Mickey Lolich, baseball player, 1963-1979

Mickey Lolich

Born: 9/12/1940 in Portland, OR, USA

MLB Debut: 1963-05-12 | Final Game: 1979-09-23

Bats: B | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Michael Stephen Lolich

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Mickey Lolich, born in 1940, was a prominent left-handed pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1963 until his retirement in 1979. Known for his durability and effectiveness on the mound, Lolich finished his career with a record of 217-191 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.44. Over his 16 seasons in the big leagues, he amassed a remarkable 2,832 strikeouts and recorded 11 saves, showcasing his ability to dominate opposing hitters. His prowess was particularly evident during the 1968 season when he played a pivotal role in leading the Detroit Tigers to a World Series championship, earning him the World Series MVP award in the process. Lolich was a three-time All-Star, recognized not only for his skill but also for his competitive spirit during an era that included some of baseball's greats. His induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009 solidified his legacy as one of the premier pitchers of his time. Lolich's career was characterized by his workhorse mentality, often pitching deep into games and frequently taking the mound on short rest, which was emblematic of the era's approach to starting pitchers. His contributions to the game and his impressive statistics continue to resonate with baseball fans and historians alike.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
217 191 586 496 195 41 11 3638.3 3366 1390 347 1099 2832 3.44 0

Career ERA 3.44 vs. league average 3.57 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1963 DET AL 5 9 33 18 4 0 0 144.3 145 57 56 103 3.55 3.46 (-3%) -117.5
1964 DET AL 18 9 44 33 12 6 2 232.0 196 84 64 192 3.26 3.58 (+9%) 1711.4
1965 DET AL 15 9 43 37 7 3 3 243.7 216 93 72 226 3.44 3.50 (+2%) 3680.4
1966 DET AL 14 14 40 33 5 1 3 203.7 204 108 83 173 4.77 3.52 (-36%) -944.5
1967 DET AL 14 13 31 30 11 6 0 204.0 165 69 56 174 3.04 3.30 (+8%) 3463.0
1968 DET AL 17 9 39 32 8 4 1 220.0 178 78 65 197 3.19 2.98 (-7%) -43.8
1969 DET AL 19 11 37 36 15 1 1 280.7 214 98 122 271 3.14 3.61 (+13%) 4176.2
1970 DET AL 14 19 40 39 13 3 0 272.7 272 115 109 230 3.80 3.89 (+2%) 2828.8
1971 DET AL 25 14 45 45 29 4 0 376.0 336 122 92 308 2.92 3.47 (+16%) 6292.0
1972 DET AL 22 14 41 41 23 4 0 327.3 282 91 74 250 2.50 3.26 (+23%) 4032.9
1973 DET AL 16 15 42 42 17 3 0 308.7 315 131 79 214 3.82 3.75 (-2%) 2268.8
1974 DET AL 16 21 41 41 27 3 0 308.0 310 142 78 202 4.15 3.63 (-14%) -262.6
1975 DET AL 12 18 32 32 19 1 0 240.7 260 101 64 139 3.78 3.71 (-2%) 2870.8
1976 NYN NL 8 13 31 30 5 2 0 192.7 184 69 52 120 3.22 3.51 (+8%) 1867.5
1978 SDP NL 2 1 20 2 0 0 1 34.7 30 6 11 13 1.56 3.69 (+58%) -
1979 SDP NL 0 2 27 5 0 0 0 49.3 59 26 22 20 4.74 4.00 (-18%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
592 821 63 90 5 2 0 31 1 105 362 0.110 0.215 0.121 0.335 -6085.5

Career AVG .110 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 56.4% below league average.

Career OBP .215 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 32.5% below league average.

Career SLG .121 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 67.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.335 vs. league average 0.689 across their career seasons — 51.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1963 DET AL 33 36 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 9 20 0.056 — — — — 0.0
1964 DET AL 44 64 9 7 0 0 0 4 0 11 32 0.109 .250 (-56%) .312 (-17%) .377 (-71%) .690 (-47%) -441.4
1965 DET AL 43 86 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 37 0.058 .245 (-76%) .310 (-74%) .371 (-84%) .682 (-80%) -1115.3
1966 DET AL 40 64 12 9 0 1 0 3 0 7 28 0.141 .248 (-43%) .309 (-27%) .376 (-54%) .685 (-42%) -427.0
1967 DET AL 32 61 4 12 0 0 0 4 0 7 25 0.197 .242 (-19%) .306 (-9%) .357 (-45%) .663 (-28%) -240.1
1968 DET AL 41 70 5 8 3 0 0 3 0 6 25 0.114 .236 (-52%) .298 (-38%) .340 (-54%) .638 (-47%) -497.5
1969 DET AL 38 91 6 8 0 1 0 5 0 9 41 0.088 .248 (-65%) .320 (-47%) .369 (-70%) .689 (-60%) -901.2
1970 DET AL 42 82 4 11 0 0 0 3 1 12 29 0.134 .253 (-47%) .325 (-25%) .385 (-65%) .711 (-47%) -617.6
1971 DET AL 45 115 9 15 2 0 0 7 0 16 55 0.130 .249 (-48%) .316 (-23%) .365 (-60%) .682 (-43%) -762.7
1972 DET AL 41 89 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 20 39 0.067 .243 (-72%) .310 (-21%) .353 (-81%) .664 (-53%) -675.0
1973 DET AL 42 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 DET AL 41 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 DET AL 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1976 NYN NL 31 54 5 7 0 0 0 1 0 5 25 0.130 .255 (-49%) .320 (-32%) .360 (-64%) .681 (-49%) -407.7
1978 SDP NL 20 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1979 SDP NL 27 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 19 2 3 0 0 1 2 1 7 0.158

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1972 ALCS DET 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000
1968 WS DET 3 12 2 3 0 0 1 2 1 5 0.250

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
3 1 5 5 0 46.0 34 8 11 31 1.57

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1972 ALCS DET 0 1 2 2 0 19.0 14 3 5 10 1.42
1968 WS DET 3 0 3 3 0 27.0 20 5 6 21 1.67

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 586 496 100 448 38 16

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1963 DET P 33 18 4 22 3 1
1964 DET P 44 33 7 28 3 0
1965 DET P 43 37 11 27 5 2
1966 DET P 40 33 4 21 3 1
1967 DET P 31 30 10 22 3 1
1968 DET P 39 32 5 26 3 0
1969 DET P 37 36 5 41 4 1
1970 DET P 40 39 9 46 2 1
1971 DET P 45 45 9 40 1 2
1972 DET P 41 41 4 32 2 2
1973 DET P 42 42 11 40 1 3
1974 DET P 41 41 9 29 2 1
1975 DET P 32 32 2 32 0 0
1976 NYN P 31 30 9 27 6 1
1978 SDN P 20 2 1 6 0 0
1979 SDN P 27 5 0 9 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 586

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1968 Babe Ruth Award P
1968 World Series MVP

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1972 Cy Young Award AL 3rd 27.0 120 3
1972 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 60.0 336 1
1971 Cy Young Award AL 2nd 85.0 120 9
1971 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 155.0 336 1
1967 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 2.0 280 0