1968 World Series Champion Mickey Lolich Dead At Age 85
Tigers' Mickey Lolich 1968 World Series Champion Dead At 85
Published
Mickey Lolich -- a member of the 1968 World Series champion Detroit Tigers -- has passed away at the age of 85.
Lolich made his MLB debut for the Tigers in May 1963, pitching for the team until 1975 before joining the New York Mets in 1976. He wouldn't throw a single pitch during the 1977 season, returning a year later to join the San Diego Padres for two campaigns.
The Detroit Free Press first reported Lolich's passing. No cause of death was provided.
Over the course of his 16-year career ... he pitched to a 3.44 ERA over 3,638.1 innings. During the Tigers' 1968 championship run, he pitched in 39 games to a tune of a 3.19 ERA over 220 innings.
The 85-year-old is ranked fifth on the career strikeout lists ... landing behind legends like Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, CC Sabathia, and Clayton Kershaw. Lolich also led the MLB in wins and strikeouts in 1971.
In 1967 ... Lolich was called to active duty with the Michigan Air National Guard in response to civil unrest that erupted in the Motor City -- being placed on active duty for 12 days.
Once he called it a career, his next move was to open a donut shop just outside the city, running it for several years.
Lolich is survived by his wife Joyce, daughters Kimberly, Stacy, Jody; and his three grandsons.
