Detroit Tigers legend, All-Star pitcher, Mickey Lolich, dies

Mickey Lolich, who threw three complete games in the ‘68 World Series and was a hero of the Detroit Tigers, has died.

He was 85.

The team wrote on X, “The Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mickey Lolich and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.”

The Tigers said his wife told them he died after a short stay in hospice care, but the cause of death was not shared, The Associated Press reported.

The MLB called Lolich, “he Tigers left-hander who blossomed from a skinny strong-armed southpaw in Oregon to the hero of Detroit’s 1968 World Series comeback.”

Thanks to his comeback over the St. Louis Cardinals that year, he was named World Series MVP in the best-of-seven series. He had an ERA of 1.67 for the series that year, the AP reported.

He was chosen as an All-Star three times.

Despite being No. 23 in career strikeouts with 2,832, he never made it to the Hall of Fame. He is fifth among lefties, according to baseball-reference.com and the AP.

Lolich was born in 1940 in Portland, Oregon. His father was a parks director, so he spent his early years outside. He was a pitcher on Babe Ruth League and American Legion teams, which went to national tournaments. While playing baseball at Lincoln High School, he went 19-5.

He signed with the Tigers at the age of 17 in 1958 for $30,000 and made his debut in 1959 with Class A Knoxville, MLB reported.

After he left baseball, Lolich ran a doughnut business outside of Detroit for 18 years, the AP said.

“I doubt any other ballplayer has ever made that transition — from the diamond to doughnuts. But I did,” he wrote in his book.

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