Mickey Lolich, a celebrated figure in baseball history, has passed away at the age of 85, as confirmed by the Tigers on Wednesday. This three-time American League All-Star and 1968 World Series MVP leaves behind a remarkable legacy in the sport (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lolicmi01.shtml).
Lolich made his debut as a 22-year-old during the 1963 season and quickly established himself as a key player in Detroit's pitching rotation. For over a decade, he was a vital part of the Tigers' pitching staff, sharing the mound with legends like Hall of Famer Jim Bunning (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bunniji01.shtml) and two-time Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mclaide01.shtml).
His most iconic moment came during the 1968 World Series, where he delivered an unforgettable performance. Starting in Game 2, Game 5, and the crucial Game 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals, Lolich secured victories in all three games while completing each one. This feat is regarded as one of the finest individual performances in World Series history; he allowed only five runs on 20 hits and six walks, boasting an impressive ERA of 1.67, and striking out 21 batters. Remarkably, for his final start of the series, he pitched on just two days’ rest but still managed to limit the Cardinals to one run on five hits and three walks, leading to a 4-1 triumph.
While this extraordinary World Series showing would undoubtedly solidify Lolich's status in Tigers history, it represents just one highlight in an illustrious career. The following season in 1969, he earned his first All-Star selection, and by 1971 and 1972, he achieved top-three finishes in the American League Cy Young voting, narrowly missing out to baseball icons Vida Blue (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bluevi01.shtml) and Gaylord Perry (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perryga01.shtml), respectively.
During those standout seasons, Lolich also ranked in the top ten for American League MVP voting, and in 1971, he led the league with 45 games started and an astonishing 376 innings pitched. Additionally, he completed 29 games that year while maintaining a commendable ERA of 2.92. Notably, his marks for games started and innings pitched rank as the second-highest single-season achievements for any pitcher in the last hundred years, surpassed only by Wilbur Wood (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/woodwi01.shtml), who had 376 2/3 innings and 49 games started.
Lolich spent the initial 13 years of his Major League Baseball journey with the Tigers until a trade in December 1975 sent him to the New York Mets, with six-time All-Star Rusty Staub (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/staubru01.shtml) heading back to Detroit. After a brief retirement following his lone season with the Mets, he returned to the game as a reliever with the San Diego Padres in 1978 and 1979, before ultimately retiring for good.
Over his 16-season career, Lolich compiled an overall record of 217 wins and 191 losses, along with a career ERA of 3.44 across 3,638 and one-third innings pitched. His impressive total of 2,832 strikeouts places him 23rd on the all-time list, just 33 strikes behind his former teammate, Jim Bunning. He stands among a select group of only 122 pitchers to reach the milestone of 200 career wins, tying with Freddie Fitzsimmons (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fitzsfr01.shtml) for 87th place in history. Furthermore, his wins above replacement (WAR) of 47.9, according to Baseball-Reference, ranks him 116th all-time, alongside another legendary southpaw, Ron Guidry (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guidrro01.shtml).
As we remember Mickey Lolich, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the countless fans who cherished one of baseball’s remarkable talents.
