oregon, and briefly retired in 1962 while struggling in Triple-A baseball, according to Newsweek.
He returned home, learned to throw a sinker pitch, and made a strong comeback to the major leagues in 1963. Tigers fans honored Lolich in 2018 at Comerica Park during the 50th anniversary reunion of the 1968 championship team. Lolich is survived by his wife Joyce, whom he was married to for 61 years, his three daughters Kimberly, Stacy, and Jody, and his three grandsons.
FAQsQ1. Who was Mickey Lolich?
Mickey Lolich was a famous Detroit Tigers pitcher and the MVP of the 1968 World Series.
Q2. Why is Mickey Lolich important in baseball history?
Mickey Lolich is remembered for leading the Tigers to the 1968 World Series win and setting many team records.