page_title: Mickey Lolich
section_title: 1969–1975
hierarchical_section_title: Mickey Lolich / Professional baseball / Detroit Tigers / 1969–1975
caption_attribution_description: English: Professional baseball player Mickey Lolich
context_page_description: Michael Stephen Lolich is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1962 until 1979, most notably for the Detroit Tigers. A three-time All-Star, Lolich is most notable for his performance in the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals when he earned three complete-game victories, including a win over Bob Gibson in the climactic Game 7. At the time of his retirement in 1979, Lolich held the Major League Baseball record for career strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher.
context_section_description: In 1969, Lolich won 19 games and earned his first All-Star selection. He struck out 16 batters in a game twice in 1969, his career high. In 1971, he led the American league with 25 wins, an impressive 29 complete games and 308 strikeouts, all career-highs. His 308 strikeouts is also a Tigers' team record. Lolich became known for his endurance and his ability to pitch complete games. He reached the 300-innings pitched mark every season between 1971 and 1974. He finished second to Vida Blue in the 1971 Cy Young Award voting. 
  Lolich won 22 games and posted a career-best 2.50 ERA in 1972 to help the Tigers win the American League Eastern Division championship. He pitched impressively in the 1972 American League Championship Series against the Oakland Athletics, posting a 1.42 ERA in two starts. In Game 1, he pitched 10 innings allowing only 1 run before losing the game in the bottom of the 11th inning on an unearned run. He pitched nine innings in Game 4, again allowing only 1 run, but the win went to reliever John Hiller as the Tigers rallied in the 10th inning. The Tigers eventually lost the series to Oakland in five games. He finished third in the 1972 Cy Young Award voting behind Gaylord Perry and Wilbur Wood.
  Lolich won 16 games in 1973 and 1974. However, the Tigers dropped to last place in the American League East. In 1975, Lolich eclipsed Warren Spahn’s Major League Baseball record of 2,583 career strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher. Although Lolich pitched effectively in 1975, the Tigers' poor performance continued as they failed to provide him with much offensive support. He received only 14 runs of support during a 14-game stretch in which his win-loss record was 1–13, even though he managed to post a respectable 3.88 earned run average in that period.
caption: Lolich as a member of the Detroit Tigers in 1975.
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