Remembering The Great Mickey Lolich

The moment occurred in what might be called the last true baseball game, as it was the last season of just 2 ‘offs qualifiers, one from each league gaining World Series entry (Bob Costas and I “allow” for the 4 division format (’69-’93, which using Bob’s key phrase, “had the components of a true pennant race”), Mickey Lolich getting the Cardinals’ Tim McCarver to pop out to catcher Bill Freehan, yielding a (4-1) Detroit Tigers #7 win and a ’68 title, battling back from a (3-1) series deficit, with Mickey winning thrice, all on complete games, a Lolich trademark.

Lolich died days back, shamefully never elected to baseball’s going aesthetically bankrupt, “Hall” at age 85.

In 1968, that so called “year of the pitcher,” fellow Tigers’ pitcher Dennis McLain, who echoed my thoughts on Lolich not being “there,” won 31 games still and for a long time ahead, the lone pitcher to win as many as 30, since the great Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean in 1934, while Bob Gibson, overall was even more incredible, posting a beyond microscopic 1.12 earned run average and twice winning vs Denny in games 1 and 4 of the World Series.

However, in the winner take all 7th–(on the way to 8th grade, Rabbi Joseph Wise, a brilliant and good man, all but guaranteed a win for the great Gibson (Gibsons worked both ways positively in/for Det’s last 2 baseball crowns as despite Bob’s brilliance, somehow, largely due to Mickey, the Tigs prevailed and in ’84 Kirk Gibson was an integral part of the last Tigers’ title team), but Lolich matched “Gibby,” scoreless– through 6 innings, before hits by Norm Cash and Willie Horton set the stage for Jim Northrup’s 2 run triple (yes the great Curt Flood, similar to L.A.’s Willie Davis, a mighty contributor to two title teams before bad fielding in a W.S. loss–alas only the Dodgers and Cards won N.L. crowns (’63-’68), each going (2-1) in the subsequent World Series) and eventually Mickey jumping into Bill Freehan’s arms and a third Tigs title and first in 23/Willie Horton #’d years.

In sharp juxtaposition with today’s starting pitchers who come out way too early, Lolich pitched 376 innings in 1971. Enough said!

Recalling The 1968 World Series, Closing In On Fifty Years Later

Click above and within my post, that ’68 W.S. last out is shown with audio by greats Harry Caray and Curt Gowdy.

Not enough said, just no more regarding comparative durabilities. Mickey won 25 games in that above referenced ’71 season and a year later, the before season baseball strike produced a best of 3, between the Tigers and Red Sox for the 1/4th, but “legit” A.L. East title.

In the first game, (another crushing Boston Monday October 2nd loss, the far more painful and closer one, was to be 6 years later in a one game/extra game playoff vs the eventual repeat, world champion, Yankees), Lolich though walking 5, “tripled” that with 15 strikeouts and a complete game (what else?!) 6 hit win. “Det” won the next night, the great Al Kaline, so great down the stretch for the Tigs that year, catching Ben Ogilvie’s fly ball to clinch it.

Many are compilers, Lolich had impact!! Now maybe enough said, though I could easily go on in praise of Mickey Lolich.

Mickey Lolich, pictured above.