Former Detroit Tigers Pitcher and 1968 World Series MVP Mickey Lolich Dies at 85

1968 World Series Star Pitcher Dies at 85

Michael Stephen "Mickey" Lolich, the left-handed pitcher who played a central role in the Detroit Tigers' comeback victory in the 1968 World Series, has died at the age of 85.

Key Role in Tigers' 1968 World Series Triumph

In the 1968 World Series, a best-of-seven championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Lolich earned the World Series Most Valuable Player Award. He recorded three complete-game victories in the series, including two wins in games where the Tigers faced elimination.

His final appearance of that series came in Game 7 in St. Louis, where he pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and one run on two days’ rest. In that decisive contest, he outpitched Cardinals ace Bob Gibson to secure the championship for Detroit.

Career with the Detroit Tigers and Other Clubs

Lolich signed with the Detroit Tigers in June 1958 for $30,000 at age 17. He made his professional debut in 1959 with Class A Knoxville. Over his first three professional seasons, he divided his time between Knoxville and Class B Durham.

In 1962, after initially balking at an assignment to Knoxville and returning to his hometown of Portland, Oregon, he struck out 16 batters in a semi-professional game. Following that performance, Tigers general manager Jim Campbell arranged for him to join the Portland Beavers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, where Lolich posted a 10-9 record with a 3.95 earned run average (ERA) and 138 strikeouts in 130 innings.

Returning to the Tigers' system in 1963, he began that season with Triple-A Syracuse and then made his Major League debut on May 12. In his first Major League outing, a relief appearance against Cleveland, he pitched two innings, walked one batter, struck out three, and did not allow a hit. He made his first Major League start on May 21 in Baltimore, allowing three runs in six innings, striking out seven and taking the loss in a 4-2 game. Seven days after that start, he earned his first Major League victory and first complete game in a road outing against the Los Angeles Angels, allowing one unearned run on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts over nine innings.

During the 1967 regular season, Lolich led Major League Baseball with six shutouts and finished with 14 wins. That year he also recorded three consecutive shutouts as part of a 28 2/3-inning scoreless streak late in the season.

In 1968, he won 17 regular-season games for Detroit while pitching in the same rotation as Denny McLain, who won the American League Most Valuable Player Award that year. Lolich then followed that campaign with a standout 1971 season in which he led the Major Leagues with 25 wins, 308 strikeouts, 376 innings pitched, 45 starts, and 29 complete games. In 1972, he won 22 games and contributed to Detroit winning the American League East title.

From 1969 through 1974, Lolich made at least 41 starts in four consecutive seasons and pitched at least 308 innings each year. He was selected as an All-Star three times between 1969 and 1972. Over 13 seasons with Detroit, he became a key member of the Tigers’ pitching staff.

After the 1975 season, Detroit traded Lolich to the New York Mets in a deal that brought Rusty Staub to the Tigers. Lolich went 8-13 with a 3.22 ERA in his season with the Mets. He then retired for one year before returning to pitch two seasons for the San Diego Padres.

Career Totals and Records

Over a 16-year Major League career, Lolich compiled a 217-191 win-loss record, 2,832 strikeouts, and a 3.44 ERA in 3,638 1/3 innings pitched. He made 496 career starts and completed 195 of them, just under 40 percent of his starts.

While pitching for Detroit, Lolich struck out 2,679 batters. That total set an American League record for strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher, a mark that stood for more than four decades until CC Sabathia surpassed it in 2017.

Service and Activities Beyond the Mound

During the 1967 season, Lolich served in the Michigan Air National Guard for two weeks amid civil unrest in Detroit. He was assigned to guard a radio tower and work as a driver in a motor pool. In his biography "Joy in Tigertown," co-written with Tom Gage, he stated that he neither fired his weapon nor was he fired upon during that period.

After retiring from baseball, Lolich returned to Michigan and invested in donut shops in Detroit’s northern suburbs. He learned to bake and worked extensively in the business before eventually selling it.

Early Life and Personal Background

Mickey Lolich was born on September 12, 1940, in Portland, Oregon. He was the son of a parks director. As a youth in Portland, he pitched for Babe Ruth League and American Legion teams that competed in national tournaments. At Lincoln High School in Portland, he compiled a 19-5 record as a pitcher.

Former Tigers outfielder Willie Horton, who played alongside Lolich from 1963 to 1975, described him as a great pitcher, teammate, and champion, and offered condolences to Lolich’s widow, Joyce, and their family.

Honors and Hall of Fame Consideration

During his post-playing years, Lolich appeared on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot for 15 years, reaching as high as 25.5 percent of the vote before his final appearance on the ballot in 1999. The Veterans Committee later reviewed his candidacy in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.