Former
Detroit Tigers ace Mickey Lolich is the latest player to be added to my
on-going 1975 “In Action” sub-set, one of my favorites here on the blog
for some time now:
Lolich was coming off of his sixth straight season of over 200
strikeouts, and seventh overall in his great career which began in 1963,
all with Detroit.
Along the way he posted two 20-win seasons, with a high of 25 in 1971
when he started an incredible 45 games, completing 29 and throwing a
staggering 376 innings!
He also posted four shutouts that year as well as a league-leading 308
strikeouts, finishing second in the Cy Young Award behind Oakland
pitcher Vida Blue.
After a 12-18 campaign in 1975, Lolich was traded to the New York Mets
for Rusty Staub where he went 8-13 before missing the 1977 season.
In 1979 he was back in the Big Leagues, now with the San Diego Padres,
where he went 2-1 over 20 appearances, posting a brilliant 1.56 ERA over
34.2 innings pitched.
After a final season of MLB ball in 1979 that saw him go 0-2 with a
bloated 4.74 ERA in 27 appearances, Lolich retired, ending up with a
217-191 record along with 2832 strikeouts, at one point the Major League
record for left-handed pitchers, as well as 41 shutouts and a 3.44 ERA
in 586 appearances over 16-years.