Ken Akerman Mickey Lolich captured the sporting headlines in 1968 by upstaging Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson, in the World Series. In his first full season 1964, Mickey Lolich went 18-9 an ERA of 3.26. June 2, 2006 Five years before he became a Met, Lolich threw for 376 innings! October 19, 2011 I'll start with full disclosure: I was (and still am) bitter that the Mets gave up one of my favorite players, Rusty Staub, to get Lolich-- who was well past his prime. But keeping 105-RBI Staub would have provided middle lineup power 100% of the time. Take a look at his stats on baseball-reference and you will shake your head. He learned to pitch lefty in order to strengthen his left hand and arm after he lost the use of his right hand for a few years as a child. As Sonny Jurgenson once said "you don't throw the ball with your stomach." Mickey Lolich was a great pitcher in the American League. End of Line Cut him some slack. But then Vail got hurt, and Kranepool and the aging Torre got more playing time.The better plan was to keep Staub, and let Milner and Vail fight for a spot. However, I remember Lolich as being quite portly, so his true weight was a lot more than 170 pounds. Peter So why did you try to destroy the guy? April 23, 2003 The Lolich for Rusty Staub trade might be the first and only trade where two players who were well known for food establishments were traded for each other. He made the all- star team 3 times, led the AL in wins once, shutouts once, complete games once, innings once, strikeouts once, and losses TWICE.He finished second (1971) and third (1972) in the Cy Young race, and he never finished higher than TENTH PLACE in the league in ERA (finished tenth in both 1971 and 1972).Baseball Reference lists among his top ten in similarity scores: Jerry Koosman, Jerry Reuss, Rick Reuschel, Luis Tiant, Vida Blue, and Joe Niekro.All of that tells me Lolich in his prime was a good pitcher, but nowhere near a HOFer. For a fourth starter, on a four man rotation, Lolich was decent. He struck out the first two batters he faced, Max Alvis and Sam McDowell. And of course Lolich did not want to be here, and the fans did not want him here either, so I am sure that's why he skipped town the next year. December 20, 2019 October 4, 2005 Three bad starts on 8/3 and 8/13 as well as his next to last start on 9/15 is what really bloated his ERA, not that 3.22 even in the '70s was that shabby.Yes, he was far removed from his prime but to say he sucked is pretty short sighted and flies in the face of the fact that he pitched well enough to be a 12-15 game winner, but then this is the same year Seaver pitched Cy Young caliber ball and went only 14-11. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! August 11, 2015 NO WAY he was 170 pounds. Mr. Sparkle Lolich finished his career 12th on the all-time strikeout list with 2,832, second only to Steve Carlton among left-handers. GoMets2006 April 6, 2012 That would make him a star in today's market. I have to respectfully disagree with NYB Buff's claim that Lolich belongs in Cooperstown. Rusty could hit with the lights out. So he went from being the long-time Tiger Ace (and best Tiger- the 1968 World Series was won by him- and also almost the 1972 Playoffs) to just a nobody for New York- can you blame him for this back-stabbing trade by Tiger management? senor ortiz However, this guy had some incredible numbers in Detroit, especially in the Post Season. eddiek Shari Mickey Lolich is one of my favorite players. October 19, 2011 He goes up one notch for being a character! He still knew how to pitch but had no run support to get him a winning record. Rusty played another decade. September 25, 2013 bob saunders How Mickey still had an arm when he pitched for us is amazing. Mr. Sparkle Rusty played another decade. When he was with the Mets, I gave him the name "TOO MUCH EATER" but then again the Orange and Blue has always had big boned hurlers (El Sid. Cut him some slack. You can't be serious. An interesting thing about Lolich that I remember from an old Mets program is that he's actually right handed. He had terrific stuff. In that same year he went 13, 13, 12, 11 and 10 innings in 5 games. October 4, 2006 Let me say that again, 376 and that's without a pitch count. (And of course Donald Grant) The Mets had to fill 2 corner outfield spots and first base. It was not made for the purpose of improving the team. You have to remember that any ERA of 3.00 and over back in the 1970's was not a good stat. Two quick points that haven't been mentioned:- It was Mike Vail's fantastic debut that led the Mets to believe they had a replacement for Staub. John Bruce The Staub trade was ridiculous but not Lolich's fault. Maudlin, anecdotal sentiment at its best! He still knew how to pitch but had no run support to get him a winning record. The last thing the Tigers needed was a dandy hitter whose hitting only went to support lopsided slugfest losses every day. Feat Fan As a kid collecting baseball cards and watching ballgames in the '70s, I remember being struck by Lolich's belly. Within a year, the corpulent Lolich had retired to open a doughnut shop in suburban Detroit. Bob P Mickey loved his Harley. Mike B October 4, 2006 Doug S. Lolich committed to playing 2 years for the Mets, but then reneged on that promise. But in his final season with the Tigers, he became the all-time leader in strikeouts for left-handed pitchers. Then they all got old and the team slid into rebuilding- different than the Mets? 3-time AL All-Star (1969, 1971 & 1972) 1968 World Series MVP AL Wins Leader (1971) AL Innings Pitched Leader (1971) AL Strikeouts Leader (1971) AL Complete Games Leader (1971) AL Shutouts Leader (1967) Mickey Lolich did not do too bad with the Mets, He just did not get the October 2, 2005 In that same year he went 13, 13, 12, 11 and 10 innings in 5 games. Mickey pitched almost 200 innings in 76, gave up less hits than innings and his era was in the low 3.00's. 6'1", 170???? October 2, 2005 He started 45 games and completed 29. Although I'd rather have a hitter like Rusty, you have to admit, Mickey Lolich's ERA was a very respectable 3.22. No contest. - Now for the trade itself. Cut him some slack. Lolich was a fine pitcher. Three bad starts on 8/3 and 8/13 as well as his next to last start on 9/15 is what really bloated his ERA, not that 3.22 even in the '70s was that shabby.Yes, he was far removed from his prime but to say he sucked is pretty short sighted and flies in the face of the fact that he pitched well enough to be a 12-15 game winner, but then this is the same year Seaver pitched Cy Young caliber ball and went only 14-11. feat fan Bob P June 30, 2019 Lolich finished his career 12th on the all-time strikeout list with 2,832, second only to Steve Carlton among left-handers. Man, those pitches were big ones. Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. He contributed largely to Orion's position as a farming center. The two 13-inning games didn't even count for complete games because they went 15 innings! And yes, maybe Koosman had losing years in the late 70's but he had been a Met long enough with a winning record that the fans rooted for him. eddiek Mickey was at the tail end of his career when he came to the Mets. October 4, 2005 Mickey Lolich was the greatest left handed pitcher in the whole world to me in 1968, He was even greater than Denny. Lolich finished his career 12th on the all-time strikeout list with 2,832, second only to Steve Carlton among left-handers. Bob P I recall one year where he had 121 RBI's. Really? Lolich's main purpose was to pitch and he couldn't even do that for us. Mets players and personnel who are no longer with us. Lolich was an outstanding pitcher who had just experienced an off season in Detroit. What an interesting parallel, huh? March 22, 2005 Lolich may have been a great pitcher once, but by 1976 he was a has-been. As for all the innings Lolich pitched in Detroit, in today's game 300 innings is comparable to two full seasons, what with pitch counts and constantly babying starting pitchers. To this day she still despises Mickey Lolich. You have to remember that any ERA of 3.00 and over back in the 1970's was not a good stat. But dad could never pronounce his name right; he always called him "Yo-lich" no matter how many times we corrected him. murphy Rusty played another decade. I'll take Mickey's pitching line - except for W&L - any time. In this World Series, Lolich pitched three complete games and allowed only five runs an ERA of 1.67. October 19, 2011 June 2, 2006 NYB Buff You have to remember that any ERA of 3.00 and over back in the 1970's was not a good stat. - Now for the trade itself. LA-Mets I'll start with full disclosure: I was (and still am) bitter that the Mets gave up one of my favorite players, Rusty Staub, to get Lolich-- who was well past his prime. To this day she still despises Mickey Lolich. Mickey Lolich was the greatest left handed pitcher in the whole world to me in 1968, He was even greater than Denny. A 20-game winner in this business is no good if you only have 20 days in a row that are good. Shickhaus Franks Ken Akerman Mickey did a few good games with the Mets as well as a couple shutouts. Shickhaus Franks I thought Rusty filled that uniform out pretty well himself! November 19, 2002 As somebody mentioned previously, this is really all Mike Vail's fault. December 8, 2006 Three bad starts on 8/3 and 8/13 as well as his next to last start on 9/15 is what really bloated his ERA, not that 3.22 even in the '70s was that shabby.Yes, he was far removed from his prime but to say he sucked is pretty short sighted and flies in the face of the fact that he pitched well enough to be a 12-15 game winner, but then this is the same year Seaver pitched Cy Young caliber ball and went only 14-11. And of course Lolich did not want to be here, and the fans did not want him here either, so I am sure that's why he skipped town the next year. As Sonny Jurgenson once said "you don't throw the ball with your stomach." April 23, 2003 And of course Lolich did not want to be here, and the fans did not want him here either, so I am sure that's why he skipped town the next year. Mickey Lolich Position: Pitcher Bats: Both Throws: Left 6-1 , 170lb (185cm, 77kg) Born: September 12, 1940 (Age: 82-115d) in Portland, OR us More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 3x All-Star 1968 World Series WS MVP 29 29 29 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. October 13, 2008 Lolich won complete games in Games 2 & 5 and faced and beat Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 by the score of 4-1 as the Tigers won the World Championship. May 6, 2003 Mickey was finished and Rusty still had about 8-10 years left, even though the last couple were solely as a pinch hitter. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! November 12, 2006 Randy Tate And of course Lolich did not want to be here, and the fans did not want him here either, so I am sure that's why he skipped town the next year. But then Vail got hurt, and Kranepool and the aging Torre got more playing time.The better plan was to keep Staub, and let Milner and Vail fight for a spot. I simply loved to see him walk onto the mound; I knew that we as a ball club would be a winner any time he pitched, but as they always say time moves on, but our memory is always around. I want to show the world you don't have in gel into the ring to be a man. After one year in New York Lolich retired. support. Ok, the height is correct but make no mistake,a consistent, determined winner, Mickey Lolich was in the spotlight throughout his career. Collect, curate and comment on your files. I used to think that Lolich sucked with the Mets, but after reviewing his stats and starts from that year, he was a damn effective #4 starter. And of course Lolich did not want to be here, and the fans did not want him here either, so I am sure that's why he skipped town the next year. Reading this brings back my memory of the trade that sent Rusty packing to Detroit. I used to think that Lolich sucked with the Mets, but after reviewing his stats and starts from that year, he was a damn effective #4 starter. That would make him a star in today's market. Although I'd rather have a hitter like Rusty, you have to admit, Mickey Lolich's ERA was a very respectable 3.22. He lost 39 games his last two seasons in Detroit, with an obese ERA both years. 33 MIN. Like Seaver and Koosman, Mickey had pretty meager run support throughout his career. Raymond Malcuit January 12, 2011 eddiek The Staub trade was ridiculous but not Lolich's fault. I look at his numbers as a Met and they're not bad. When he was with the Mets, I gave him the name "TOO MUCH EATER" but then again the Orange and Blue has always had big boned hurlers (El Sid. I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. Other than some one saying he ate donuts rather than come back to NY, does anyone know the real reason why he didn't pitch in 77? As somebody mentioned previously, this is really all Mike Vail's fault. (thankfully returning in '81). Lolich was still productive but he was never accepted in New York because of whom he was traded for. Mickey Lolich captured the sporting headlines in 1968 by upstaging Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson, in the World Series. Ok, the height is correct but make no mistake,a consistent, determined winner, Mickey Lolich was in the spotlight throughout his career. October 19, 2011 Lolich may have gone 8-13 in 1976 but Koosman did even worse the next two years (1977 and 1978). Doug S. Michael Mike B Three bad starts on 8/3 and 8/13 as well as his next to last start on 9/15 is what really bloated his ERA, not that 3.22 even in the '70s was that shabby.Yes, he was far removed from his prime but to say he sucked is pretty short sighted and flies in the face of the fact that he pitched well enough to be a 12-15 game winner, but then this is the same year Seaver pitched Cy Young caliber ball and went only 14-11. Its not Rustys fault the Tigers traded for hitting when they already had hitting. I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. My memory is that while the Mets' front office had made dumb and abysmal trades in the past, this was one that just made no sense in any way, shape, or form. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. April 23, 2003 feat fan I don't know if Mickey belongs in Cooperstown but he sure deserved more than 25% of the vote which was his highest showing. He easily could have won 15 or more games with any support at all. Mickey Lolich was a great pitcher in the American League. In San Diego they had a fan club for him called the Mickey Lolich Gut Club. September 12, 2002 Mickey was a fantastic pitcher for the Tigers. How many did he own? He made the all- star team 3 times, led the AL in wins once, shutouts once, complete games once, innings once, strikeouts once, and losses TWICE.He finished second (1971) and third (1972) in the Cy Young race, and he never finished higher than TENTH PLACE in the league in ERA (finished tenth in both 1971 and 1972).Baseball Reference lists among his top ten in similarity scores: Jerry Koosman, Jerry Reuss, Rick Reuschel, Luis Tiant, Vida Blue, and Joe Niekro.All of that tells me Lolich in his prime was a good pitcher, but nowhere near a HOFer. 3-time MLB All-Star who started more games as a pitcher than anyone in Detroit Tigers history. August 7, 2002 Believe me if he pitched like the ace he was in Detroit no one here would have been so quick to criticize the trade. The upper-deck tickets were a gift from the Tigers, which Lolich called ''gracious,'' noting that at World Series time the box seats are filled with ''guys in silk suits.'' For a fourth starter, on a four man rotation, Lolich was decent. Mike B As for his love of donuts, he could have been the prototype for Homer Simpson. Our visitors have submitted thousands of thoughts and memories of the Mets and the games they've played. As far as who got the better of the Staub for Lolich deal: Rusty went on to have several excellent seasons in a Tiger uniform. God bless him wherever he is and good luck! Ok, the height is correct but make no mistake,a consistent, determined winner, Mickey Lolich was in the spotlight throughout his career. The Mets acquiring him for Rusty Staub was another trade made by M. Donald Grant out of spite for Staub's salary request. I saw Lolich pitch at Shea on July 29, 1976, a Thursday afternoon game following morning showers, probably a getaway game, attended by a sparse crowd of 12,588. He pitched over 300 innings for 4 years in a row, coming close to 400 one year. In this World Series, Lolich pitched three complete games and allowed only five runs an ERA of 1.67. Jay But I have to say, I laughed out loud when I saw his physical statistics on this site. MR. Sparkle October 19, 2011 He had a 3/4 delivery that thrived on the weight shift. October 4, 2005 And Rusty Staub? September 25, 2013 April 20, 2002 Joe was hit by a Bob Moose pitch to drive in the tying run, but the '76 Mets couldn't stand such success, as two singles and a double play grounder by future Mets coach Bill Robinson in the top of the 10th off Skip Lockwood gave the Bucs a 2-1 win. His era of 3.22 is only .09% more than 20-game winner Carlton for the Phils. He later resurfaced with the Padres. senor ortiz $95 after 10% discount. 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