Mickey Lolich, the left-handed pitcher who helped the Detroit Tigers become World Series champions in 1968, has died at the age of 85.
“The Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mickey Lolich and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones,” said the Tigers in a statement.
“One of the finest pitchers in franchise history, Lolich was a three-time All-Star who pitched for Detroit for 13 seasons and holds several Tigers team records. He was a member of the 1968 World Series Champion Tigers team, earning World Series MVP honors after posting a 3-0 record with a 1.67 ERA. Lolich will be remembered as one of the most durable and dominant left-handed pitchers of his era and a cornerstone of Detroit’s pitching staff for more than a decade.”
Lolich joined the Tigers in 1958 after being signed as a free agent at 17 years old. After several years in the minor leagues, he finally reached the majors in 1963 and made 33 appearances. Beginning with the 1964 season, he began a 12-year run where he won at least 10 games.
In 1968, 23 years after they last finished in first place, made the postseason and won the World Series, the Tigers finished with a 103-59 record and were back in the playoffs. After posting a 17-9 record during the regular season, Lolich shined in that October’s Fall Classic against the St. Louis Cardinals, the reigning champions.
Lolich helped the Tigers even the series in Game 2 with a nine-strikeout, complete-game victory. But Detroit would fall behind 3-1 in the series with St. Louis being led by NL Cy Young Award winner Bob Gibson.
The Tigers would only trail for six innings over the final three games, with Lolich earning complete-game victories in Games 5 and 7 to help Detroit become champions. Lolich’s three wins, 21 strikeouts and 1.67 ERA over 27 innings helped earn him series MVP honors.
Lolich had several more strong seasons in Detroit, including 1971 and 1972 when he won 25 and 22 games, respectively, and finished in the top three in AL Cy Young Award voting. That 1971 season also saw him strikeout a career-high 308 batters in 376 innings and finish fifth in the AL MVP race.
Lolich’s time in Detroit came to an end when he was traded to the New York Mets ahead of the 1976 season. He would retire the following year, but returned to playing in 1978 when he joined the San Diego Padres where he was mainly used as a reliever, starting just seven games over two seasons.
Following the 1979 season, Lolich announced he was retiring at the age of 39.
“Lolich was a great pitcher, teammate and champion, but he was more than that to me,” said Willie Horton, Lolich’s teammate in Detroit, in a statement. “He was like a brother for over 60 years. I will keep the memories close to my heart and will never forget the close bond that we shared. My condolences to Joyce and their family and to everyone who loved him.”
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